Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.
She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts(工作班次)are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”
So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just £90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”
The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.
Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”
The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”
Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”
【小题1】Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

A.she wanted to earn more money to support her family
B.she had suffered a lot of mental pressure
C.she needed the right time to look after her children
D.she felt tired of taking care of patients
【小题2】Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.
A.they never clean their offices
B.they look down upon cleaners
C.they never do their work carefully
D.they always make a mess in their offices
【小题3】When at work, Margaret feels _______.
A.light-hearted because of her fellow workers
B.happy because the building is fully lit
C.tired because of the heavy workload
D.bored because time passes slowly
【小题4】The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.
A.help care for her children
B.regret what they had said
C.show sympathy for her
D.feel disappointed in her

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. This year, there’re plenty of local activities for all ages and interests, so the smiles will come easily.
BLUE CONCERT
Blues band the Coyotes is playing at the Dance Barn,at 8 Barn View in Sudden Valley, The show will start at 9 p. m. and benefit the charity Bikers Fighting Cancer. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 224-2308 for more information.
NEW YEAR’S LAUGHS
Ring in the New Year and laugh out the old one at the Upfront Theatre Comic improvisers will hit on all the highlights of the year with The Last Laugh of 2008. The 9 p. m. show will cost $15 and is open to all ages. The 11 P. m. show is to 21 and older and costs $18, which includes a champagne (香槟酒) toast. Call 733-8855 for more information.
MAZE
For a fun activity earlier in the evening,walk the labyrinth (迷宫) at the Leopold Crystal Bellroom. Wander through the maze, based on the French Chartres Cathedral, for free from 4 to 9 P. m. Call 752-0048 for more information.
COUNTRY DANCING
At the Bellingham Eagles Hall, live local music will help get the dance started at 8 p. m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids 12 and younger. For more information, call 676-1554.
【小题1】In what way do these activities have in common?

A.They’re all held in the same day.
B.They’re all held by the same organization.
C.They’re all organized for children.
D.They’re all about the dancing and music.
【小题2】Which of the following activities may be free for Tom aged 16?
A.COUNTRY DANCING.
B.NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS.
C.MAZE.
D.BLUE CONCERT.
【小题3】If you want to know something about the Coyotes at 8 Barn view, you'd better call _______.
A.676-1554
B.733-8855
C.752-0048
D.224-2308
【小题4】Which of the followings will be the highlights of NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS?
A.Wander through the maze.
B.The champagne toast.
C.Its live music.
D.The Last Laugh of 2008.
【小题5】It can be inferred from the text that ___________.
A.$10 is enough to book a ticket to Blue Concert
B.you can read the text on a telephone book
C.all these activities are international ones
D.New Year’s Laughs will hold shows three times

It’s 10:30 p.m., and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. He blinks twice, and the message on the screen becomes clear: “R U awake?”

But the late-night text does not annoy Brandon. He gets frequent messages and calls, even after bedtime. And he can’t imagine life without them. “If I didn’t have a cell phone, I wouldn’t be able to talk to my friends or family as often,” he told the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Brandon’s use of technology doesn’t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles(控制台)in his room. With so many devices, it is no surprise that when he is not at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices. Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by TFK, kids aged 8 to 18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found. That’s about an hour more than just five years ago.

The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. “These devices have opened up many more opportunities for young people to use media, whether it’s on the bus, on the way to school or waiting in line at the pizza parlor,” says Rideout.

Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. “If you’ve got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?” Media expert Cheryl Olson says. Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. “It’s a matter of balance,” says Olson.

Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. “It’s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply,” says Rideout.

With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. “Kids should try,” adds Rideout. “But parents might have to step in sometimes.”

1.It can be learned from the text that _________.

A. many teenagers lack friends in their middle school

B. kids have too many electronic devices to choose from

C. Brandon feels annoyed about his late-night message

D. Olson is against teenagers’ using mobile phones

2.Which of the following is an example of multitasking?

A. Watching TV when using the computer.    

B. Talking on the phone when lying on the sofa.

C. Playing video games after having lunch.     

D. Listening to loud music while relaxing.

3.The underlined phrase “in check” in the last paragraph can be replaced by _________.

A. in order         B. in store         C. in control               D. in sight

4.According to the text, Victoria Rideout would probably agree that kids should ______.

A. do homework while watching TV           

B. have less homework

C. spend more time on homework             

D. do homework in a place without disturbance

 

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts(工作班次)are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just £90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

1.Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

A.she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B.she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C.she needed the right time to look after her children

D.she felt tired of taking care of patients

2.Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.

A.they never clean their offices

B.they look down upon cleaners

C.they never do their work carefully

D.they always make a mess in their offices

3.When at work, Margaret feels _______.

A.light-hearted because of her fellow workers

B.happy because the building is fully lit

C.tired because of the heavy workload

D.bored because time passes slowly

4.The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.

A.help care for her children

B.regret what they had said

C.show sympathy for her

D.feel disappointed in her

 

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. This year, there’re plenty of local activities for all ages and interests, so the smiles will come easily.
BLUE CONCERT
Blues band the Coyotes is playing at the Dance Barn,at 8 Barn View in Sudden Valley, The show will start at 9 p. m. and benefit the charity Bikers Fighting Cancer. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 224-2308 for more information.
NEW YEAR’S LAUGHS
Ring in the New Year and laugh out the old one at the Upfront Theatre Comic improvisers will hit on all the highlights of the year with The Last Laugh of 2008. The 9 p. m. show will cost $15 and is open to all ages. The 11 P. m. show is to 21 and older and costs $18, which includes a champagne (香槟酒) toast. Call 733-8855 for more information.
MAZE
For a fun activity earlier in the evening,walk the labyrinth (迷宫) at the Leopold Crystal Bellroom. Wander through the maze, based on the French Chartres Cathedral, for free from 4 to 9 P. m. Call 752-0048 for more information.
COUNTRY DANCING
At the Bellingham Eagles Hall, live local music will help get the dance started at 8 p. m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids 12 and younger. For more information, call 676-1554.

  1. 1.

    In what way do these activities have in common?

    1. A.
      They’re all held in the same day.
    2. B.
      They’re all held by the same organization.
    3. C.
      They’re all organized for children.
    4. D.
      They’re all about the dancing and music.
  2. 2.

    Which of the following activities may be free for Tom aged 16?

    1. A.
      COUNTRY DANCING.
    2. B.
      NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS.
    3. C.
      MAZE.
  3. 3.

    If you want to know something about the Coyotes at 8 Barn view, you'd better call _______.

    1. A.
      676-1554
    2. B.
      733-8855
    3. C.
      752-0048
    4. D.
      224-2308
  4. 4.

    Which of the followings will be the highlights of NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS?

    1. A.
      Wander through the maze.
    2. B.
      The champagne toast.
    3. C.
      Its live music.
    4. D.
      The Last Laugh of 2008.
  5. 5.

    It can be inferred from the text that ___________.

    1. A.
      $10 is enough to book a ticket to Blue Concert
    2. B.
      you can read the text on a telephone book
    3. C.
      all these activities are international ones
    4. D.
      New Year’s Laughs will hold shows three times

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