Weird jobs around
Pair Work
C. Look at the following dialogue and act it out in pairs.
X: Have you heard of a job like picking up the chewing gums lelft on a park bench?
Y: Yes, I have. I know one person who does that job.
X: What do you think of the job?
Y: Sounds rather funny/odd/crazy/ though. But what's wrong? You can go for it as long as you enjoy it. And if it pays, I think it's fine.
Now make dialogues on the following:
1. Assessing the comfort of a piece of furniture
2. Farming oysters in the middle of the ocean
3. Manufacturing model cars.
4. Constructing glass eyeballs
A : Have you seen any person assessing the comfort of a furniture? Is it an easy job?
B : Yes, a person living beside our house does this job. Yes, it’s quiet easy after getting a little bit instruction.
A : What do you think of farming oysters in the middle of the ocean?
B : Oh! It’s so risky and challenging/
A : Do you like the job of taking photos of gory crime scenes?
B : Oh, no! I’m afraid of it.
A : Finally, what do you the job of collecting snake venom for making anti-venom medicine?
B : Your choice of job is very peculiar. There is death risk in this job. Though by doing this many lives can be saved.
D. Arrange a debate in the class in favour of and against strange jobs.
Ali: Hello Everyone, we are going to start a debate of or against starnge job. Nadim will speak in favour of and Murad will speak against it. Mr. Rahman, our moderator, will decide the winner. First Nadim will start.
Nadim: Thank you honourable moderator, the opposition team and all others present here. Many of us find a job thinking that how much social prestige it has, how much admiration we will get from others, how much salary we will get. To do this we choose a job against our will and very soon that job like a bank job or business company job becomes monotonous to us. But if we choose a job based on our personal interest, we will enjoy it. This job can be strange like farming oyster in the sea, making glass eyeballs, taking photos of crime scene etc but in these jobs we can get mental satisfaction and variation. Thank you.
Ali: Thank you Nadim, Now Murad, start please.
Murad: Thank you Everyone. The speaker in favour of strange job has only told about the positive sides of strange job but perhaps he has forgotten the dangers of strange jobs like collecting snake poison, playing with wild animals etc. Besides, a strange job cannot give you a fixed amount of money every month like animal jobs. Thus strange job will deprive you of many things. Thank you.
Ali: Thank you Murad. Now I will request our honourable moderator to decide the winner.
Mr. Rahman: Both of them have delivered very nice speech. Actually, it’s not the matter of strange or normal job, the main thing is that we have to choose a job according to our personal interest. As it is a competition, we have to declare someone winner. In that case, today’s winner is Nadim but I also appreciate Murad’s speech.
E. Work in pairs. Make a list of adjectives used in the text to describe strange jobs (at least 10). Are you familiar with all of them? If yes, use them in your own written sentences. Compare with your partner's.
If no, try to guess their meaning from the context. Then look up a dictionary to get the meanings. Finally use them in your own sentences.
Cool- The boy is very cool.
Fun- The job of a joker is a fun job.
Exciting- I am watching an exciting cricket match.
Strange- How strange! He can’t read English.
Weird- Collecting snake poison is a weird job.
Wacky- She has a wacky dress.
Odd- it’s an odd situation.
Unexpected- His death is unexpected to us.
Wild- The weather is very wild.
Crazy- The crazy elephant has destroyed the houses.
Unconventional- the story of the film is unconventional.
Part time- Mina has a part time job besides her study.
F. A number of strange jobs have been mentioned in the text. Do you know any one around you who does one of the jobs? If yes, write a paragraph on him/her.
If no, first select a job. Then try to imagine who around you could successfully do that particular job. Write why you think so.
Pedro’s Strange Job
I know a person named Pedro whose job is really strange. He has to play with wild animals in a circus. Sometimes he enters his head into a tiger’s mouth, sometimes he keeps a snake round his neck. People admires his skill but they are afraid of these dangerous games too. I think Pedro’s endless courage has inspired him to do this job.