CLOSE ENCOUNTER 5

Careers
FOCUS: Simple present tense versus present continuous tense verb (for example, studies versus is
sdudying)
Today more and more high school graduates (1) ____________________ on to college.
Most young people (2) _____________________ their course of studies for themselves, rather than
have their parents tell them what career to choose.
For example, Jack’s father (3) _____________________ medicine. Even though he (4)
____________________ his son also to become a doctor, he doesn’t insist that Jack study
medicine when he (5) ____________________high school. He (6) ______________________
that Jack must make up his own mind about what he (7) ______________________ to be.
His wife, on the other hand, (8) ___________________ with him. She (9) _________________
that Jack should become a doctor so he can become a partner with his father.
Jack isn’t sure what he (10) ______________________ to study in college. One day he
(11) ___________________ that he’d like to become an engineer. However, the next day he
(12) ___________________that perhaps he should study busyness management. Right now he
(13) ____________________ chemistry, biology, and physics, all of which will be useful if he
(14) ____________________ to study medicine in college. Jack (15) _______________ these
courses so he (16) ______________ hard every night. At the moment he (17) ______________
both chemistry and biology, but unfortunately he (18) ____________________ physics.
Eventually he (19) ______________ to pass the course but he (20) _____________ no chances.
He (21) __________________private lessons from a college friend. Jack (22) ______________
his father’s attitude, and he is grateful that his father (23) ________________ him to become a
doctor too. In some countries parents often (24) ________________ what careers their children
will follow—especially their sons. Sometimes this (25) _______________ in the United States.
For example, Jack’s high school friend, Tom, has parents with a different point of view. They
(26) ________________ to pay for Tom’s college education if he doesn’t study accounting.
They (27) ______________ him to become an accountant so he can help in the family business.
But Tom (28) __________________ mathematics; he (29) _________________ to become a
commercial artist. At the present time, he (30) _________________ special art lessons in the
evening. and he (31) ___________________ in the graphics studio of an advertising agency.
Tom’s parents (32) ____________________ him that he (33) _______________ too much time
on his art and too little time on his accounting.
Both boys are probably going to be successful in whatever they (34) _______________
to do because they (35) ____________________ what they themselves most want to do in life.
Comprehension Check
Write true or false on the line:
1. __________ Jack’s father is businessman.
2. __________ Jack is failing physics.
3. __________ Jack is giving private lessons to Tom.
4. __________ Tom’s parents don’t like his plans to become an artist.
5. __________ Tom wants to become an accountant.
Write Now
Write a short paragraph about what you would like to do or be and what you are doing in order to
achieve this goal. Use the simple present tense and the present continuous tense:
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