Vocabulary:
|
English |
Pronunciation |
Arabic |
|
calling (n) |
/ˈkɔːlɪŋ/ |
مهنة مرموقة أو رسالة حياة / دعوة مهنية |
|
covet (v) |
/ˈkʌvət/ |
يطمع في / يرغب بشدة في |
|
envisage (v) |
/ɪnˈvɪzɪdʒ/ |
يتصور / يتخيل / يخطط لـ |
|
pipe dream |
/ˈpaɪp ˌdriːm/ |
حلم بعيد المنال / سراب |
|
play something down |
/ˌpleɪ ˌsʌmθɪŋ ˈdaʊn/ |
يقلل من أهمية شيء |
|
realise your dreams |
/ˌrɪəlaɪz jə ˈdriːmz/ |
يحقق أحلامك |
|
scope for something (n) |
/ˈskəʊp fə ˌsʌmθɪŋ/ |
مجال / فرصة لشيء |
|
shape your future |
/ˌʃeɪp jə ˈfjuːtʃə/ |
يشكّل مستقبلك |
|
spark one’s interest |
/ˌspɑːk ˌwʌns ˈɪntərəst/ |
يثير اهتمام شخص ما |
|
top your list |
/ˌtɒp jə ˈlɪst/ |
يكون على رأس أولوياتك |
|
Words (from sentences) |
Synonyms (correct forms) |
Arabic Translation |
|
desired |
coveted |
مرغوب / مُشتهى |
|
impossible to realise |
a pipe dream |
حلم غير قابل للتحقق / وهم |
|
dream profession |
calling |
مهنة مُلهِمة / رسالة مهنية |
|
imagine |
envisage |
يتصور / يتخيّل |
|
opportunities for being creative |
a lot of scope |
مجال واسع / مساحة للإبداع |
Dreams shape your future
Dreams and aspirations are what fuel us when we're young and often shape our future. Whatever our abilities, there is always a fulfilling career within reach, but these dreams are apt to change at various stages of our lives.
Preschoolers often envisage their future careers as copies of their parents, such as a teacher or a truck driver, for example, or perhaps as the princess or prince they see in their storybooks. However, as they grow older, the scope for dreaming extends too. At primary school, children's ambitions tend towards the fantastic – perhaps not quite as unrealistic as the princesses or princes of fairytales, but actors and athletes are high on the lists today, and interestingly money as well as success are prime motivators. A nine-year-old may well covet the idea of being a famous actor while another may set their mind on being a proud owner of numerous aeroplanes one day. Realistically, the chances of achieving these aims are incredibly slim. The probability of becoming an astronaut (another favourite) is remarkably low as is the possibility of winning medals at the Olympics. But primary school is the time to dream big and be optimistic.
Aspirations generally change at secondary school, and the dreams become less glamorous. Rather than taking off, dreams of flying spaceships plummet. Possible future careers are more informed by someone's personality traits, interests and talents, and careers in science, writing, engineering and teaching top the lists. What is also having a considerable impact on ambitions for this age group is the rocketing popularity of online gaming and social media celebrities. Vloggers, professional gamers and game designers are valid career options today and are beginning to beat the more traditional career paths teenagers used to aspire to follow.
Bucking the trend, there is one new fantasy-driven aspiration, probably destined to remain a pipe dream for most, that has joined the most popular list – and that's becoming a racing car driver.
So, do let us know about any ambitions you had when you were younger. What sparked your interest? Did you realise your childhood dreams? Did you find your calling? Or are you still dreaming?
- What do dreams and aspirations do when we are young?
a fuel us / b confuse us / c discourage us - According to the text, dreams are likely to:
a stay the same forever / b change at different life stages / c disappear completely - Preschoolers often imagine future careers based on:
a what their teachers tell them / b their favourite TV shows / c their parents’ jobs - In storybooks, preschoolers may want to become:
a scientists and engineers / b princesses or princes / c astronauts only - As children grow older, the scope for dreaming:
a decreases / b stays the same / c expands - In primary school, children’s ambitions often become:
a realistic / b fantastic / c boring - According to the text, a major motivator for primary school children is:
a safety / b money and success / c friendship - A nine-year-old may strongly covet the idea of becoming a:
a famous actor / b school teacher / c shop owner - The chances of achieving these big aims are described as:
a very high / b unbelievably slim / c average - Becoming an astronaut is considered:
a remarkably unlikely / b very common / c easily achievable - Primary school is described as the time to:
a stop dreaming / b dream big and be optimistic / c choose a serious career - In secondary school, dreams generally become:
a more glamorous / b less glamorous / c unrealistic - Dreams of flying spaceships in secondary school tend to:
a increase / b stay the same / c plummet - Future careers at this stage depend more on:
a personality traits and abilities / b random luck / c parental pressure - Careers topping the lists for teenagers include:
a engineering and teaching / b farming and sewing / c politics and law only - Online gaming and social media celebrities have a:
a decreasing effect on ambitions / b considerable impact / c no effect at all - Vloggers, gamers and game designers are now seen as:
a unrealistic dreams / b valid career options / c temporary hobbies - A new fantasy-driven aspiration mentioned in the text is becoming a:
a pilot / b racing car driver / c doctor - This new aspiration is described as:
a easy to achieve / b likely to become common / c probably a pipe dream - At the end of the text, readers are asked to:
a describe their childhood ambitions / b list their academic grades / c write about their parents' jobs
Answers (1–20)
1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-b, 5-c, 6-b, 7-b, 8-a, 9-b, 10-a, 11-b, 12-b, 13-c, 14-a, 15-a, 16-b, 17-b, 18-b, 19-c, 20-a
