DEPARTAMENTO DE DESARROLLO PRODUCTIVO Y TECNOLÓGICO
Asignatura: INGLÉS III
Profesor: Dr. Martin Cieri
LESSON 7
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY: Keywords & Mind Maps
Mind Map: A diagram for representing tasks, words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around a central
concept or subject using a non-linear graphical layout that allows the user to build an intuitive framework
around a central concept.
Read the following texts and answer the questions that follow.
TEXT 1
EMPLOYMENT IN JAPAN
Every autumn, when recruitment of new graduates and school
leavers begins, major cities in Japan are flooded with students
hunting for a job. Wearing suits for the first time, they run from one
interview to another. The season is crucial for many students, as
their whole lives may be determined during this period.
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In Japan, lifetime employment is commonly practiced by large companies. While people working in small
companies and those working for sub-contractors do not in general enjoy the advantages conferred by the large
companies, there is a general expectation that employees will in fact remain more or less permanently in the
same job.
Unlike in many Western countries where companies employ people whose skills can be effective immediately,
Japanese companies select applicants with potential who can be trained to become suitable employees. For this
reason, recruiting employees is an important exercise for companies, as they invest a lot of time and money in
training new staff. This is basically true both for factory workers and for professionals. Professionals who have
studied subjects which are of immediate use in the workplace, such as industrial engineers, are very often placed
in factories and transferred from one section to another. Workers too feel more involved by working with
professionals and by being allowed to voice their opinions. Loyalty is believed to be cultivated in this type of
egalitarian working environment.
Because of this system of training employees to be all-rounders, mobility between companies is low. Wages are
set according to educational background or initial field of employment, ordinary graduates being employed in
administration, engineers in engineering and design departments and so on. Both promotions and wage
increases tend to be tied to seniority, though some differences may arise later on as a result of ability and
business performance. Wages are paid monthly, and the net sum, after the deduction of tax, is usually paid
directly into a bank account. As well as salary, a bonus is usually paid twice a year. This is a custom that dates
back to the time when employers gave special allowances so that employees could properly celebrate bon, a
Buddhist festival held in mid-July in Tokyo, but on other dates in other regions. The festival is held to appease
the souls of ancestors. The second bonus is distributed at New Year. Recently, bonuses have also been offered as
a way of allowing workers a share in the profits that their hard work has gained.
Many female graduates complain that they are not given equal training and equal opportunity in comparison to
male graduates. Japanese companies generally believe that female employees will eventually leave to get
married and have children. It is also true that, as well as the still-existing belief among women themselves that
nothing should stand in the way of child-rearing, the extended hours of work often do not allow women to
continue their careers after marriage.
Disappointed career-minded female graduates often opt to work for foreign firms. Since most male graduates
prefer to join Japanese firms with their guaranteed security, foreign firms are often keen to employ female
graduates as their potential tends to be greater than that of male applicants.
Some men, however, do leave their companies in spite of future prospects, one reason being to take over the
family business. The eldest sons in families that own family companies or businesses such as stores are normally
expected to take over the business when their parents retire. It is therefore quite common to see a businessman,
on succeeding to his parents' business, completely change his professional direction by becoming, for example, a
shopkeeper.
On the job, working relationships tend to be very close because of the long hours of work and years of service in
common. Social life in fact is frequently based on the workplace. Restaurants and nomi-ya, "pubs", are always
crowded at night with people enjoying an evening out with their colleagues. Many companies organize trips and
sports days for their employees. Senior staff often play the role of mentor. This may mean becoming involved in
the lives of junior staff in such things as marriage and the children's education.
The average age of retirement is between 55 and 60. For most Westerners, retirement may be an eagerly awaited
time to undertake such things as travel and hobbies. Many Japanese, however, simply cannot get used to the
freedom of retirement and they look for ways of constructively using their time. Many look for new jobs, feeling
that if they do not work, they will be abandoned by society. This has recently led to the development in some
municipalities of municipal job centers which advertise casual work such as cleaning and lawn mowing. Given
that Japan is facing the problem of an increasingly ageing society, such activities may be vital in the future.
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Multiple Choice
1) Company training in Japan…
a. is not important.
b. is for factory workers only.
c. is for professionals only
d. is for all staff.
2) Foreign firms are keen to employ Japanese women because…
a. the women are more intelligent than men.
b. the women that apply are more capable than the men that apply.
c. the women will be only short-term employees.
d. the women prefer guaranteed security.
3) Japanese people continue to work after retirement because…
a. they need the income.
b. they miss working.
c. they assist in the family business.
d. they have no status outside employment.
Write 5 key words to summarize the text.
___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________
Draw a mind map of the text.
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TEXT 2
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Business applications
Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for
entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base.
These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for
companies selling products and services. Companies can also use social
networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads. Since
businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in
touch with contacts around the world.
