Lesson Q (1056-1099)
chest march alive ill bag
native factory meal wise sad
disappear defeat possess sympathy shade
accuse permanent frighten wound
queen extra shut forgive holy
crime sorry violence delay pour
damage kick burst hire arrest
camera insurance tight plate
fold hurt kiss cloth cure powder
Business Words: lean confidence commit moment prepare confer task replacement perception
THE NEW SUPERVISOR
Jerry
leaned
out of his office and stopped Tim on the way to the noon
meal. "Got a
moment? I'd like to
confer with you. "
Tim and Jerry both prepared their own lunches and carried them in brown bags. Today, Tim was a little frightened because he had put an extra camera on the computer-machine, to show people down the line what tasks were coming to them.
"You know that camera idea?," Jerry said, sitting down at his desk, and pointing to a chair for Tim.
"I hope you will forgive me that if it hurt anything."
"Forgive? What do you mean? That was very wise of you. It helps the whole factory by giving people confidence that the parts for their next tasks will come to them on time. Kind of like insurance for their deadlines."
"Oh," said Tim. His feelings of defeat disappeared. "Well, I thought it would help make a tighter operation."
"It did." He smiled. "You thought I was
accusing you of
something? No… in fact I need to hire a
permanent replacement
for
Tim looked down at his lunch bag. "I think….OK."
Jerry shook his hand and said he would start him early the next morning.
Tim marched out of Jerry's office with his chest out, almost bursting, and feeling very much alive.
"A supervisor," Gabriella said, giving Tim a kiss that night that made him feel great joy. She was his holy queen.
"My brother…a supervisor," laughed, Nina putting a plate away. "He's going to do a lot of damage."
The next morning, Tim stopped into Jerry's office. Jerry was working on some papers.
"So…" Tim stood there. "What am I supposed to do?"
Jerry looked up slowly. Then he stood up from his chair as if Tim had committed a crime and should be arrested.
"What are you supposed to do? You are supposed to know what to do."
"Oh," said Tim, feeling a little ill. He carefully shut his mouth and listened.
Jerry looked annoyed. "I thought you would see what to do and give me your perception of how you are going to do it,"
"Oh, sorry." said Tim, sadly, but getting no sympathy from Jerry.
Jerry looked straight at Tim. "Tomorrow, without delay, I want you come in with a plan to hire two more people. I want to know what kind of people to send to the interviewer."
"OK."
Tim left, feeling a bit wounded. He felt beaten to a powder, and what was the cure? Well, he couldn't hire people who possessed shady backgrounds like Fabian, people who had been arrested for kicking down doors and doing violence. He knew that much. He poured out his thoughts to Gabriella that night.
"We'll help you do a plan,” said Gabriella, who was folding a table cloth.
"We're getting good at making plans now," Nina said.
accuse -- charge with having done something wrong
(to Story)
alive -- having life (to Story)
arrest -- to seize or hold by legal authority
(to Story)
bag -- a soft container with a single opening, in which we
carry things (to Story)
burst -- to force open or fly apart suddenly
(to Story)
camera -- equipment for taking pictures (to Story)
chest -- the part of the body between neck and stomach
(to Story)
cloth -- material, textile (to Story)
commit -- agree that something will be
done (to Story)
confer -- talk with someone (to Story)
confidence -- a feeling that you will have success (to Story)
crime -- an act that is against the law
(to Story)
cure -- v. to bring back to health n. the thing that brings
back to health (to Story)
damage -- the result of causing something wrong to happen
(to Story)
defeat -- to win victory over
(to Story)
delay -- to act later than planned
(to Story)
disappear -- to pass out of existence or not to be seen any longer
(to Story)
extra -- added to a regular quantity (to Story)
factory -- a plant; the building where they produce things
(to Story)
fold -- to bend or lay so that one part covers the other
(to Story)
forgive -- to excuse for an offense
(to Story)
frighten -- to cause fear (to Story)
hire -- to employ someone for work (to Story)
holy -- belonging to or coming from God (to Story)
hurt -- cause pain, or damage (to Story)
ill -- not well, having some disease (to Story)
insurance -- protection against future damage or loss
(to Story)
kick -- to strike out with the foot; usually what we do with
a ball and our foot (to Story)
kiss -- to touch with the lips as an expression of love or kindness
(to Story)
lean -- let weight of something press over against something
larger (to Story)
march -- to walk as soldiers
(to Story)
meal -- food served in one sitting
(to Story)
moment - a short part of time, like a
second (to Story)
native -- a person born in a certain place or country
(to Story)
perception -- a way of looking at
things and understanding them (to Story)
permanent -- fixed and lasting (to Story)
plate -- a flat holder from which food is eaten
(to Story)
possess -- to have or own
(to Story)
pour -- to flow or cause to flow (to Story)
powder -- something hard that is reduced to dust
(to Story)
prepare -- make something ready, as in
prepare a meal (to Story)
queen -- a female ruler of a country, a king's wife
(to Story)
replacement -- put something in the place of something else
(to Story)
sad -- opposite of “happy”
(to Story)
shade -- a partly dark place, not in the sun; also, a
variation on a color (to Story)
shut -- to close, closed (to Story)
sorry -- feeling regret, sadness (to Story)
sympathy -- a sharing of another's trouble
(to Story)
task -- a job (to Story)
tight -- held firmly (to Story)
violence -- rough physical force to make someone do
something they don't want to do (to Story)
wise -- having knowledge and good judgment (to Story)
wound -- n. an injury v. to cause injury (to Story)