44 M AT U R I TA
S P e a K i n g – S P e C i F i C TO P i C Sr e a d i n g
MEANS OF TRANSPORT
When travelling in the city, you can either use a car or public transport. Cars get stuck in traffic jams, so it’s often quicker and more convenient to take a bus, a tram or the metro to get from one side of town to the other. It’s also better because you can use your time more productively, for example to read a book or do some work. Driving in the city can make you stressed. Also, using public transport is better for the environment because cars cause a lot of air pollution in cities. And they cause a lot of noise pollution too.
When travelling long distances, going by car gives you the freedom to go wherever you want and to stop when you want. It’s comfortable, and you don’t have to rely on the bus or train company to be on time. On the other hand, petrol is quite expensive, so it’s usually cheaper to go by train or bus. Travelling on a train is more comfortable than travelling on a bus – you can stretch out and relax, and you can use the toilet or get something to eat if you really need it. However, it can be frustrating when trains don’t arrive on time. The main advantage of buses is that they are usually the cheapest way to travel from town to town.
When travelling even longer distances, for example when going to a foreign country, you can also fly by plane. A flight ticket can be a bit expensive, and flying isn’t the best for the environment because it causes a lot of pollution. The airport can be a stressful experience with all the security procedures, and the amount of luggage you can carry is limited. On the other hand, flying is very fast and convenient for long journeys. Some people are afraid of flying, and the take-off and landing make them nervous. Others like to look out of the plane windows and see the ground far below.
There is also water transport (ships, ferries, ocean liners…). Compared to flying it is much slower and some people may get seasick. But ferries are handy for short distances, for example when crossing the English Channel.
to rely on – to put trust in
HOTELS
There are various types of hotel, from big ones in cities to small country houses. The cost of accommodation will depend on the hotel’s star rating. One star is the lowest and five stars the highest.
A hotel will have a reception area where you can ask the receptionist for all kinds of information. There may also be a bar and a restaurant area, a garden, a swimming pool, tennis courts, etc.
In the room there will be a double bed (a big bed for two people – such a room is called a double room) or two single beds (a twin room). A bathroom is either en suite (it is a part of the room) or shared (it is in the corridor and shared with other guests). The room number will start with the floor number – for example room 224 will be room 24 on the second floor.
Prices often include breakfast. In the UK, it can be full English breakfast (fried bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, etc.) or a continental breakfast (bread rolls and a selection of meats and cheeses). In each case there are also cereals and milk, and tea or coffee.
In the reception, there will usually be someone on duty 24 hours a day. Being helpful and pleasant is essential for a receptionist. He or she will help with filling in registration forms, give you the key to your room and prepare the bill. He or she will also be required to know everything about the local area and tourist attractions, and to be able to speak other languages.
In expensive hotels there will be a doorman, who might have a uniform in the style of the hotel. He will direct you to reception, park your car, and arrange for the bell boys or lift boys to take your luggage to your room.
The cleaning of the rooms and preparing them for new guests is organised by the chambermaids under the direction of the housekeeper. They change the bed sheets, clean the bathrooms and report any breakages (= broken things) or missing items. They send linen (= bed sheets and towels) to the laundry.
The general manager will be in charge of the hotel and will have meetings with the staff to ensure (= make sure) that everything runs smoothly.
FARMS AND FARMING PRODUCTS
In the past the countryside consisted of many small farms. The crops they grew were very varied, as were the types of animal that they kept. This form of farming is called mixed farming. In the 20th century more powerful machinery became available that could do the same work as many farm workers in a short time. Farms became less ‘mixed’ and more specialised.
Farms specialising in one thing are often called intensive farms. Animals are usually kept in confined conditions, maximising food production. To keep the animals healthy there is a greater need for chemicals such as antibiotics and pesticides. Chickens can be intensively reared in battery systems, where hundreds or thousands of them live in cramped cages. However, many consumers are not happy with the welfare of chickens. In some shops they can choose eggs that have come from free-range chickens that have had a better life outside.
Organic farms are a way of going back to less intensive farming. They try to be less reliant (= dependent) on fertilisers and pesticides. This is also a response to people wanting to know that the food they eat is healthy. In some countries farmers are given extra money by the European Union to make sure that small farms continue to exist.
Traditional farm animals include cows, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. In the past there were many different breeds (= kinds) of cows, pigs, etc., but the need for increased food production means that now there are fewer (those which are most productive).
Traditional crops include wheat (grown for animal feed and for bread making), barley (the basis for beer brewing in the UK), maize, lettuce, potatoes, turnips, peas and more.