Medical applications
Social networks are beginning to be adopted by healthcare professionals as a means to manage institutional
knowledge, disseminate peer to peer knowledge and to highlight individual physicians and institutions. The
advantage of using a dedicated medical social networking site is that all the members are screened against the
state licensing board list of practitioners. The role of social networks is especially of interest to pharmaceutical
companies which spend approximately "32 percent of their marketing dollars" attempting to influence the
opinion leaders of social networks.
Languages, nationalities and academia
Various social networking sites have sprung up catering to different languages and countries. The popular site
Facebook has been cloned for various countries and languages and some specializing in connecting students and
faculty.
Social networks for social good
Several websites are beginning to tap into the power of the social networking model for social good. Such models
may be highly successful for connecting otherwise fragmented industries and small organizations without the
resources to reach a broader audience with interested and passionate users. Users benefit by interacting with a
like-minded community and finding an amusing channel for their energy and giving.
Business model
Few social networks currently charge money for membership. In part, this may be because social networking is a
relatively new service, and the value of using them has not been firmly established in customers' minds.
Companies such as MySpace and Facebook sell online advertising on their site. Hence, they are seeking large
memberships, and charging for membership would be counterproductive. Some believe that the deeper
information that the sites have on each user will allow much better targeted advertising than any other site can
currently provide. Sites are also seeking other ways to make money, such as by creating an online marketplace or
by selling professional information and social connections to businesses.
Privacy issues
On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal
information and the threat of sexual predators. Users of these services need to be aware of data theft or viruses.
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However, large services, such as MySpace, often work with law enforcement to try to prevent such incidents. In
addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information in the hands of
large corporations or governmental bodies, allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behavior on
which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken.
Investigations
Social network services are increasingly being used in legal and criminal investigations. Information posted on
sites such as MySpace and Facebook, has been used by police, probation, and university officials to prosecute
users of said sites. In some situations, content posted on MySpace has been used in court.
Multiple Choice
1) According to the text, social networks...
a) are being used by businesses for marketing.
b) are about friendships.
c) can damage business reputations.
d) advertise on business web sites.
2) Why do advertisers like social network sites?
a) They are cost-effective to advertise on.
b) Most users have high disposable income.
c) Detailed information on each user allows targeted ads.
d) They can influence consumer behavior.
3) What should users not do on social networks?
a) Download viruses.
b) Contact predators.
c) Upload copyrighted music.
d) Be too free with their personal information.
Write 5 key words to summarize the text.
___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________
Draw a mind map of the text.
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GRAMMAR TOPIC: Reduced Relative Clauses
Reduced Relative Clauses refer to the shortening of a relative clause which modifies the subject of a sentence.
Remember that Reduced Relative Clauses modify the subject and not the object of a sentence.
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The following sentences form the texts are examples of Reduced Relative Clauses. Can you say what
words are missing? Translate them. The first one has been done for you. Use the sentences above to
help you.
Reduced Relative Clauses from the Texts Missing Words
Every autumn, when recruitment of new graduates and school leavers begins, major
cities in Japan are flooded with students hunting for a job.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
who are
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
While people working in small companies and those working for sub-contractors do
not in general enjoy the advantages conferred by the large companies, there is a
general expectation (…)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Wages are set according to educational background or initial field of employment,
ordinary graduates being employed in administration, engineers in engineering and
design departments and so on.
……………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Restaurants and nomi-ya, "pubs", are always crowded at night with people enjoying
an evening out with their colleagues.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
.
Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs
and small businesses looking to expand their contact base.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies
selling products and services.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users
giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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REVISION TOPIC 1: Used to vs. Be/Get Used to
What can you understand form the following sentence from the first text? Use the image above to help
you.
Many Japanese, however, simply cannot get used to the freedom of retirement (…)
Translation: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
More sentences to translate (not in the texts)
He used to be a pretty good mechanic.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I am not used to being lied to.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Our new teacher quickly got used to our large, multicultural class.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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We aren't used to taking the bus.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I'll just have to get used to being idle.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He is used to working late.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I used to trust Dad.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They couldn't get used to the noisy neighborhood, so they moved.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
We are so used to being with the big boys.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
REVISION TOPIC 2: Adjectives ending in “ed” & “ing”
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What is the function of the folllwing ed and ing adjectives from the texts? The first one has been done
for you. Use the image above to help you.
Sentences form the text Function
Disappointed career-minded female graduates often opt to work for foreign firms. Feeling/emotion
Given that Japan is facing the problem of an increasingly ageing society, such
activities may be vital in the future.
(…) organizations without the resources to reach a broader audience with
interested and passionate users.
Users benefit by interacting with a like-minded community (…)
(…) and finding an amusing channel for their energy and giving.
On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users
giving out too much personal information (…)
Answers will be available next week!
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