Transcript Unit Four Book Six

Unit Four Book Six
The Meaning of Work
Meaning of Work
It's what you spend your days, or
nights, doing. It helps define
who you are. Week after week,
year after year, you get up and
go to work. Sure you get paid.
But it's probably not your only
motivation. What, at the end of
your shift or your workday, gives
you a sense of accomplishment,
inspiration or joy?

The concept “meaning of work” can
also be defined as one’s orientation
or inclination toward work, what the
subject is seeking in the work, and
the intents that guide his actions
What is work?
“We moralize work and make it a problem, forgetting
that the hands love to work and in the hands is the
mind. That “work ethic” idea does more to impede
working… it makes it a duty instead of a pleasure. (…)
I merely want to speak of working as a pleasure, as
an instinctual gratification — not just “the right to
work”, or work as an economic necessity or a social
duty or a moral penance laid onto Adam after leaving
the Paradise. The hands themselves want to do things,
and the mind loves to apply itself.

Work irreducible. We don’t work for food
gathering or tribal power and conquest or
to buy a new car and so on and so forth.
Working is its own end and brings its own
joy; but one has to have a fantasy so that
work can go on, and the fantasies we now
have about it — economic and
sociological — keep it from going on, so
we have a huge problem of productivity
and quality in our Western work. We have
got work where we don’t want it. We don’t
want to work. It’s like not wanting to eat
or to make love. It’s an instinctual laming.
And this is psychology’s fault: it doesn’t
attend to the work instinct.”


Meaning is a subjective thing: what counts
as meaningful work to one person won't to
another. This means that companies, for
all their insistence on “employee
engagement programmes”, can't create
meaning and should not try.
Instead they should concentrate on not
destroying it – which many of them
manage to do effortlessly enough through
treating their employees badly.
Depersonalization
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It consists in adopting so-called
objective and impersonal attitudes
toward people and to treat them like
any other kind of resources, rejecting
more or less consciously their
psychological, sociological, cultural,
and spiritual complexity.
For example,

customers are regarded as economic
agents whose sole function is to
purchase the goods or services
offered by the organization. Similarly,
employees are considered as
resources that should devote their
time and talents to the financial
success of the organization. This
type of vision leads directly to the
denial of the actors’ humanity.

stop looking for meaning at once. If
they go out looking, they are most
unlikely to find anything. It is the
same thing with happiness: the more
you search, the less you find.
Text Analysis
Part One
Para 1
The author talks about her
general impressions of the
auto plants she toured
Part Two
Paras 2-30
The author relates her handson experience as an
assembly line worker
The author describes the
lessons she drew from the
exprience
Part Three
assault

A violent physical or verbal attack

Assail: to attack violently

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

Assault can be used as a noun, as in
Sexual assault
Make an assualt on
Assail can mean: be troubled, upset as in
was assailed by doubts
enclose
Shut in on all sides; put (sth) in an
envelope, etc (used in the pattern:
be enclosed in)
The surrounding land was enclosed by
an eight-foot wire fence.
Enclosed in the letter was a cheque for
$10.
Discordant cacophony
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Jarring, discordant sound;
dissonance: heard a cacophony of
horns during the traffic jam.
(hooting)
These jarring sounds include:
Ring, clank, whine, groan, clang,
whoosh, crackle, beep, hiss, bang,
rumble, clatter and clank
Metal rang on metal

To (cause to) give out a clear
resonant sound, like that of a bell
Toll: to sound (a large
bell) slowly at regular
intervals.
Stamping press

is a manufacturing device that is
designed and built to operate
progressive stamping dies and other
types of dies.
clank
(cause to) make a dull metallic sound
“Here we are now”, Beth said, as the
train clanked into a tiny station.
The heavy iron door clanked shut
behind me.
Power tools

