Text:

Choosing a conference venue

1. The International Centre

Whether you are looking for a conference venue or a place to have your meetings and your training days, the International Centre is the perfect modern space for your event.

Offering free Wi-Fi, secure parking and all-day refreshments, the International Centre has 120 meeting rooms and a theatre for up to 1,000 people.

Conveniently located in the city centre, the International Centre is close to the shops and only a ten-minute walk to the train station.

2. The Grand West

The Grand West is a country house surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful scenery, only a 30-minute drive from the airport.

With 76 hotel rooms, 12 meeting rooms and a conference room that takes up to 200 people, the Grand West offers free Wi-Fi and a whiteboard in every room.

You can also make use of the gardens of the Grand West for team-building events and outdoor activities. Our indoor swimming pool, gym and 18-hole golf course will ensure that your event is relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.

Task:

True or false?

1. If you need a large conference venue for about 600 people, you should book the International Centre.
2. If you want to go shopping after your meetings, you should book the Grand West.
3. Only the International Centre offers free Wi-Fi.
4. If you go to a conference at the International Centre, you can have food and drink any time during the day.
5. You can have fun playing golf if you go to an event at the Grand West.
6. You have to walk for 30 minutes if you want to go from the Grand West to the airport.

Source:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/a2-reading/choosing-a-conference-venue

Task:

Can you . . .

• Can you introduce yourself?

• Can you schedule a short meeting with somebody (find a time and place)?

• Can you ask for directions to a building on campus?

Text:

To listen to the text, click here.

Task:

True or false?

1. The briefing will be short this morning.
2. The new head of department is starting this week.
3. The car park will be closed for improvements.
4. If you arrive first thing in the morning, you should park on Brown Street.
5. There will be no parking in the church car park after 6 p.m.
6. You can only pay with credit and debit cards in the canteen.

Source:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/a2-listening/a-morning-briefing

Text:

A conference programme

Morning programme

Afternoon programme

Exercises:

True or false?

1. Helena Clark thinks that we should know our own management style and not change it.
2. Amelia Novak believes that we should give feedback to help our employees get better at what they do.
3. Akira Yoshida will focus on the problems with change.
4. Cheng Wei believes that leading small businesses is different from leading big ones.
5. Omar Abboud thinks that when your team doesn't feel sure about the things happening around them, it can cause problems.
6. Tracy Edwards believes that conflict is bad and you should not let it happen in your team.

Source:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/b1-reading/a-conference-programme

Task:

Can you . . .

• Can you discuss your work and hobbies with a friend?

• Can you describe your favorite movie to a stranger? Why do you like it?

• Can you explain what you saw on the news this week?

Text:

To listen to the text, click here.

Task:

Complete the sentences with the words provided:

1. Most people think Mars can ________________ human life.
2. We measure distances in space using _________ units.
3. The two planets aren't the _________ colour.
4. Most of the water on Mars is probably _________.
5. The air on Earth is mostly made up of _________.
6. _________ on Mars is just over one third as strong as on Earth.

Source:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/b1-listening/a-student-discussion

Text:

Millennials in the workplace

Background

Millennials (those born between the early 1980s and the early 1990s) make up a huge part of our workforce but they seem to lack loyalty to the companies and the leaders they work for. Multinational companies are noticing larger turnover rates of millennials as employee retention rates fall. This report looks at the findings of two large-scale surveys on the mindset of the millennial generation and explores how organisations can strive to address these needs, increase employee engagement and encourage retention.

Research

In a global survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), more than 40,000 millennial (born between 1983 and 1993) and non-millennial responses were collected on the topics of workplace culture, communication and working styles, pay structure, career development, work–life balance, etc.

In a separate global survey conducted by Deloitte, more than 10,000 millennials participated in a study about their perceptions of the threats and opportunities in the complex world of work.

Key findings

• Millennials are as committed to their work as their more senior colleagues.
• Millennials value interesting work and a good work–life balance. They do not believe that excessive work demands are worth sacrifices in their personal lives.
• Millennials want flexibility in their working hours and are willing to give up pay increases and promotions for a flexible working schedule. They believe that success should be measured by productivity and not by the number of hours they are seen in an office.
• Millennials want to feel supported and appreciated by their company and their superiors.
• Millennials want more opportunities to develop their skills. These include technological skills, teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• Millennials believe that businesses and business leaders should contribute to the improvement of society and they are more likely to be loyal to a company with strong ethics.

Recommendations

Organisations and managers wanting to retain millennials should consider:

• monitoring their workload and satisfaction levels with their work–life balance
• creating a flexible work culture where employees have more control over their working hours and their work location
• providing meaningful work and interesting opportunities
• offering help and support in continuing professional development
• changing the organisation's goals from being mainly about profit-making to motives that address social concerns and solve wider societal problems.
  
  

Exercises:

1. This report is based on the findings of how many surveys?

2. True or false?

1. This report is based on surveys that only questioned people born between 1983 and 1994.
2. The surveys were conducted in several different countries.
3. Millennials are less loyal to their companies than non-millennials.
4. Millennials believe that their technological skills are sufficiently advanced.
5. Managers should be aware of how happy their staff are with the amount of work they have been given.
6. Managers should worry about their own work–life balance and not concern themselves with problems in society.
   
   

Source:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/b2-reading/millennials-in-the-workplace

Task:

Can you . . .

• Can you express your viewpoint and discuss a complex topic with peers with little difficulty?

• Can you describe the tasks you complete or the research you are doing at your job in detail?

• Can you explain an argument in a different way if the person you are talking to does not understand your first explanation?

Text:

To listen to the text, click here.

Task:

Complete the sentences with one to three words and/or numbers.

1. When pitch is at room temperature, you can break it _________________.
2. Professor Parnell put pitch into a glass funnel, let it cool, then turned it ________________ and cut off the top.
3. In total, only _________________________ have fallen from the funnel.
4. The next pitch drop is expected to fall in ____________________.
5. In 1988, the scientist responsible for the experiment missed seeing the pitch drop by _____________________.
6. The speaker notes it's interesting how news about a slow experiment can spread ____________________.

Source:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/b2-listening/a-lecture-about-an-experiment