My name’s Albert and I’m a teacher. My students call me Mr. Smith and I love my job.

I’ve been a
teacher since 1990 and I’ve had the opportunity to help hundreds – maybe thousands – of children
to learn and prepare themselves for their future professional lives. I hope I have helped them
learn a little bit about life and maturity and have also given important advice on how to be
responsible adults and citizens.
It’s a hard job and requires commitment and patience but I wouldn’t choose another one. When I
see my students’ progress at the end of each semester I understand that teaching is really in my
blood.

Mark true (T) or false (F) according to the text:

Albert is a teacher. ( )
His students call him Mr. Johnson. ( )
He’s been a teacher for many years. ( )
He doesn’t like his job. ( )
He helps students understand mature
people like their parents. ( )
He gives important advice on how to grow up
fast. ( )
It’s an easy job in his opinion. ( )
His job requires commitment. ( )
In his opinion, a teacher must be patient. ( )
He would chose another job if he had the
opportunity. ( )

Answer the questions:

Is Mr. Smith an experienced teacher in your opinion? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
Do you agree that his job requires commitment and patience? What else does it require in your
opinion?
_________________________________________________________________________
What kind of advices do you think he has given his students?
_________________________________________________________________________
What does he mean when he says “teaching is really in my blood”?
_________________________________________________________________________

E. Mr. Smith says his job is hard. What kind of difficulties do you think
he usually faces to make him think that?
_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
F. If you were a teacher, what aspects of your job would be the most
difficult for you to deal with?
_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Do you think that helping people is rewarding? Why?
_______________________________________________________________________________
What other jobs include helping the others among their duties?
_______________________________________________________________________________
What would make you decide for a job: the rewarding you’d get from it or the salary?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Do you think people feel uncomfortable with their jobs if they find it useless, even if they earn a good
salary? Why (not)?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Look at this fragment of Mr. Smith’s sentence: “It’s a hard job…, but I wouldn’t choose another
one.” The pronoun “one” substitutes the word job (previously mentioned) in order to avoid repetition.
Note that the pronoun “one” is used in singular or plural, depending on the word it replaces. Rewrite
the sentences below replacing the mentioned word by “one / ones” to avoid unnecessary repetition:
I don’t need two desks. I’ll take that desk over there.
_________________________________________________________________________
She never wanted to have children because she didn’t like them, especially the smaller children.
_________________________________________________________________________
Since she couldn’t find any top quality jeans, she resigned herself to buying the ordinary jeans.
_________________________________________________________________________
The blue coat is Jeannie’s and the red coat is Richard’s.
_________________________________________________________________________
My books are here, but who is those books owner?
_________________________________________________________________________
I don’t have much time to take care of pets, so I have only this pet here.
_________________________________________________________________________
Unless a student had raised his hand after a question, Mr. Gordon has always chosen the smarter
student to answer.
_________________________________________________________________________
Let’s go home, Ann. The CD’s at this store are too expensive and you don’t need to buy anything,
you can have lots of fun with the old CD’s.
_________________________________________________________________________
George doesn’t need a mechanic to fix his car; he has to buy a new car.
_________________________________________________________________________
Laura already has tons of blouses and this morning she just bought new blouses.
_________________________________________________________________________
If these are the easy exercises, I don’t want to try the difficult exercises.
_________________________________________________________________________
If you think this dress is horrible, wait to see the dress Mom has just picked up for you.
_________________________________________________________________________
Priscilla, why did you replace the old computer by this computer? It’s so complicated that I can
barely turn it on!
_________________________________________________________________________
TEACHER’S KEYS

Mark true (T) or false (F) according to the text:

1. Albert is a teacher. ( T )
2. His students call him Mr. Johnson. ( T )
3. He’s been a teacher for many years. ( T )
4. He doesn’t like his job. ( F )
5. He helps students understand mature people like their parents. ( F )
6. He gives important advice on how to grow up fast. ( F )
7. It’s an easy job in his opinion. ( F )
8. His job requires commitment. ( T )
9. In his opinion, a teacher must be patient. ( T )
10. He would chose another job if he had the opportunity. ( F )
Answer the questions:
A. Is Mr. Smith an experienced teacher in your opinion? Why?
YES, BECAUSE HE’S BEEN A TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS.
B. Do you agree that his job requires commitment and patience? What else does it require in your opinion?
(PERSONAL ANSWER)
C. What kind of advices do you think he has given his students?
(PERSONAL ANSWER)
D. What does he mean when he says “teaching is really in my blood”?
THAT HE HAS ALL THE QUALITIES NECESSARY FOR HIS JOB AS HIS NATURE.

E. Mr. Smith says his job is hard. What kind of difficulties do you think he usually faces to make him think
that?
(PERSONAL ANSWER)
F. If you were a teacher, what aspects of your job would be the most difficult for you to deal with?
(PERSONAL ANSWER)

a) I don’t need two desks. I’ll take that ONE over there.
b) She never wanted to have children because she didn’t like them, especially the smaller ONES.
c) Since she couldn’t find any top quality jeans, she resigned herself to buying the ordinary ONES.
d) The blue coat is Jeannie’s and the red ONE is Richard’s.
e) My books are here, but who is those ONES owner?
f) I don’t have much time to take care of pets, so I have only this ONE here.
g) Unless a student had raised his hand after a question, Mr. Gordon has always chosen the smarter ONE to
answer.
h) Let’s go home, Ann. The CD’s at this store are too expensive and you don’t need to bay anything, you can
have lots of fun with the old ONES.
i) George doesn’t need a mechanic to fix his car; he has to buy a new ONE.
j) Laura already has tons of blouses and this morning she just bought new ONES.
k) If these are the easy exercises, I don’t want to try the difficult ONES.
l) If you think this dress is horrible, wait to see the ONE Mom has just picked up for you.
m) Priscilla, why did you replace the old computer by this ONE? It’s so complicated that I can barely turn it
on!