A power tool is a tool powered by
an electric motor, a compressed air
motor, or a gasoline engine.
whine
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To produce a sustained noise of
relatively high pitch: jet engines
whining.
habitually complaining; "a whiny
child"
pulley
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wheel with a grooved rim in which a
belt, chain, or piece of rope runs in
order to lift weights by a downward
pull
groan
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
1. To voice a deep, inarticulate sound,
as of pain, grief, or displeasure.
2. To make a sound expressive of
stress or strain: floorboards groaning.
hoist
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
An apparatus for lifting heavy or
cumbersome objects.
raise or haul up with or as if with
mechanical help; "hoist the bicycle
onto the roof of the car"
clang
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
loud resonant repeating noise;
"he could hear the clang of distant
bells"
weld
Join (pieces of metal) by hammering
or pressure or fusing by using an
oxy-acetylene flame or an electric
arc (followed by to, together)
He doesn’t know how to weld stainless
steel to ordinary steel.
They will also be used on factory floors
to weld things together.
weld

N. the act of welding; the part joined
by welding.
The manager told us that the weld has
been done from inside the car.
A team of eight divers repaired the
cracked weld on the oil platform in
almost 600 feet of water.
whoosh
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A sibilant sound:
the whoosh of the high-speed
elevator.
spark
A small bit of burning material thrown
out by a fire or by striking together
of two hard objects
Sparks were flying out of the bonfire
and blowing everywhere.
That small incident was the spark that
set off the street riots.
spark
Throw out tiny glowing bits
I stared into the flames of the fire as it
sparked into life.
This proposal will almost certainly
crackle
Make small cracking sounds
The twigs crackled as we trod on them.
The radio crackled just then and I
missed what was said.
beep
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A sound or a signal, as from a horn
or an electronic device.
hiss
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Make the sound /s/, or the noise heard
when water falls on a very hot surface;
show disapproval by making the /s/ sound
The tires of his bike hissed over the wet
pavement as he slowed down.
If you put a very hot pan into cold water,
it will hiss and produce a lot of steam.
The villain was hissed and booed
whenever he came on stage.
bolt

A fastener consisting of a threaded
pin or rod with a head at one end,
designed to be inserted through
holes in assembled parts and
secured by a mated nut that is
tightened by applying torque
bolt
bolt

To start suddenly and run away: The
horse bolted at the sound of the shot.
The frightened child bolted from the
room.
bang

sudden loud noise, as of an explosion.
trolley
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a wheeled cart or stand used for
moving heavy items, such as
shopping in a supermarket or
luggage at a railway station
rumble
Make, move with, a deep, heavy
continuous sound
Please excuse my stomach rumbling –I
haven’t eaten all day.
A line of tractors rumbled onto the
motorway through a cordon of police.
rumble
n. deep, heavy, continuous sound
We could hear the rumble of distant
thunder.
The representatives gave us a solid
rumble of approval.
aisle
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1. A part of a church divided laterally
from the nave by a row of pillars or
columns.
2. A passageway between rows of
seats, as in an auditorium or an
airplane.
3. A passageway for inside traffic, as
in a department store, warehouse, or
supermarket.
clatter
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1. To make a rattling sound.
2. To move with a rattling sound:
clattering along on roller skates.
3. To talk rapidly and noisily; chatter
clank

A metallic sound, sharp and hard but
not resonant: the clank of chains.
Conveyor belt
rotate
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
(cause) to move around a central
point; (cause to) take turns
Rotating vegetable crops helps to
reduce the risk of disease.
It was agreed that the Presidency
would rotate among members of the
major groups.
Dashboard mold

