Grace / South Africa 
Have you had a job you hated?
Hello, my name is Grace. I'm from South Africa, and a job I've had that I absolutely hated was cleaning squid.
So when I was younger, I volunteered at the aquarium, the Two Oceans Aquarium, for about a year. And I loved the job overall. I've been fortunate in that I've never worked at a place that I hated entirely. I always found something I enjoyed about the jobs I've done and the jobs I've been at. But cleaning squid to feed the animals, the aquarium was very important and very smelly. I really didn't enjoy it. I eventually had to get special clothes that I would only wear when I worked the back of house at the aquarium because I just couldn't get the smell out. And the squid, the insides, they would stain your clothes. It was terrible. However, I did enjoy parts of it. I got to feed turtles and penguins and I met interesting people.
I would not do the squid again though. Still, to this day, I hate it.
How to Practice Vocabulary
- Review the vocabulary.
- Complete the blanks below with correct words.
- Check your answers. Correct any wrong answers!
volunteered
Meaning: Worked without being paid, usually to help.
Examples:
- She volunteered at an aquarium for a year.
- I volunteered to help at the event.
aquarium
Meaning: A place where fish and sea animals are kept and shown to the public.
Examples:
- The aquarium has sharks and turtles.
- We visited the aquarium on a school trip.
overall
Meaning: When considering everything; in general.
Examples:
- Overall, she enjoyed the job.
- The trip was good overall.
in that
Meaning: Used to explain a reason or detail.
Examples:
- She was lucky in that she enjoyed most jobs.
- The job is hard in that it requires long hours.
entirely
Meaning: Completely; totally.
Examples:
- She didn’t hate the job entirely.
- The plan failed entirely.
smelly
Meaning: Having a strong, unpleasant smell.
Examples:
- The squid was very smelly.
- The trash smelled really smelly.
get the smell out
Meaning: Remove a bad smell.
Examples:
- I couldn’t get the smell out of my clothes.
- Soap helped get the smell out.
the insides
Meaning: The inner parts of something.
Examples:
- The insides of the squid stained her clothes.
- The insides of the box were wet.
stain
Meaning: To leave a mark that is hard to remove.
Examples:
- The food stained her shirt.
- Ink can stain your clothes.
parts of
Meaning: Some pieces or sections of something.
Examples:
- She enjoyed parts of the job.
- Parts of the movie were funny.
to this day
Meaning: Until now; even now.
Examples:
- To this day, she hates cleaning squid.
- To this day, I remember that job.
Vocabulary Quiz
entirely • smell • stain
What is the correct word? Listen to the audio to hear the answer!
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