? To all newbies:
Skylarks data centre.
Can you guess who are Skylarks? Ok, let’s watch the video to find out if you are right. Mind that much depends on your choice.
Complete the statements
Hm, have you read the new message? So, what do you know about Skylarks so far?
OK, I’ll tell you more about our mission, but first you’ll learn how to emphasise important ideas. The ability to prioritise is essential in any company.
? NEW MESSAGE
To whom it may concern,
- Do you agree that humans are in danger? What threatens human survival?
- Why is anonymity so important for Skylarks?
- Why do you think Skylarks hire agents all over the world?
Emphatic phrases
To emphasize an action, we can use the following structures:
- What + clause + be + infinitive (with or without to)
We aim at human survival.
What we aim at is human survival. (emphasis on «human survival»)
- It + be + noun phrase + that/who + clause
We see violence escalation as a major threat.
It is violence escalation that we see as a major threat. (emphasis on «violence escalation»)
- All + clause + be + infinitive (using «all» suggests that what happens is not very big or important)
We require anonymity from our employees.
All we require from our employees is anonymity. (emphasis on «anonymity»)
Emphatic tenses
- Subject + do/did + verb
Present Simple and Past Simple are often used for emphasis. An auxiliary verb is used in the positive sentence to emphasise ideas in the present or past.
We hire agents all over the world to increase diversity.
We do hire agents all over the world to increase diversity. (emphasis on «hire agents»)
We did hire agents all over the world to increase diversity. (emphasis on «hire agents» in the past)
- Subject + be + constantly/always + verb(-ing)
Present Continuous can also express one’s emotions or attitude in combination with the adverbs always and constantly. It is often used to characterise the person’s behaviour, especially something annoying or irritating.
Mentors say what interns should do.
Mentors are constantly saying what interns should do. (emotional description, irritation)
Let’s find out what your job duties and responsibilities are.
To mentors:
Job description
Agents work in the field. They are always undercover and use fake identities. They are mainly involved in espionage by eliminating threats from suspicious organisations and gangs. Their primary objective is to prevent illegal activity by collecting information and conducting investigations. Occasionally they might have to fight, but it should be avoided.
Interns are trained to become technical support specialists. They are based at the company’s headquarters in different countries and never work in the field. Their responsibilities include doing research, analysing the information collected by agents, monitoring and solving issues with agents’ gadgets.
Mentors’ main responsibility is to control the work of interns. They do not take part in missions or investigations — they only give interns help and support to report on their results. Mentors can teach skills and techniques necessary to complete different tasks.
I want to make sure that you fully understand our terms
Oh, we’ve got our first case. So, what’s our priority? What is our additional task?
I’ve already ordered a hamster in some local pet shops, and they keep sending me voice messages. It’ll a good training session to sort out information on your own. Find out what’s going on and write me a message.
Read email.
? NEW MESSAGE
To agent tU2:
Listen to your mentor’s voicemail
#1
#2
#3
#4
We must report to the headquarters. Study the structure — our boss doesn’t like long emails.
To tU2:
Please report on the current status of the «Hamster case» as soon as possible.
Did they fail to get the report? It’s the first time in all these years I’ve been a Skylark. Hm, I’ll send a request to the data centre and ask a few colleagues for help.
Now you need to do the analysis. The procedure is simple: investigate different sources (a voice message and an email) and draw some conclusions in your own report. We’ll send it to agent Brooks, my good friend.
?
Make notes on the voice message and the email. Use your notes to report the problem to agent Brooks
The structure of a report includes:
who is calling
the reason of request
description of the problem
key details
your suggestions
a closing phrase
Your agent has sent some pictures.
I think the agent wants me to
make an announcement about the alien invasion.
use a fake identity and get him out jail.
call the office and say that the agent needs rest.
go to Wales undercover to help him conduct a secret investigation.
apply for a position of an agent.
Your first day at Skylarks is now over. Good job!
One more advice: use each opportunity to practise your new skills at home. It can save your much time and effort next time.
I’ll send you some files to work with. See you!