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 felt tired of taking care of patients
D. she needed the right time to look after her children
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 always make a mess in their offices D. they never do their work carefully
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
Nowadays, a hospital always manages to keep its beds full. This is good on the one hand, and it’s bad on 36 hand.
One day, I went to see a sick friend at the hospital. I first went to the 37 desk, where I could get a permit to visit the patient.
38 I could ask which room my friend was in, the lady set down my name, age, filled out a form and 39 a bell. I was just about to tell her what I was coming for when two men arrived with a wheelchair, 40 me in it and pushed me down the hall.
“I’m not 41 ,” I shouted. “I’m just looking for a friend.”
“When he comes,” one man said, “we’ll 42 him up to your room.”
In a minute I 43 myself in a small room. In no time they undressed me and covered some other things 44 me. One man said “If you need anything, press the button.”
“I want to get my 45 back.” I begged.
“Oh, you can 46 us,” a voice said, “Even if the 47 happens, we will see that your wife will get everything.” They left and locked the door 48 them.
I was trying to think of how to escape by the door when Dr. Ward came in with several of his 49 .
“Thank God you finally came,” I said.
“It hurts that badly?” he asked.
“No, on the contrary, I am not ill 50 .”
Dr. Ward looked 51 . “If you don’t feel any pain, that means it’s much more 52 than we expected.” Then he turned to his students, “This is the most difficult kind of patient to deal with because he refuses to 53 that he is ill. __54__ he won’t tell us where it hurts, he will never be well again until we find the hurt out for 55 by doing exploratory surgery (手术探查) .”
1.A. another B. other C. the other D. others
2.A. meeting B. office C. information D. medicine
3.A. Before B. Until C. While D. When
4.A. beat B. rang C. struck D. took
5.A. pushed B. placed C. pulled D. invited
6.A. well B. sick C. good D. healthy
7.A. command B. carry C. send D. order
8.A. found B. realized C. felt D. understood
9.A. on B. from C. up D. to
10.A. money B. friend C. clothes D. form
11.A. upset B. expect C. wonder D. believe
12.A. best B. hardest C. worst D. easiest
13.A. behind B. before C. beside D. by
14.A. friends B. students C. relatives D. teachers
15.A. at al B. in all C. after all D. above all
16.A. excited B. worried C. satisfied D. surprised
17.A. interesting B. comfortable C. serious D. pleasant
18.A. add B. settle C. concern D. recognize
19.A. Before B. Since C. When D. As soon as
20.A. himself B. themselves C. yourselves D. ourselves
—Thank you for giving us a wonderful Chinese dinner, Ms. Wang.
—__________________.
A. Oh. I’m afraid I didn’t cook very well. B. I’m glad you enjoy it.
C. Come again when you are free. D. It’s not polite of you to say so.
He disappeared last month, _______ we have heard nothing of him.
A. when B. after which C. from which D. since when
He insisted that he _______ nothing wrong and that he _______ now.
A. did, be freed B. had done, would be freed
C. should do, should be freed D. should do, was
She was so amused with the magician’s tricks that she ________ a smile.
A. burst out B. burst into C. burst forth D. burst in