A panel under the windshield of a
vehicle, containing indicator dials,
compartments, and sometimes
control instruments.
inject
Drive or force a drug, etc (into sth) with a
syringe; introduce (new thoughts, etc)
(used in the pattern: be injected with or
inject sth into sth else)
His son was injected with strong drugs by
the kidnappers.
The technique consists of injecting healthy
cells into the weakened muscles.
A competition was set up to inject some
friendly rivalry into the proceedings.
nozzle

a projecting spout from which fluid is
discharged
Infuriatingly

To a maddening degree
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Infuriate: To make furious; enrage.
gesture
The movement of the hand or head to
indicate or illustrate an idea, feeling,
etc; sth done to convey an intention
In western countries, the thumb raised
up is a gesture of approval or
agreement.
We should invite them to our house, as
a gesture of friendship.
gesture
Make or use a gesture; express with a
gesture
When he asked where the children
were, she gestured vaguely in the
direction of the beach.
The head of our department gestured
me over to the seat next to her.
cute
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Attractive; pretty and charming;
sharp-witted; quick-thinking.
‘Bambi’ is a typical Walt Disney film
with cute wide-eyed cartoon animals.
He thinks it is cute to tell those
sexist stories.
squirt

To issue forth in a thin forceful
stream or jet; spurt.
protrude
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
(cause to) stick out or project
The broken bone protruded through
the man’s skin.
Nails protruded from the board and
had to be removed for safety.
In place
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
In the usual or proper position
We’d better use clamps to hold the
wood in place
Everything is in place: the books on
their shelves, the pictures on the
walls and the cushions on the sofa.
Ad infinitum
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
if something happens or continues ad
infinitum, it happens again and again
in the same way, or it continues
forever
The TV station just shows repeats of
old comedy programmes ad infinitum.
Her list of complaints went on and on
ad infinitum.
panel
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Board or other surface for controls and
instruments; group of experts or judges
He couldn’t understand the aeroplane’s
control panels.
The panel is made up of MPs from the
three main political parties.
The competition will be judged by a panel
of experts.
Steering wheel
Wiper wand
wand
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wave a magic wand to solve a
difficult problem with no effort
Unfortunately, you can't just wave a
magic wand and get rid of poverty.
Gauge
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a. A standard or scale of
measurement.
b. A standard dimension, quantity, or
capacity.
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To measure precisely.
2. To determine the capacity, volume,
or contents of.
3. To evaluate or judge: gauge a
person's ability.
Burst out
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Suddenly begin to; exclaim
Everyone thought about the joke for
a couple of seconds, then burst out
laughing.
“I hate you! I hate you!” she burst
out loud.
An array of
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
An orderly, often imposing
arrangement: an array of royal
jewels.
2. An impressively large number, as
of persons or objects: an array of
heavily armed troops; an array of
spare parts.
Bins of screws

A container or enclosed space for
storage
workstand
vibrate

shake, quiver, or throb; move back
and forth rapidly, usually in an
uncontrolled manner
underfoot
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Under one’s feet; on the ground
The grass was damp and soft
underfoot.
It’s muddy underfoot after the drizzle.
duck
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Move quickly down (to avoid being
seen or hit)
The boy ducked behind the wall
when he saw his teacher.
Josie saw the rock coming and
ducked, but it struck her on the ear.
Ducked one’s head
Craned one’s neck
Power wrench
inexorable
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Relentless; continuing unstoppably
The country’s manufacturing industry
seems to be in an inexorable decline.
During 1939 the approach of war
seemed inexorable.
malevolence
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wishing evil to others; the quality of
threatening evil
Malice; malfunction,
Logic-defying
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1. a. To oppose or resist with boldness
and assurance: defied the blockade by
sailing straight through it.
b. To refuse to submit to or cooperate with:
defied the court order by leaving the
country.
2. To be unaffected by; resist or withstand:
"So the plague defied all medicines" Daniel
Defoe.
procedure
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Order of doing things; a set of actions
necessary for doing sth properly
It is very important to follow the safety
procedures laid down in the handbook.
The Personnel Officer will tell you what the
procedure is for applying for a transfer.
Sorry about the body-search. It is just a
standard procedure.
showstopper
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
something that is strikingly attractive
or has great popular appeal;
"she has a show-stopper of a smile";
"the brilliant orange flowers against
the green foliage were a
showstopper"
Down pat
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understood perfectly
manifest
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List
Manifests must be submitted by the
24th of every month.
Will you please make out the
manifest for the tubing to my
company?
Adjective
Clear and obvious
It was manifest to all of us that he
would fail.
There may be unrecognized cases of
manifest injustice of which we are
unaware.
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V. show clearly (often used in the
pattern: manifest itself in)
There is nothing hidden which shall
not be manifested.
With the arrival of a new baby,
jealousy in the older child often
manifests itself in emotional
detachment from the family.
sedan
wagon
jam

