Chapter 1: Workplace Environment
2 Listening
Before you listen
Complete the following to help you prepare for the listening excerpt:
- In the video, we saw the list of points Sima had planned for the first day of the orientation. Look at the list again and think about the questions.
a) What do you think the two listening excerpts will be about?
b) What do you already know about the points on the list?
2. Talk about what the following words and phrases mean. Listen carefully for the words and phrases in the listening excerpts and think about their meanings.
| carpool | performance review | probation | encourage |
| press | two-way radio | raise | strict |
| identifier | emergency contacts | release | button |
| monitor | shifts | procedure |
Listening: Excerpt 1
Read the questions in the Comprehension section so you have an idea of what to listen for. Then listen to Sima explaining company policies at the onboarding meeting.
After you listen
Comprehension 
Answer the questions.
- What is Sima discussing?
a) Parking
b) Dress code
c) Work hours and breaks
- The onboarding process at CDN Malls lasts for three months.
a) True
b) False
- Which of the following points will be discussed on Friday?
a) Performance review
b) Holidays
c) Time sheets
- Which one of the following is true of the urban heat island effect?
a) It makes us use a lot of energy and can make the air and water quality bad.
b) It helps us save energy but is harmful to the air and water.
c) It is good for the air and water but makes us waste energy.
5.
- Many employees at CDN Malls take transit, bike to work, or carpool.
- The parking lots don’t have black asphalt.
- There are lots of trees and plants in the parking lots.
Which one of the following company values are the statements above examples of?
a) Empower people to do their best.
b) Keep service foremost in mind.
c) Promote sustainability and be environmentally friendly.
Vocabulary
Complete the following:
- Listen to Excerpt 1 again. Identify the words and phrases you heard in this excerpt. Talk about what the words and phrases mean. Compare them with the meanings you had discussed in the Before you listen section.
| carpool | performance review | probation | encourage |
| press | two-way radio | raise | strict |
| identifier | emergency contacts | release | button |
| monitor | shifts | procedure |
- Use a dictionary to look up the words and phrases you identified above. Write down their meanings. Some words/phrases may have more than one meaning. Be careful to select the meaning of the word/phrase as it is used in the excerpt.
- Write sentences using the words and phrases you wrote meanings for. Talk about your sentences.+
Listening: Excerpt 2
Complete the following:
Read the questions in the Comprehension section so you have an idea of what to listen for.
Next, listen to Sima give instructions. Notice the words she uses to make the order of the instructions clear. Notice also how Raja and Paul double-check the information she is giving them.
After you listen
Comprehension
Complete the following:
- What is Sima discussing?
a) Parking
b) Using the radio
c) Filling in time sheets
- Put the instructions for answering a call on the radio in order. Number the instructions to show the correct order.
| At the end of your shift, write down the details in the log. | |
| First, press the Talk button and hold it to speak. | |
| When the other person has finished speaking, press the Talk button and hold it to speak again. | |
| Holding the button down, identify yourself using your radio identifier. | |
| Release the button when you have finished speaking to hear the other person speak again. | |
| Follow Steps 3 and 4 until the end of the communication. |
- Sima thinks people can learn how to use the radio very quickly
a) True
b) False
Vocabulary
Complete the following:
- Listen to Excerpt 2 again. Identify the words and phrases you heard in this excerpt. Talk about what the words and phrases mean. Compare them with the meanings you had discussed in the Before you listen section.
| carpool | performance review | probation | encourage |
| press | two-way radio | raise | strict |
| identifier | emergency contacts | release | button |
| monitor | shifts | procedure |
- Use a dictionary to look up the words and phrases you identified above. Write down their meanings. Some words/phrases may have more than one meaning. Be careful to select the meaning of the word/phrase as it is used in the excerpt.
- Write sentences using the words and phrases you wrote the meanings for. Talk about your sentences.
Listening progress check
Complete the following:
The instructions in the table are for using the online time sheet system. They are not in the correct order. Read each instruction carefully and do the following:
- Identify the sequence words in each sentence that will help you determine the order that the steps should go in.
- Listen to the dialogue.
- Number the steps to show the correct order.
| Next, in your profile, click on the Time In or Time Out button, depending on whether you are arriving at work or leaving. When you click on the Time In or Time Out button, the computer will automatically enter the current time. | |
| The first thing you do once you have entered the TimeTracker system is click on My Time Sheet. | |
| Once you have clicked on Name, scroll down the list until you find your name, and then click on it. | |
| Start by clicking on the TimeTracker icon on the computer. That will bring you to the time sheet system. | |
| Once you are on the My Time Sheet screen, the second thing you will do is click on the button that says Name. | |
| Finally, when the time appears in the box, remember to click Save so that your hours are recorded. If you don’t click Save, you will have to start over again. | |
| When you click on your name, it will take you to your own profile, with your name on the top. |
