High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 37 · A Part-Time Job and an Exam Week
Audio track 37
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
During exam week, my café manager asked whether I could take an extra shift. I wanted to help because a coworker was ill, but I had also promised my study group that I would prepare our notes. Saying yes to one request would affect other people.
I checked my schedule and told the manager which hours I could work, rather than agreeing immediately. She found another person for the late shift, and I took a short morning shift on Saturday. I told the study group about the change and sent my notes before our meeting.
The arrangement was not effortless. I had to begin one assignment earlier and give up a free afternoon. Still, the conversation worked because I described my limit clearly instead of hoping everyone would guess it.
A part-time job taught me more than how to serve customers. It taught me that a responsible answer may include both a willingness to help and a realistic boundary. “I can do this much” can be more useful than an impossible yes.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
考试周，咖啡馆经理问我能否多上一班。我想帮忙，因为一位同事生病了；但我也答应学习小组准备笔记。答应其中一方，也会影响其他人。
我先查看日程，告诉经理自己能在哪些时段工作，没有立刻答应全部。她为较晚那班找了别人，我则在星期六早上上了一个短班。我也把变动告知学习小组，在开会前发出了笔记。
安排并不轻松。我得提前开始一项作业，也放弃了一个空闲下午。但沟通能奏效，是因为我明确说出自己的界限，而不是期待大家猜出来。
兼职教我的不只是怎样服务顾客，也包括负责任的回答可以同时表达愿意帮忙与现实的边界。‘我能做到这么多’可能比一个根本实现不了的‘好’更有用。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- manager
- 经理；提出加班请求。
- extra shift
- 额外班次；考试周工作增多。
- coworker
- 同事；有人生病。
- promised
- 答应过；学习组还需要笔记。
- affect
- 影响；答应一方牵涉他人。
- arrangement
- 安排；最后分担早班。
- effortless
- 毫不费力的；实际需要调整作业。
- described
- 说明；把能力边界讲清。
- willingness
- 意愿；愿意帮忙但有限度。
- realistic
- 现实的；不作做不到的承诺。
Background notes (Chinese)
面对兼职和学习承诺，主人公没有二选一式地随口答应，而是明确可工作时段，提前通知受影响的人。