Unit 5: At work: colleagues and routines

Question 1

A colleague with the same position or role as you.

Answer 1

opposite number

• Philip is my opposite number in the company’s New York office.

Question 2

The way of communicating and working together with someone.

Answer 2

working relationship

• We have a good working relationship and collaborate daily.

Question 3

Working together to achieve shared goals.

Answer 3

collaboration

• There’s a lot of day-to-day collaboration in our team.

Question 4

Someone who has the same job or function as you in a different place.

Answer 4

counterpart

• Having a counterpart like Philip in another branch is a great support.

Question 5

A friendly relationship where people understand each other well.

Answer 5

rapport

• Our new boss quickly established a good rapport with everyone.

Question 6

The ability to make decisions without being told what to do.

Answer 6

take the initiative

• She likes us to take the initiative in our projects.

Question 7

An organization structured with different levels of authority.

Answer 7

hierarchical

• The company is very hierarchical; there’s a pecking order for everything.

Question 8

A system where some people get benefits or promotions first.

Answer 8

pecking order

• There’s a pecking order for everything in this organization.

Question 9

An arrangement where two people share the same job.

Answer 9

job-share

• I do a job-share with a colleague, which suits us as we each have childcare responsibilities.

Question 10

A system where people share desks and sit wherever is free.

Answer 10

hot-desking

• My office uses a hot-desking system, so I sit in a different place every day.

Question 11

Colleagues you are friendly with, often in informal jobs.

Answer 11

workmates

• I socialize with my workmates outside of work.

Question 12

To talk about work-related topics outside of work.

Answer 12

talk shop

• We try not to talk shop during social gatherings.

Question 13

Tasks that are ordinary and not interesting.

Answer 13

mundane tasks

• I do fairly mundane tasks, but occasionally I have to meet a deadline.

Question 14

To finish something by a fixed day or time.

Answer 14

meet a deadline

• Occasionally I have to meet a deadline, which makes the job more rewarding.

Question 15

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

Answer 15

volunteer

• Sometimes they need someone to volunteer for a project.

Question 16

Making you feel satisfied after doing something important or useful.

Answer 16

rewarding

• Volunteering for challenging tasks makes the job more rewarding.

Question 17

Encouraging new ideas or new thinking.

Answer 17

stimulating

• The work environment is stimulating, fostering creativity.

Question 18

The amount of work one has to do.

Answer 18

workload

• Sometimes I have a heavy workload, but at other times it can be quite light.

Question 19

Work that is mechanical and repetitive, requiring little thought.

Answer 19

mechanical job

• The job’s mechanical and repetitive; all I ever think about is knocking off at three o’clock.

Question 20

Finishing work; informal expression.

Answer 20

knocking off

• All I ever think about is knocking off at three o’clock.

Question 21

Boring because it never changes.

Answer 21

monotonous

• The night shift is a bit monotonous and not very satisfying.

Question 22

Not making one feel pleased by providing what is needed or wanted.

Answer 22

unsatisfying

• It’s not a satisfying job – I feel I need something more challenging.

Question 23

Testing one’s ability or determination.

Answer 23

challenging

• I feel I need something a bit more challenging to stay motivated.

Question 24

A job that is very exciting and admired by others.

Answer 24

glamorous job

• I have a pretty glamorous job; I’m a pilot.

Question 25

Working hours that do not enable one to have a normal social life.

Answer 25

anti-social hours

• But the hours are irregular and anti-social.

Question 26

Sitting at a desk all day; informal expression.

Answer 26

stuck behind a desk

• I’m not stuck behind a desk, but long-haul flights can be mind-numbing.

Question 27

Extremely boring.

Answer 27

mind-numbing

• Long-haul flights can be a bit mind-numbing; most of the time the plane just flies itself.

Question 28

Very strict or severely limited timetables.

Answer 28

tight schedules

• We work to very tight schedules to ensure timely deliveries.

Question 29

Trapped in a job one can’t escape from.

Answer 29

stuck in a rut

• I feel sorry for people who are stuck in a rut or in dead-end jobs.

Question 30

Jobs with no prospects of promotion.

Answer 30

dead-end jobs

• I feel sorry for people who are stuck in dead-end jobs.

Question 31

A person who does practical work with scientific or electrical equipment.

Answer 31

technician

• I started off as a technician before retraining in software development.

Question 32

Formed a business partnership with someone.

Answer 32

went in with

• I went in with a friend, and we formed our own software company.

Question 33

A small business that has just started.

Answer 33

start-up

• We launched our start-up in 2009, focusing on innovative tech solutions.

Question 34

Working for oneself as a freelancer or the owner of a business.

Answer 34

self-employed

• Now I’m self-employed, running my own consultancy.

Question 35

Working for various companies when needed, without long-term commitment.

Answer 35

freelance

• My husband is freelance; he works for several different companies as needed.

Question 36

Someone who writes computer programs.

Answer 36

computer programmer

• He’s a computer programmer, developing applications for various clients.