Farming requires many different skills to be successful. A farmer has to have an understanding of breeding animals, how to operate complex machinery, the safe use of chemicals and also business and economics.
crops – plants such as a grain, fruits or vegetables grown in large amounts confined, cramped – small, not having much space welfare – health and well-being fertiliser – a natural or chemical substance that is spread on the land to make plants grow well
2013 | January–February | BRIDGE
S P e a K i n g – S P e C i F i C TO P i C Sr e a d i n g M AT U R I TA 45
NURSING
The founder of modern nursing is Florence Nightingale. She was born in 1820 to a rich upper-class British family. She became known for her efforts (= work) helping wounded (= hurt) soldiers during the Crimean War. In 1860, she set up one of the first schools for nurses.
Today, nurses usually have a college education. After completing their training, professional organizations license or register nurses. Much like doctors, they follow a code of ethics and maintain (= keep) standards through lifelong learning.
As a profession, the goal of nursing is to care for individuals, families, and communities so that they may achieve (= reach), maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses help to decide what is necessary for a patient, perform medical or social functions, and evaluate the outcomes of patient care. They work independently to save and improve lives.
Nursing is a diverse healthcare profession. Some of the specialized areas are cardiac nursing, palliative care, perioperative nursing, and oncology nursing. The majority of nurses are employed by hospitals, but they may also serve in the armed forces or visit people in their homes. Nurses can also work in the community to prevent illness through education to decrease (= lower) the transmission of diseases, or to prevent violence, obesity and smoking.
The main things a nurse can do are to give medicine and vaccinations, start IVs , draw blood, monitor a patient’s condition, and assist the patient’s family. Emergency department (or room) nurses ‘triage’ incoming patients, which means that they decide who needs help most urgently so that other healthcare professionals know in which order to see them.
One of the most important roles of a nurse is to protect the interests of the patients when they cannot do so themselves because they are too ill or have inadequate (= not enough) health knowledge.
palliative – care that improves quality of life but does not cure
perioperative – before, during, and soon after surgery IVs – intravenous; a canula delivers fluid directly into a vein
OFFICE
COMMUNICATION
The modern office is organized so that messages reach the intended recipients efficiently (= effectively). Special rules and etiquette apply to everyday business communication.
Business letters are very formal documents that should have appropriate openings. People should be addressed by their title (= Mr / Mrs / Dr / etc.) and their last name. Suitable closings include “Sincerely” and “Yours truly”.
Printers and copiers allow the same letter to be sent to many people and be stored in many places. When we need to reach more than one person, email is very convenient. Business emails should be brief (= short) and to the point , and use proper grammar and punctuation. Be careful not to overuse the CC: (carbon copy) feature as it can unnecessarily clutter (= fill up) inboxes. Emails are stored at both ends (unless they are deleted), which is good for record keeping.
To send documents quickly over a long distance a facsimile (or fax) machine is often used. A cover page is included that should contain both the name and contact information of the sender and recipient, and the number of pages being sent. It is polite to call ahead if you are faxing sensitive information.
The modern office does not rely much on face to face (= in person) communication. Most issues can be resolved quickly and informally over the phone. With mobile phones, people don’t even have to be in the office. When you are calling someone, be sure to identify (= introduce) yourself and speak in a normal tone of voice – try not to sound anxious or pushy (= too aggressive or demanding). If you need to leave a voicemail message, remember to leave your telephone number. Secretaries who receive many calls should always ask the caller if they can put them on hold , and not leave them on hold for too long!
etiquette – a code of conduct both written and
unwritten (or rules of being polite and good manners) to the point – specific information which is relevant (or specific information for what you want to say, rather than lots of useless extra information)
CC: (carbon copy) – carbon copy means an exact double; when it’s used for email it means the same copy going to a second person
to put on hold – to delay for a bit; when someone puts you on hold on the phone you have to wait
COMPUTERS
Almost everybody has at least one computer in their home. It may be a desktop PC, or perhaps a laptop, or maybe even a small netbook.
For a computer to run we need two main things: hardware and software. The hardware consists of the computer itself. The most important part of the computer is the central processing unit (CPU). This is the little chip that works as the brains of the computer.
Other important components are the graphics card, the motherboard that connects it all together, and a series of fans that work to keep everything cool.
We also need a monitor to see the output of the computer, and perhaps a printer and a scanner. These are just the basics. There are many more peripherals available to make our computing experience more enjoyable.
All that hardware would be useless without software to run on it. The most important software is the operating system (OS). The OS manages all the resources of the computer, both hardware and software. There are several operating systems to choose from, but by far the two most popular are Apple’s OS X (OS Ten) and Microsoft Windows.
Finally, there are software applications. This type of software is the reason we have computers. With them we can surf the internet, write documents, play games, and do many other activities. We just have to make sure the software is compatible with our operating system.
peripheral – a device that operates separately from the CPU but is connected to it (e.g. a printer, a keyboard, a mouse…)
resource – a component of the computer system
BRIDGE | January–February | 2013