Episode 193

EPISODE 193
LEVEL A2

READING COMPREHENSION

 

My Office Like most offices, my office is a place where I can concentrate on my work and feel comfortable at the same time. Of course, I have all the necessary equipment on my desk. I have the telephone next to the printer on the right side of my desk.

My computer is in the center of my desk with the monitor directly in front of me. I have a comfortable office chair to sit on and some pictures of my family between the computer and the telephone. In order to help me read, I also have a lamp near my computer which I use in the evening if I work late. There is plenty of paper in one of the cabinet drawers. There are also staples and a stapler, paper clips, highlighters, pens and erasers in the other drawer. I like to use highlighters to remember important information. In the room, there is a comfortable armchair and a sofa to sit on. I also have a low table in front of the sofa on which there are some industry magazines.

 

Ex. 1 Find in the reading text the English equivalents of these words:

1. skoncentrować się
2. komfortowy
3. biurko
4. drukarka
5. zdjęcie
6. używać

 

Ex. 2 What collocations can you make with the words in these two rows?

A. important / industry / low / necessary / office / paper

 

B. chair / clips / equipment / information / magazine / table

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
4. _______________________________
5. _______________________________
6. _______________________________

 

Ex. 3 Translate these sentences using words from the exercises above:

1. Mój fotel biurowy nie jest zbyt wygodny.
2. Lubię przejrzeć (browse) czasopisma branżowe w wolnej chwili.
3. Czasem ciężko mi się skoncentrować w moim biurze.

 

I know English idioms:

Today, let’s focus on one of the key elements in every office: “paper”. Here’s a paper-related idiom:
• a paper chase = the activity of dealing with many different documents in order to achieve something
➢ It’s real paper chase when you want to receive even the smallest amount of financial aid from state institutions.

 

Phrasals, phrasals…

And here’s how “paper” may form a phrasal verb:
• to paper over = to try to hide a problem or disagreement instead of finding a good solution to it (zataić, ukryć)
➢ I’m afraid we’re only papering over the problems, not really solving them.

 

Grammar corner…

Complete these extracts of the text with missing prepositions: between / in / near / next / on. “(…)

I have all the necessary equipment _________ my desk. I have the telephone ________ to the printer _________ the right side of my desk. My computer is _________ the center of my desk with the monitor directly _________ front of me. I have a comfortable office chair to sit on and some pictures of my family _________ the computer and the telephone. In order to help me read, I also have a lamp _________ my computer which I use in the evening if I work late. There is plenty of paper _________ one of the cabinet drawers. There are also staples and a stapler, paper clips, highlighters, pens and erasers _________ the other drawer. “

 

GLOSSARY

office – biuro
most – większość
to concentrate – skoncentrować się
to feel – czuć się
comfortable- komfortowy/o
at the same time – jednocześnie
necessary – niezbędny
equipment – sprzęt
desk – biurko
next to – obok
printer – drukarka
right side-  prawa strona
directly – bezpośrednio
in front of – przed
office chair – fotel biurowy
picture – tu: zdjęcie
between – między
in order to – w celu, aby
to use – używać
plenty of – mnóstwo
cabinet – szafka
drawer – szuflada
staple – zszywka
stapler – zszywacz
paper clip -spinacz
highlighter – zakreślacz
eraser – gumka
armchair – fotel
low table – niski stolik
industry magazine – czasopismo branżowe

 

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