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Views #750 | High-Intermediate 6

Bad Jobs

Jeff and Tim talk about jobs they would not want to do and why.

Tim: So, Jeff, you asked me about what kind of job I'd like. Well, what about a job you definitely you wouldn't want to do. There's lots of jobs out there and some of them aren't so good, so what would you not want to do?

Jeff: That's a difficult question. I don't like working period, really.

Tim: Yeah, but who does?

Jeff: Yes, that's right, but I think a type of job I wouldn't like to do would be an office job, a straight desk job, where it is just task work, where you get paper - maybe sort of like an accountant - where you are doing nothing but sitting at your desk sort of by yourself all day, crunching numbers or putting things into the computer. I think it's very anti-social, a little bit boring, not so healthy, and even if the pay was good, I still wouldn't want to do it because you're compromising your life, which is short, to something that's not so fun so maybe a desk job, something at a desk, I wouldn't like to do. How about you? What job would you not like to do?

Tim: Well, to be honest with you I don't think I would make a very good police officer. I really wouldn't want to be a police officer. I know it's exciting and it's always different but I kind of feel like I would be judging people and I'm not anti-police. I think they're needed but sometimes I don't agree with everything that a government believes in and I think it would be difficult for me to be busting people for somethings that I don't agree with. And I think that, you know, it's a hard job. It's a hard job and you've got to deal with with people that you know need help in different ways, and a police officer is just coming and putting them in jail.

Jeff: Another thing, sort of related to police officer is I wouldn't want to be a nurse or a doctor.

Tim: Oh, I'm surprised.

Jeff: A great job and it would be rewarding to save people's lives or to make them better if they're sick, to make them healthy again, but I hate blood.

Tim: Oh, really.

Jeff: I can't stand blood so if there is... I can't even stand somebody with a bloody nose so I think in a situation where there is any blood around I wouldn't be your man.

Tim: Well, I think another job I wouldn't want to be is a garbage man, to be honest with you.

Jeff: Oh, a garbage man would be great.

Tim: I understand. Like, I like the idea of driving from house to house. I think I would be a great post office worker, and I don't mind the manual labor of just lifting stuff up and stuff.

Jeff: A bit smelly though.

Tim: Yeah. That's the biggest thing. I think the smell would really get to me, like kind of like you were with blood. I think that eventually that smell would sometimes make me sick, and you'd be surprised what people people throw away. I mean, needles, all kids of things, dirty diapers. Things like that. I don't think I could deal with that very well.

Jeff: OK, so you'll never be a garbage man and I'll never be a nurse.

Tim: Ah, fair enough I suppose.


Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

crunching numbers

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You are doing nothing but sitting at your desk sort of by yourself all day, crunching numbers.

'Crunching numbers' means that you spend time doing calculations.

Notice the following:

  1. I am an accountant, so I spend my time crunching numbers.
  2. She says that she is a number cruncher.

anti-social

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I think it's very anti-social, a little bit boring, not so healthy.

When something is 'anti-social,' it means that it does not allow you to see your friends or socialize  like a normal, healthy person.

Notice the following:

  1. Working as a chef can be very anti-social.
  2. I find that working shifts can be very anti-social.

judging people

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I kind of feel like I would be judging people and I'm not anti-police.

When you 'judge people,' it means that you make decisions about them based on what you know.

Notice the following:

  1. I do not really judge people, unless I know them really well.
  2. I do not like her, because she is always judging people.

busting people

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It would be difficult for me to be busting people for some things that I don't agree with.

When you 'bust people' it means that you arrest them, catch them or give them a ticket.

Notice the following:

  1. The police have busted a lot of people for speeding recently.
  2. I would like to be a police woman and bust people for crimes.

I wouldn't be your man

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I think in a situation where there is any blood around I wouldn't be your man.

'I wouldn't be your man' means that you think that you are not the right person for the job.

Notice the following:

  1. If you are looking for someone who is hardworking, then I wouldn't be your man.
  2. She said that I would not be her man if I could not show commitment.

 

Vocabulary Quiz

crunching • anti-social • judging
busted • your man
  1. It's hard to be around her for a long time, because she is always people.
  2. His new job is making him very . He almost never comes out anymore.
  3. If the person that you are looking for has to do any physical work, then I wouldn't be .
  4. I have been numbers all day, and it's obvious that we need more money for this program.
  5. He got for trying to use a fake ID.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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