Great inventions we can’t live without

Speaker 1: I couldn't do without my car, also, I couldn't do without my bike which is somehow a better idea around London. I can use it a lot more and I can get round all the traffic jams.

Speaker 2: Well, I've got a little baby and one thing I really couldn't do without is my washing machine especially, we actually wash our nappies. It's, it's really good, it's so eco-friendly to have washable nappies and it's an inspired design, because it's got lots of features like the half-load button for example and yeah, it's very ingenious the way it can do that. And another thing I really couldn't do without is my hair dryer. Oh I love my hair dryer! It's really great. those are the things I really couldn't do without.

Speaker 3: Well, my contact lenses are indispensable to me. They are, apart from being a brilliant invention, they - without them I couldn't see. I think they're an absolutely extraordinary and inspired invention. But the other thing that I couldn't possibly live without is my microwave and it is an absolute boon to my life and being able to heat things up at the last minute and cold cups of coffee suddenly become wonderfully hot, so I'm yes, without those two, with those two things I'm fine. Without them, I'm lost.

Speaker 4: Two things that I can't live without? Let me think. One of them goes everywhere with me, is a pepper mill for black pepper. My other thing that I have everywhere, and it sounds a bit, a bit fastidious, is my Swiss army knife. I think it's a brilliant piece of engineering really and I take it everywhere with me and I couldn’t live without it. I really don’t think I could.

T. 7

A job I would like to do

Speaker 1. I would hate to be a salesman of any kind, the idea terrifies me. I think a lot of your time is spent pressurizing people, lying to them, potentially, I am not saying all salesmen do this but I think a lot of the time you do have to sell things that you don’t necessarily, believe in. I don’t like that as a concept. A few of my friends, my school friends, they’re salesmen, they love it, they’ve got the gift of the gab, they can, you know, talk the hind legs off a donkey, but, just, there is a feeling I get that is a little bit unsavoury at times, I know, this is a huge sweeping generalization, but I just wouldn’t like to do it.

Speaker 2. I think a job I’d really like to do is be a professional actor. It must be great just going to, going filming in exotic locations and appearing on the West End stage. I used to be in school plays when I was a kid, so I think I’ve got what it takes. My brother-in-law used to be an extra in TV films and TV programmes like EastEnders, so he told me all about it what goes on and that. I can’t really think of any downsides in this job, maybe the fact that you are unemployed a lot, aybe that’s a bit of a downside, but other than that I think it would be great.

Speaker 3. A job I would absolutely hate would be to work in a call centre. I think it would be one of the worst jobs in the world because you are in the middle, I think you get a terrible time from both sides, from the people who are your bosses and from the people who call the call centre, who are usually cross about something and have a problem. I did telesales once a long time ago, part-time, so that was a slight experience of it and I hated it and never want to do it again and I think the only positive side to the job that I can see is that it is a job and you get paid.

T. 8

Company Overview

A: All right, Samantha, welcome to San Antonio. Now I just want to give you an overview of the company and who does what, so you know who to ask when you need information, OK?

B: OK, Mr Newman

A: And please call me Betram, Samantha – we’re very formal here in Texas.

B: All right, Mr New-er, Betram. And, er, everyone calls me Sam.

A: Right, Sam. Now as you know, my role is to manage Marketing and Sales; you will be working with Jake, our Art Director, and Saidah, Who’s our PR officer, but you’re going to report directly to me. I’ll introduce you to Saidah and Jake in a few minutes.

B: All right.

A: As I told you, we’re a small company, so the organization is simple for the moment, but we’re growing fast, so that’s going to change as we hire new staff. For example, right now we don’t have an HR department as such - Monica Overstreet, our Office Manager, takes care of personnel, so she’s the person to see if you have any administrative questions.

B: Yes, I met Ms Overstreet last time when I was here.

A: That’s right. She also looks after finance, and she has two accountants working under her. Now then, as you as you probably know, Warndar Technologies was founded by Merilyn Warner, our CEO, and David Darren, who’s COO now.

B: COO?

A: Yuh. Chief Operating Officer. Basically, he runs the business on a day to day basis. Merilyn deals with strategy, and she’s on the board of our parent company, so she’s often away in Houston.

B: uh-huh. And Warndar is a subsidiary of the Irysis group, right?

A: That’s right. They took us couple years ago. Anyway, as well as Monica and myself, there are three other department heads who all report to David. The woman we met just now in the corridor is Roxane Pawle. Roxabe is in charge of IT and technical Support.

T. 9

Chief Financial Officer

Do you know the one about the CFO and the crocodiles? Well, there was this CEO, who was giving a party for his executive team. Over the years, the boss had done very well for himself, so he was proudly showing the executives around his luxurious country house. Anyway, at the back of the house, he had built the largest swimming pool any of them had ever seen. Absolutely huge, you know? But the pool was full of very hungry crocodiles. So, the CEO said to his executives, “The most important quality for an executive is courage. Without it, you will never becomea CEO like me. So, this is my challenge to each of you: if anyone can dive into the pool, swim through those crocodiles and reach the other side, I will give them anything they want. My job, my money, my house, anything!”

Well, of course, everyone laughed at the challenge and nobody took it very seriously. Anyway, they had just started to follow the CEO towards the barbecue when suddenly there was a loud splash. Everyone turned around and ran back to the pool where the Chief Financial Officer was swimming for his life. The crocodiles had almost caught him when he reached the edge of the pool. He’d just managed to climb out of the pool when he heard the mouth of the biggest crocodile close shut- snap-behind him. Well, the CEO shook the CFO’s hand and said, “I’m really impressed. Until you dived into that pool, I never imagined you had such courage. You accepted my challenge and now anything I own is yours. Tell me what I can do for you.” The CFO was still recovering from the swim. He looked up at the CEO and said, “You can start by telling me who the hell pushed me into the pool!”

T. 10