The Reading / Listening - Business Suit - Level 0

More companies are letting staff dress casually. Staff don't have to wear a suit and tie. Companies want staff to feel relaxed, so they work harder. The bank Goldman Sachs wants its workers to "exercise good judgment" in deciding what to wear. It said workplaces are becoming more casual.

Some people think casual is not good. People might think the company is not serious. One boss said a suit gives a good image. He said: "You're looking after people's money, so you should...dress [well]." He said it would be dangerous to give money to someone in jeans. Companies like Google let workers wear jeans.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Business Suit - Level 1,  Business Suit - Level 2   or  Business Suit - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47466819
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-world-work-goldman-sachs/suits-and-ties-now-optional-goldman-sachs-hedges-dress-code
  • https://fox8.com/2019/03/07/goldman-sachs-other-companies-loosening-traditional-dress-code/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. More companies are letting staff
  2. have to wear a suit
  3. Companies want
  4. feel
  5. they work
  6. exercise good
  7. deciding what
  8. workplaces are becoming
  1. judgment
  2. relaxed
  3. more casual
  4. and tie
  5. to wear
  6. staff
  7. dress casually
  8. harder

Paragraph 2

  1. Some people think
  2. People might think the company
  3. a suit gives a good
  4. looking after people's
  5. you should dress
  6. He said it would be
  7. give money to someone
  8. let workers
  1. well
  2. in jeans
  3. casual is not good
  4. wear jeans
  5. image
  6. is not serious
  7. dangerous
  8. money

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

More companies (1) ___________________ dress casually. Staff don't have to (2) ___________________ and tie. Companies want staff (3) ___________________, so they work harder. The bank Goldman Sachs (4) ___________________ to "exercise good judgment" (5) ___________________ to wear. It said workplaces are (6) ___________________.

Some people (7) ___________________ not good. People might think the company (8) ___________________. One boss said a suit (9) ___________________ image. He said: "You're looking after people's money, (10) ___________________...dress [well]." He said it would (11) ___________________ give money to someone in jeans. Companies like Google (12) ___________________ jeans.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Morecompaniesarelettingstaffdresscasually.Staffdon'thavetoweara
suitandtie.Companieswantstafftofeelrelaxed,sotheyworkharder.Th
ebankGoldmanSachswantsitsworkersto"exercisegoodjudgment"in
decidingwhattowear.Itsaidworkplacesarebecomingmorecasual.So
mepeoplethinkcasualisnotgood.Peoplemightthinkthecompanyisnot
serious.Onebosssaidasuitgivesagoodimage.Hesaid:"You'relookinga
fterpeople'smoney,soyoushould...dress[well]."Hesaiditwouldbeda
ngeroustogivemoneytosomeoneinjeans.CompanieslikeGoogleletw
orkerswearjeans.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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