General Listening Quiz

What kinds of questions do businesses ask potential employees during job interviews?

“dead-end job” = a job that provides no chance for promotion or advancement
“This is a real dead-end job, so I’m thinking about quitting soon.”

“on the job” = while working
“Doug was always texting on the job, so the boss fired him.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• land (verb): find a job
  – My father was able to land a very good job immediately after he graduated from college.
• impressive (adjective): making a strong impression, great, wonderful
  – The job offer wasn’t that impressive, so I didn’t take it.
• culinary arts (noun): cooking, the preparation of food for meals
  – This college offers a great culinary arts program if you are interested.
• tourist spot (noun): a place where tourists visit things of interest such as museums, scenery, or shopping areas
  – Hawaii is a fantastic tourist spot if you enjoy surfing.
• fabulous (adjective): great, wonderful
  – How did you land this fabulous job with so little experience?
• top-notch (adjective): of the best quality
  – This school’s business program is top-notch, and for this reason, it is hard to get in.
• struggle (with) (verb): try hard to do something
  – I struggled to find a new job for one year.
  – How long have you struggled with that terrible work schedule?
• depression (noun): a very sad or hopeless feeling or mental state
  – My brother has struggled with depression for a long time.
• disorder (noun): a mental condition that is not normal
  – Some international students struggle with emotional disorders when they live overseas.
• turmoil (noun): a state of confusion
  – The company has been in serious turmoil since the president quit suddenly.
• transition (noun): a change from one condition to another
  – The transition from a language program to the university can be difficult for some students.
• overwhelming (adjective): a feeling that something is so difficult or confusing that you cannot do it
  – The job was so overwhelming for James that he only lasted two weeks in the job.
• bliss (noun): perfect happiness
  – Running long races isn’t all bliss. There are times when you feel terrible, and you want to quit.

Think about your own major or future career? What are four qualities or qualifications that help people in your field become successful?

Use the internet to look up three jobs that interest you. What websites do you find most useful to find these job offerings?