To drive or wedge forcibly into a tight
position: jammed the cork in the
bottle.
sheath

cover
module
Unit of components used in assembly;
independent and self-contained unit
of a spacecraft
Each module is made separately, and
the completed modules are then
joined together.
A rescue plan could be achieved by
sending an unmanned module to the
space station.
Prefix snap

Made or done suddenly, with little or
no preparation: a snap decision.
Back and forth
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To and fro
Many people were going back and
forth along the corridor of the
hospital.
Bitter and cruel remarks flew back
and forth between them.
The other way around
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Reversed or inverted; the opposite of
what is expected
Usually regular work pays better per
hour than part-time, but sometimes
it can be the other way around.
How would Sally’s husband have felt
if it had been the other way around—
if she’d treated him so badly.
circular
a.
Round or curved in shape; moving
round
The full moon has a circular shape.
We took a fairly circular route around
the continent, ending where we had
started.
Printed letter, announcement, etc of
which many copies are made and
distributed
I always put circulars and other junk
mail straight in the bin.
Several circulars advertising new
shops in the town were delivered
with the local newspaper.
yank

To pull with a quick, strong
movement; jerk: yanked the
emergency cord.
By hand

Without the use of machinery
All the furniture in this shop is made
by hand.
We had to make the corrections by
hand as the computer wouldn’t do
them for us.
flap
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1. A flat, usually thin piece attached
at only one side.
2. A projecting or hanging piece
usually intended to double over and
protect or cover: the flap of an
envelope.
stray
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Wander from the task at hand; lose
one’s way (often followed by from)
Don’t let any of the smaller children
stray away from the park.
When you are explaining your
reasons, be careful not to stray from
the main point.
Lost; seen or happening
occasionally
His drawers are full of stray socks.
It was reported that an 8-year-old boy
was killed by a stray bullet.
a.
n. Domestic animal that has lost its
way
The dog was a stray which had been
adopted.
A lot of stray dogs are pets that have
been given as Christmas presents
and then abandoned.
Bear on/upon
Move quickly towards (sb or sth) in a
threatening way; press down on; exert
pressure on
He saw her figure bearing down on him from
the other end of the corridor.
Don’t bear down so hard on your pencil.
If he bears down on others, it is because he
is borne down on.
lunge
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Make a sudden forward movement
She lunged towards the door when it
opened a crack.
He lunged at the burglar and
wrestled with him for the weapon.
Cultural Notes

Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
An English film actor and
director who did most of his
work in the U.S. Most people
consider him the greatest comic
actor of the silent cinema. He
appeared in many of his films as
the best-known character he
created, a little tramp with a
small round hat, a small
moustache and trousers and
shoes that are too big for him,
causing him to walk in a funny
way.
Charlie Chaplin

He made many short comic films,
such as The kid (1921), and several
longer films, such as City Lights
(1931) and Modern Times (1936),
which combined comedy with social
and political comments. He as made
a Knight in 1975.
Modern Times
A comedy film which Charlie Chaplin wrote
and directed as well as acting that main
part.
 It was the last time
he used his Little Tramp
Character.

The film is an attack on the use
of machines in modern factories
and the bad treatment of factory
Workers.

