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Chapter 9 – Jobs

Reading 9-1: The Butcher

Listen:

Man behind a butcher shop counter, slicing raw meat.
My father is a butcher. He cuts meat and helps customers. He wakes up very early. In the morning, he eats a big breakfast. His job is dangerous, so he needs to have lots of energy. He uses a knife to cut the meat. It is very sharp, so his hands need to be steady. He does not drink coffee because coffee can make him shaky. In the afternoon, my father uses beef to make hamburgers. Also, he uses pork to make sausages. He loves his job. He wants to manage his own meat shop one day.

Reading 9-2: The Pilot

Listen:

A female pilot in the cockpit of a plane at night.
My sister is a pilot. She flies planes around the world, and she works at an airport. Her job is very exciting, so she loves it. However, she feels tired when she has to fly very long distances. Sometimes, she does not sleep for many hours. She has to be focused, so she drinks coffee. She usually travels five times every week. She takes her holidays in the winter because this time is not as busy. She works hard. She does not want to change her job.

Reading 9-3: The Pharmacist

Listen:

A female pharmacist in a pharmacy, pulling a medicine from the shelf.
My name is Wanda, and I am a pharmacist. I am the manager at my store. I help people with their medicine. I answer questions about the medicine, and I give people advice about how and when to take it. For example, I sometimes tell people to take their medicine with food. Also, I sometimes tell people to stop drinking alcohol with their medicines. I talk to many people every day. I research every medicine, and I do not rush. I check every file carefully. I really enjoy my job, and I do not want to change stores. My store’s location is perfect for me because it is close to my house. 

Reading 9-4: The Librarian

Listen:

A young male librarian arranging a book on a shelf.
My name is Paul, and I am a librarian. I work at a big library in Toronto. I help people find the books, magazines, and articles they want to read. Many of our books are online, so I also help people search for online resources. The books in my library are organized by type. For example, story and comic books are on the first floor. Research and history books are on the second floor. Science and math books are on the third floor, and language and romance books are on the fourth floor. Many people study in my library, so it is important to be quiet. My job is very busy between 5 pm and 8 pm. My job is not very busy between 1 pm and 5 pm because most people are at work. I like my job when it is busy, but I do not like my job when it is not busy. I feel sleepy when it is not busy.

Vocabulary

Airport

Alcohol

Butcher

Comic

Dangerous

Librarian

Location

Manage

Manager

Pharmacist

Pilot

Romance

Travels

Media Attributions

References

Adobe. (2024). Adobe Firefly [Image generator].

Arizona State University. (2024). EdPlus Voiceover Generator [Voiceover audio generator].

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

  • Adobe Firefly was used to generate images, where indicated.
  • The Arizona State University EdPlus Voiceover Generator was used to create the audio recording of Reading 9-4. Adaptations include modification of speed and/or timing, and comping of output takes.

License

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Foundations of Reading and Writing Copyright © 2025 by Lindsey Kasch and Lesline Fehr is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.