A Sheila My first day at work was alright, really. When I walked into the office, the first person I saw was the person who’d interviewed me. She didn’t make much of an effort to put me at my ease. I just sat down where she told me to and got on with it. They gave me a load of data to input, so I had plenty to do straight away, which was a relief. I wasn’t familiar with the computer system, but I thought if I told anyone I needed help with it, they might just laugh at me. Now I know how kind everyone actually is, I know it would have been fine if I had. I decided I’d bring in some pictures and a plenty for my desk, just to make it feel more mine. I could see that’s what the others had done. I’ve been there for two years now, and I’ve made some good friends and learnt an awful lot.
B Judy
On my first day, everyone in my new team seemed to know all about me, which I hadn't expected. They all introduced themselves and were very friendly, but I immediately got everyone muddled up, because I felt pretty nervous. I thought my course had prepared me for the work, but in fact it was soon clear to me that there were huge gaps in my knowledge. I was asked to write a press release and then left on my own for ages. I didn't do it particularly well, mainly because I did it quite quickly. I didn't want to look as if I had nothing to do, though, so I typed it out three times. lt was a bit disappointing, because I'd thought I'd get so much more done. Now I often wish I had a bit more time like I did on that first day- I never seem to stop!
C Marion
The first thing I did was learn what everybody was called- not too hard as I'm good at that sort of thing. lt was a nice surprise to be greeted by someone I was at school with- it turned out we'd be working together. That was great as I'd been a little worried about not knowing anyone there at all. She showed me where everything was and it was a thrill to have my very own desk and even a locker with my name on! I was a little taken aback when she told me most people went home fairly late and I'd have to do the same if I wanted to be considered for promotion in the future. I should have realised that, I suppose, because my friends had warned me that might be the case. I didn't mind, though -I knew I was very lucky to be there.
D Valerie
I remember being quite nervous, and when I got there, nobody seemed to know who I was or what I should be doing. That was a little odd, I thought, but my boss turned out to be very friendly and soon made me feel at ease. I was very smartly dressed and everyone else was fairly casual – I wished I'd listened to a friend who'd worked there the previous summer and had told me not to wear a suit. I'd imagined I might not actually do much, but I was asked to look for some photographs of animals to go with an article my boss was writing. I found several suitable ones, and went home at the end of a long day feeling pretty pleased with myself! I've learnt a lot since then but I'll always remember that first day!
Which person:
1.achieved more than she had hoped to?
2.tried to appear busier than she really was?
3.imagined how she would personalize her workspace?
4.found it difficult to remember all her colleagues’ names?
5.was surprised at how unprepared her colleagues were for her arrival?
6.discovered her working hours cold be longer than she had expected?
7.felt too embarrassed to ask for assistance?
8.was relieved to see a familiar face?
9.realised how much she still had to learn?
10.regretted ignoring some advice she had been given?
1 D
2 B
3 A
4 B
5 D
6 C
7 A
8 C
9 B
10 D