Pre-reading questions:
- What is/was your dream job? Why?
- What do you think is the most important job? Please explain your answer.
Vocabulary:
- probe [prohb]
- instructive [in-STRUHK-tiv]
- on the contrary [KON-trer-ee]
- consecutive [kuhn-SEK-yuh-tiv]
- conduct [kuhn-DUHKT]
(verb) to search into or examine something
The detectives probed the crime scene carefully.
(adjective) related to school or research
The young genius chose an instructive career to make good use of her intelligence.
(idiom) a fact or opinion that is the opposite of one already stated
She is lying; on the contrary, she is really guilty of the crime!
(adjective) following one after another without an interruption
The teacher has been sick for 5 consecutive days already.
(verb) to organize and direct a particular activity
The dangerous experiment was conducted by the experienced scientists.
Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. probed 1,100 preschool and elementary children about their dream jobs. Boys chose instructive careers such as being a scientist or scholar, which was a first in 15 years. Sports-related careers, such as baseball or soccer players, have been leading the list since 2003. The change might be a result of the changing of the school program and Japanese scientists winning the Nobel Prize.
On the contrary, girls in Japan dream of being pastry chefs and bakers. These have been the top choices for 21 consecutive years. Nursing work and teaching came in second and third, respectively. Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. has been conducting the survey since 1989.
Comprehension Questions:
- How many children were asked about their dream jobs?
- According to this survey, what is the most popular dream job for boys?
- What kind of jobs were popular for boys before this survey?
- What caused the change in the popular jobs for boys in Japan?
- What are the most popular jobs for Japanese girls?
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think girls in Japan like jobs related to cooking, medicine, and teaching?
- Before 2017, sports-related careers had been the popular choice among boys in Japan. What do you think is the reason behind this?
- Do you think adults affect children in choosing their dream jobs? Please explain your answer.
- Do you believe that a child’s personality affects his/her career choices? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, what are the important factors when choosing a job?