Unit 5: At work: colleagues and routines

Question 1

Opposite number
/ˈɑː.pə.zɪt/

Answer 1

a person whose position in another group, organization, or country is equivalent to that held by someone already mentioned

Question 2

working relationship
/rɪˈleɪ.ʃən.ʃɪp/

Answer 2

way of communicating and working together

Question 2

collaboration
/kəˈlæb.ə.reɪt/

Answer 2

working together to achieve shared goals

Question 3

counterpart
/ˈkaʊn.t̬ɚ.pɑːrt/

Answer 3

more formal equivalent of opposite number

Question 4

rapport
/ræpˈɔːr/

Answer 4

communication/ relationship

Question 5

take the initiative
/ɪˈnɪʃ.ə.t̬ɪv/

Answer 5

to be the first one to do something, esp. to solve a problem

Question 6

hierarchical
/ˌhaɪˈrɑːr.kɪ.kəl/

Answer 6

has a structure with important and less important people

Question 7

pecking order
/ˈpek.ɪŋ ˌɔːr.dɚ/

Answer 7

a system where some people have the right to get
benefits/promotions before others

Question 8

job-share
/ˈdʒɑːb.ʃer/

Answer 8

to divide the duties and the pay of one job between two people who work at different times during the day or week

Question 9

/ˌhɑːtˈdes.kɪŋ/hot-desking

Answer 9

a policy of sharing desks in an office, so people sit at whichever desk is free on a particular day

Question 10

socialize
/ˈsoʊ.ʃə.laɪz/

Answer 10

to spend time when you are not working with friends or with other people in order to enjoy yourself

Question 11

workmate
/ˈwɝːk.meɪt/

Answer 11

colleagues you are friendly with (especially in non-professional occupations); informal

Question 12

talk shop

Answer 12

to talk about your job with those you work with when not at work

Question 13

occasion
/əˈkeɪ.ʒən/

Answer 13

a particular time, especially when something happens or has happened

Question 14

mundane
mʌnˈdeɪn/

Answer 14

ordinary, not interesting

Question 15

meet a deadline

Answer 15

have something finished by a fixed day or time

Question 16

volunteer
/ˌvɑː.lənˈtɪr/

Answer 16

offer to do something without
being asked or told to do it

Question 17

rewarding
/rɪˈwɔːrd/

Answer 17

something given in exchange for good behaviour or good work, etc.:

Question 18

stimulating
/ˈsɪm.jə.leɪt/

Answer 18

encouraging new ideas or new thinking

Question 19

workload
/ˈwɝːk.loʊd/

Answer 19

amount of work I have to do

Question 20

the day shift
night shift
/ˈnaɪt ˌʃɪft/

Answer 20

a period of time worked during the daylight hours in a hospital, factory, etc., as opposed to the night shift.

Question 21

mechanical
/məˈkæn.ɪ.kəl/

Answer 21

you don’t have to think about what you are doing

Question 22

repetitive
/rɪˈpet̬.ə.t̬ɪv/

Answer 22

the same thing is repeated every day

Question 23

knock off
/nɑːk/

Answer 23

finishing work; informal

Question 24

monotonous
/məˈnɑː.t̬ən.əs/

Answer 24

boring because it never changes

Question 25

glamorous
/ˈɡlæm.ə.əs/

Answer 25

very exciting, which everyone admires

Question 26

irregular
/ɪˈreɡ.jə.lɚ/

anti-social

Answer 26

do not enable one to have a normal social life

Question 27

stuck behind a desk

Answer 27

sitting at a desk all day; informal

Question 28

a long haul
/ˈlɑːŋ.hɑːl/

Answer 28

travelling a long distance

Question 29

mind-numbing
/ˈmaɪndˌnʌm.ɪŋ/

Answer 29

extremely boring

Question 30

stuck in a rut

Answer 30

stuck/trapped in a job they can’t escape from

Question 31

dead-end jobs

Answer 31

with no prospects of promotion

Question 32

technician
/tekˈnɪʃ.ən/

Answer 32

person whose job involves practical work with scientific or electrical equipmen

Question 33

went in with

Answer 33

formed a business
partnership with

Question 34

freelance
/ˈfriː.læns/

Answer 34

or works freelance