Cool Jobs
Jeff: Tim, I'm a teacher, but you can have many, many jobs in the world. If you could pick any job, what do you think would be a cool job?
Tim: Well, to be honest, I think it would be pretty cool to be a fisherman.
Jeff: Fisherman!
Tim: Yeah. Believe it or not I really like the ocean. I like spending time in the ocean and I think if you go out on those boats and get away from the land, you really get in touch with the sea and I just think that you get to work with your hands.
Jeff: Is it dangerous though?
Tim: Oh, it is dangerous. For sure. You can hook yourself. You can get caught in storms. It can be not so good.
Jeff: Do you get paid a lot of money?
Tim: Not so much, but that is not necessarily so important. You know. You can work with nature. You can catch your own food. Provide for yourself and I think that's really rewarding. How about you? What do you think would be a cool job?
Jeff: I think I would like to be a writer.
Tim: Why is that?
Jeff: Because a movie star would be good, or a rock star but there is too much fame. Too many people always want to talk to you or want your autograph, but I think a writer, you are doing something you love without all that pressure or media coming after you and you can sort of make your own time and do it where you like. You can write in the country in a cabin or you can write in the city anywhere you like so I think it is a very flexible rewarding job.
Tim: Yeah, you got to have the skill for it though. Do you think you have that skill?
Jeff: No, I'm a terrible writer, but if I could have my pick of jobs, I'd like to be a writer. How about you? You would like to be a fisherman. Any other jobs you would like to be?
Tim: Another job that I think might be cool is a fireman to tell you the truth. Again, you kind of working with nature. I'd really like to be a sort of a slash and burn fireman. Someone that goes out where there's wildfires, things like that, cause you're working with nature.
Jeff: Those guys, the slash-and-burn fireman, they get to jump out of helicopters sometimes.
Tim: Some of them do yeah, but that's kind of the glamorous one. Yeah, I wouldn't mind just being the guy that's on the ground, and the nice thing about it is you work really, really hard and you get paid pretty well for the time you work but then you get a long time off.
Jeff: But, I'm a little bit scared of fires. You don't mind fire?
Tim: I don't mind fire so much. You know. It's hot and it can be really, really dangerous but I don't know, it's kind of exciting and I like the idea of being out there in nature and just working hard to survive and working in a team. I think it would be good.
Jeff: I want to be an astronaut. I think an astronaut would be good.
Tim: Why is that? It's a dangerous job. A fireman's dangerous but it sounds like and astronaut would be pretty dangerous as well.
Jeff: A little dangerous but I'd like to go to the moon to see what's on the moon. I think it would be kind of neat to be on the moon and looking back at the earth. They call the earth the blue planet. I think it would be neat to sit up there and look back on the earth and it would be kind of neat I think.
Tim: Sounds like you like the ocean. You should think about being a fisherman.
Jeff: No way! No thanks.
get in touch with the sea
If you go out on those boats and get away from the land, you really get in touch with the sea.
When you 'get in touch with the sea,' it means that you do something to feel as though you have got a connection with the water.
Notice the following:
- I love to go sailing, as I always feel as though I get in touch with the sea.
- I like to study all of the local sea life and get in touch with the sea.
hook yourself
It is dangerous, you can hook yourself and you can get caught in storms.
When you 'hook yourself,' it means that you get get caught on the sharp, metal object at the end of a fishing line.
Notice the following:
- When you are fishing you have to be very careful as you can hook yourself.
- You can hook yourself if you do not cast off properly.
make your own time
You are doing something you love without all that pressure or media coming after you and you can sort of make your own time and do it where you like.
When you 'make your own time' it means that you are in charge of how you run your day and your schedule.
Notice the following:
- I work for myself, and this is great, as I can make my own time.
- Do you find that you can make your own time now that you are your own boss?
a slash and burn fireman
I'd really like to be a sort of a slash and burn fireman.
A 'slash and burn fireman' is a firefighter that works with forest fires or those that occur naturally in nature.
Notice the following:
- I think he is more of a slash and burn fireman.
- It was a film all about a slash and burn fireman.
it would be neat
I think it would be neat to sit up there and look back on earth.
It 'would be neat' means that it would be good, interesting or fun.
Notice the following:
- It would be neat if I passed my exams.
- She said that it would be neat if we went to the same college.
Vocabulary Quiz
firemen • neat