Working on the assembly line,
Charlie is driven crazy by the pace of
the machine and the tough manner
of his foreman. In his fantasy,
Charlie gets a tick that makes him
move like a machine. Stuck on a
conveyer belt, he runs through the
machine and becomes part of it.

What this fantasy triggers off your
mind? On its first appearance, it
could be the factory floor, with its
automatism, standardization and
specialization, its rationalism, its
technology and its routine. On
second thoughts, it could also be the
robotization, the dehumanization,
the depersonalization of the worker.
Put to rights/right
Correct (sb or sth); make a situation
etc return to normal again
Could the psychiatrist put all their
troubles again?
A day’s rest would put me right.
The only way we can really put things
right is by borrowing even more
money.
Have/get the hang of sth
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
Learn how to operate or do sth; see
the meaning of sth said or written
I’ve finally got the hang of the
programming.
Using the computer isn’t difficult
once you get the hang of it.
Sleep: multiple meaning
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1. a. To move smoothly, easily, and quietly: slipped into
bed.
b. To move stealthily; steal.
2. To pass gradually, easily, or imperceptibly: "It is
necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by"
Vita Sackville-West.
3. a. To slide involuntarily and lose one's balance or
foothold. See Synonyms at slide.
b. To slide out of place; shift position: The gear slipped.
4. To escape, as from a grasp, fastening, or restraint:
slipped away from his pursuers.
5. To decline from a former or standard level; fall off.
6. To fall behind a scheduled production rate.
reel
Become dizzy or confused; move
unsteadily; stagger
Dozens of opportunities suddenly
opened up, and my mind was reeling.
She began to reel and then she fainted.
fumble
Search (for sth) by feeling about
awkwardly with the hands; handle
sth clumsily
She fumbled about in the dark for the
light switch.
He fumbled the catch and the ball
dropped on the ground
tighten
Make or become tighter
He bent down and tightened his
shoelaces.
The bolt is coming loose; it needs
tightening up.
anew
Again; in a new or different way
She made a few mistakes and had to
write it anew.
After the scandal they thought the
best way to start anew was to move
to another town.
foul
(cause to) become filthy; do sth
contrary to the rules (in sports)
We suspected that the cattle had
fouled the river.
He was cautioned for fouling an
opponent.
a.
Having a bad smell or taste;
causing disgust; filthy
There was a foul smell coming up from
the river.
Cars are to blame for the foul smog
that covers the city.
Foul up

Spoil; mess up
People allowing their animals to foul
up the footpaths will be prosecuted.
This time he really fouled up the
interview.
squint
Look at sideways or with half-shut
eyes or through a narrow opening
The sudden bright light made him
squint
She shaded her eyes and squinted at
the sky.
See double

See two things when there is one
She was seeing double from drinking
so much wine.
For 35 minutes I was walking around
in a daze, I was dizzy, seeing double.
Call it quits

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
Decide to abandon an activity or
venture
Now I’ve decided to call it quits and
get a divorce.
Take a million bucks and call it quits.



ring down the curtain To end a
performance, event, or action.
ring up the curtain
To begin a performance, event, or
action.
memento

A reminder of the past; a keepsake.
serene
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
Calm and peaceful; tranquil
What amazes me is his serene
indifference to all the trouble around
him.
The woods were reflected in the
serene lake.
soothe

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
Make quiet or calm; comfort; make
(pains, etc) less sharp or severe
When the baby cried his mother
soothed him by stroking his hot little
head.
Maybe a drink would help soothe
your nerves.
giddy
Having or causing the feeling that
everything is turning round and that
one’s going to fall
She suddenly became giddy and had
to find somewhere to sit down.
Just before I fainted I had a giddy
sensation and felt unable to stand.
Play hooky

to fail to attend school or some other
event. Why aren't you in school? Are
you playing hooky? I don't have time
for the sales meeting today, so I
think I'll just play hooky.
complexity



State of being complex; complex
thing
He hadn’t appreciated the complexity
of the situation.
The complexities of modern life were
too much for him.