Firefighters have demanding jobs that require dedication. They are on call 24/7 and spend their downtime cleaning equipment, studying techniques, and learning about new technology. While the job looks undemanding from the outside, firefighters are constantly training. The fire chief says it is difficult to find enough dedicated applicants who can pass the physical and mental tests. Firefighters work 24-hour shifts and may be called in on their days off. Though dangerous, they find the work rewarding for helping people.

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2 Batx. Starter unit and Unit 1. October 2011 ( Dream Jobs and The Spirit of Invention)
READING ( 2marks):
A Day in the Life of a Fireman
Taken from Fire Department , Parkersburg, WV
A fireman's life is something more than driving a red truck and spraying water on a blaze. He is on call 24
hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, always ready to risk his life to save others in times of
disaster. Beneath the helmet and behind the protective coat is a man whose daily life might seem to be
one of laziness, waiting for a fire call. Actually, a fireman has very little spare time. When he's not
battling a blaze, he's cleaning, scrubbing, polishing or studying.
Trucks and equipment are cleaned daily, brass and chrome kept spotless. All communications
equipment is checked out daily to assure it works properly when it is needed. When not cleaning, there
is always plenty of studying and practicing of emergency and fire fighting techniques. New methods in
rescue operations are regularly updated and the men must be kept informed of them. When new
equipment is introduced to the market, firemen must learn its use.
Hays, Fire Chief of the Parkersburg Fire Department, says. "When a man becomes a fireman, he knows
that's what he wants, and he is dedicated. We don't have many quitting when the work gets rough. " His
only complaint is that the department has difficulty finding enough dedicated men. Out of the last group
of 20 applicants, only 2 were hired, Hays revealed. The other found other jobs, failed to meet physical or
mental requirements or did not pass character investigations.
Firemen in Parkersburg work 24 hour shifts. Even on their days off, they are subject to call out in the
event of a major fire. And when called out, they respond. Hazardous and demanding? Yes . . . but it's a
rewarding career to be able to help those in need of assistance. As one fireman said, "We're not heros
because we save a child's life or prevent a fire from getting out of hand... we're just men doing our jobs,
and if it calls for saving a life, we do it.” It can be a dirty job at times, this firefighting business, but it's
also a rewarding one.
A. Find words or expressions in the text that mean the following. Remember that these words must be
completely exchangeable in the context of the text (1mark each. Total ___/4).
1.Fire: ………………………. 3.Leaving: ……………………….
2.Very clean: ………………………. 4.Dangerous : ……………………….
B. True or false? Quote sentences from the text to support your view. (2marks each. ___ /8)
1. New methods to face rescue operations are practiced on a daily basis.
2. There are more applicants than vacancies in Parkersburg Fire Department.
3. Firefighters can be called at any time, but only in the case of a large fire.
4. Helping others is too risky to be satisfying
C. Answer the following questions using your own words. (4 marks each. ___ /8)
1. What problem does Mr. Hays talk about?
2. Why do some people believe firemen have an easy life?

2. GRAMMAR(2 marks)
Fill in the gaps with the appropriate verb form. You might need to use -ing/ to inf form.
(1mark each. _____/20)
Apple
By the time Steve Jobs (1) ____________ (die) at the age of 56, he(2) ____________ (manage)
(3)__________ (build) one of the most powerful enterprises in the world of technology. How(4)
______everything __________ (start)?
Steve Paul Jobs (5) __________ (be born) in1955. He (6)_________ (adopt) when he was a baby and
(7)__________ (grow up) in California. After high school, Jobs(8) _______ (attend) college in Portland,
Oregon, but (9)____________ (decide) (10) __________ (leave) after his first semester(11) __________
(travel) in India because he (12)_________ (not find) a purpose in his studies. When he
(13)___________ (return) to California, he (14)_____________ (learn) that his high school friend, Steve
Wozniak(15) _____________ (build) computers as a hobby. In fact, Wozniak(16)_____ just __________
(invent) the Apple I computer. In 1976, Jobs and Wozniak (17)_____________ (start) Apple computers
company. (18)______________ (work) in Jobs’ garage, with little support but lots of ideas, they proved
to be a very successful team.
35 years later Apple (19) _________ (declare) the wealthiest company in America. Jobs was diagnosed a
Pancreatic cancer and forced by his illness, (20)__________ (resign) as CEO only a few months before
his death.
WRITING (3 marks) Write between 150/175 words
After taking part in a contest, your class is given the option to put six thousand euros into a project.
You can choose among a low-tech one (“the pot in pot” invented by Bah Abba) or a high-tech one
(software to predict storms that is being developed by Oscar van der Velde, the Lightning
Wizard). Which one would you choose? Write a text explaining your choice. Remember that your article
is meant to be published in the class blog. You aim at convincing your classmates that your choice is the
best by providing sound arguments.
VOCABULARY (1 mark) Give a definiton/translation of each word. Write a sentence in which the word
appears, showing that you understand its meaning and can use it in context.
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1. to harness 1. to harness
2. a drop out 2. adrop out
3. a freak 3. a freak
4. a researcher 4. a researcher
5. to forecast 5. to forecast
6. reliable 6. reliable
7. fees 7. fees
8. brand 8. to figure out
9. to dwindle 9. gap
10. trend 10. appliance
11. shortage 11. brand
12. trade union 12. to dwindle
13. to invest 13. trend
14. affordable 14. shortage
15. features 15. trade union

3. 16. slums 16. rate
17. corrugated iron 17. welfare state
18. landmark 18. goods
19. to breath 19. row
20. row 20. to invest
LISTENING (0’15 each)( _____/0’90) http://www.elllo.org/english/Mixer/11-
FirstJob.html Listen to 6 people talking about their first part time jobs and say whether the
following statements are true or false. Wrong answers will be penalized. There can be more than one
true answer in each of the six sections.
Eucharia worked Alan
1. at the restaurant of horse riding club 1. got fired because he lost interest in the
job
2. washing dishes in a glamorous
restaurant 2. had to work in the kitchen
3. once a week for about five hours 3. had to take orders from customers
4. none of the above 4. none of the above
Tres liked his first part time job because Kate
1. he wanted to be a maths teacher 1. only worked at weekends
2. He enjoyed children's curiosity 2. got her first job while she was still in high
school
3. he knew how to answer children's
questions 3. felt bad taking bread which had not been
sold home
4. none of the above
4. none of the above
In Jeannie's first job
Mark
1. Customers were nice to her
1. did several jobs at Chucky Cheese
2. she had to sit for eight hours
2. had to dress as a mouse while serving
3. people shouted a lot
meals
4. none of the above
3. sometimes had to dress up as a big piece
of cheese
4. none of the above
PHONETICS. Cross the odd one out (0’2 each. _____/ 0’10)
1. noun known town sound
2. open through throw no
3. kilowatt change chemistry archive
4. orange jeans dangerous young
5. tub blood brother tap