The Reading / Listening - Level 4

People who want to be investment bankers in London could be disappointed if they wear brown shoes. A report shows the investment banking industry follows old rules about how bankers should behave. Researchers found that the industry followed unclear codes of conduct. They wrote: "For men, the wearing of brown shoes with a business suit is generally considered unacceptable…within investment banking."

The report suggested that working class people had to change their behaviour to fit in. One banker said: "I felt like my accent was a bit out of place, so I changed it." The study said the industry discriminated against those who did not go to elite universities. It said: "Bright, working-class kids are being systematically locked out of top jobs….It is shocking…that some…still judge candidates on whether they wear brown shoes…rather than on their skills."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/01/wearing-brown-shoes-could-lose-you-a-banking-job-in-uk.html
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/01/candidates-miss-out-on-financial-jobs-because-they-wear-brown-sh/
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37244180


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. People who want to
  2. disappointed if
  3. the investment banking
  4. follows old
  5. how bankers should
  6. followed unclear codes
  7. the wearing of brown shoes
  8. generally considered
  1. with a business suit
  2. rules
  3. unacceptable
  4. they wear brown shoes
  5. of conduct
  6. industry
  7. be investment bankers
  8. behave

Paragraph 2

  1. change their behaviour to fit
  2. my accent was a bit out
  3. the industry discriminated
  4. elite
  5. Bright, working-
  6. systematically locked out
  7. judge
  8. rather than on
  1. of top jobs
  2. in
  3. candidates
  4. their skills
  5. of place
  6. universities
  7. class kids
  8. against those

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People who want to be investment bankers in London (1) ___________________ if they wear brown shoes. A report shows the investment banking industry (2) ___________________ about how bankers should behave. Researchers (3) ___________________ industry followed unclear (4) ___________________. They wrote: "For men, the wearing of brown shoes with (5) ___________________ is generally considered (6) ___________________ investment banking."

The (7) ___________________ working class people had to change their behaviour to fit in. One banker said: "I felt (8) ___________________ was a bit (9) ___________________ I changed it." The study said the industry discriminated (10) ___________________ did not go to elite universities. It said: "Bright, working-class kids are being systematically (11) ___________________ jobs….It is shocking…that some…still judge candidates on whether they wear brown shoes… (12) ___________________ their skills."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PeoplewhowanttobeinvestmentbankersinLondoncouldbedisappoint
ediftheywearbrownshoes.Areportshowstheinvestmentbankingindu
stryfollowsoldrulesabouthowbankersshouldbehave.Researchersfou
ndthattheindustryfollowedunclearcodesofconduct.Theywrote:"For
men,thewearingofbrownshoeswithabusinesssuitisgenerallyconside
redunacceptable…withininvestmentbanking."Thereportsuggestedt
hatworkingclasspeoplehadtochangetheirbehaviourtofitin.Onebank
ersaid:"Ifeltlikemyaccentwasabitoutofplace,soIchangedit."Thestud
ysaidtheindustrydiscriminatedagainstthosewhodidnotgotoeliteuniv
ersities.Itsaid:"Bright,working-classkidsarebeingsystematicallylo
ckedoutoftopjobs….Itisshocking…thatsome…stilljudgecandidateson
whethertheywearbrownshoes…ratherthanontheirskills."

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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