大学英语精读2课文

Unit 3 My First Job为了想在进大学前赚些钱，作者申请了一份教职。但面试情况却越来越糟…… 1我的第一份工作 罗伯特·贝斯特 在我等着进大学期间，我在一份地方报纸上看到一则广告，说是在离我住处大约十英里的伦敦某郊区，有所学校要招聘一名教师。我因为手头很拮据，同时也想做点有用的事，于是便提出了申请，但在提出申请的同时我也担心，自己一无学位，二无教学经验，得到这份工作的可能性是微乎其微的。 2然而，三天之后，却来了一封信，叫我到克罗伊登去面试。这一路去那儿原来还真麻烦：先乘火车到克罗伊顿车站，再乘十分钟的公共汽车，然后还要至少步行四分之一英里。结果，我在六月一个炎热的上午到了那儿，因为心情非常沮丧，竟不感到紧张了。 3学校是一座装着大窗户的红砖房子。前庭园是个铺着沙砾的正方形：四个角上各有一丛冬青灌木，它们经受着从繁忙的大街上吹来的尘烟，挣扎着活下去。 4开门的显然是校长本人。他又矮又胖，留着沙色的小胡子，前额上布满皱纹，头发差不多已经秃光。 5他带着一种吃惊的、不以为然的神态看着我，就像一位上校看着一名没系好靴带的二等兵一样。“哦，”他咕哝着说，“你最好到里面来。”那狭窄的、不见阳光的走廊里散发出一股腐烂的卷心菜味，闻上去很不舒服；墙上墨迹斑斑，显得很脏；周围一片静寂。根据地毯上的面包屑来判断，他的书房也是他的餐室。“你最好坐下，”他说，接着便问了我许多问题：为了得到普通学校证书我学过哪些课程；我多大岁数了；我会玩些什么游戏；问到这里他突然用他那双充满血丝的眼睛盯住我，问我是否认为游戏是儿童教育的一个极为重要的组成部分。我含含糊糊地说了些不必太重视游戏之类的话。他咕哝了几句。我说了错话。我和校长显然没有多少共同语言。 6他说，学校只有一个班，二十四名男生，年龄从七岁到十三岁不等，除了美术课他亲自教以外，其余所有的课程都得由我来教。星期三和星期六的下午要到一英里以外的公园去踢足球，打板球。 7整个教学计划把我吓坏了。我得把全班学生分成三个组，按三种不同的程度轮流给他们上课；想到要教代数和几何这两门我在读书时学得极差的科目，我感到很害怕。更糟糕的也许是星期六下午打板球的安排，因为这时候我的朋友大都会在悠闲地自得其乐。 8我怯生生地问：“我的薪水是多少？”“每周十二磅外加中饭。”还没等我来得及提出异议，他已经站了起来。“好了，”他说，“你最好见见我的妻子。她才是这所学校真正的主管人。” 9我再也无法忍受了。我当时很年轻：在一个女人手下工作的前景构成了最大的侮辱。黑人打工仔 我曾干过一系列工作，可都为期很短，有些是我愤然辞去不干的，有时则是由于我的态度、我的言词或是我的眼神而被解雇的。我那攒足钱远走他乡的目标仍是那么遥不可及，有时我简直怀疑自己到底能不能达到这目标。 2一个无所事事的上午，我去看一个给卡皮特尔街的珠宝商干活的同学格里格斯。我到那儿时他正在擦洗店里的橱窗。 3“你知道我能上哪儿找份活干干吗？” 4他鄙夷地瞧着我。 5“当然，我知道你能上哪儿找到活干，”他嘿嘿一笑。 6“哪儿？” 7“可我怀疑你能干多久，”他说。 8“你这是什么意思？”我问。“哪儿能找活干？” 9“别着急，”他说，“迪克，整个夏天你一直想保住一份活，可还是没能保住。为什么呢？就因为你耐不下性子。这可是你的一大弱点。” 10“是吗，”我急切地鼓励他继续往下说。 11他神情严肃起来。“这楼上有家眼镜公司，老板是个从伊利诺伊州来的北方佬。他想找个小伙子，夏天全天上班，冬天上午和晚上上班。他有意在眼镜行业起用个有色人种小伙子。你学过代数，干这活准行。我先替你在克兰先生面前说说，随后再跟你联系。” 12“你不觉得我现在就可以去见他？”我问。 13“看在上帝的份上，别着急嘛！”他冲我嚷道。 14“黑人的毛病可能就出在这儿，”我说，“他们太不着急了。我可不想干擦地板这类杂活。我可打算干出点名堂来。” 15我谢过他便走了。一星期后我已不再抱什么希望。可是一天下午，格里格斯上我家来了。 16“看来你有活干了，”他说，“你就要有机会学门手艺了。可你记着，脑子得清醒些。要记住自己是个黑人，是在为白人干活。明天你就去上班。” 17“我能挣多少？” 18“开始一周5美元，他们要是喜欢你，会给你加工资的，”他解释说。 19我心中升起了希望。我就要有机会学门手艺了。而且我还不必放弃学业。我告诉他我愿意接受这份工作，我会对白人谦卑有礼的。“你就要给一个北方白佬干活了，你要想能同他们相处下去，还真得下番苦功才行。”他说。 20第二天上午，眼镜公司还没开门，我就早早地候在外面了。我不住地提醒自己要有礼貌，开口前要先动动脑子，要三思而行，要说“是，先生”或“不，先生”；要举止得当，不能让白人们觉得我自以为跟他们一样行。突然，有个白人走到我跟前。 21“你有事吗？”他问我。 22“我是来上班报到的，先生，”我答道。 23“好的，来吧。” 24我跟他走上一段楼梯，他打开办公室门。我有点紧张，可这个白人小伙子的态度让我感到放心，我坐定下来，帽子拿在手里。一个白人姑娘走了进来，开始用力击打打字机键。不久，又来了个身材瘦削、头发灰白的白人，走进了后面的房间。最后，一个红脸膛的高个儿白人走了进来，匆匆瞥了我一眼，便在自己的座位里坐下。从他那付敏捷的举止神态来看，我料定他准是个北方佬。 25“你就是那个新来的，嗯？” 26“是的，先生。” 27“等我先把信件处理掉再跟你谈，”他和颜悦色地说。 28“好的，先生。” 29我甚至竭力压低嗓门，尽量不让语调中带有丝毫咄咄逼人的口吻。 30半小时后克兰先生把我叫到办公桌旁，详细询问了我在学校的学习情况，还有我的数学程度。当我告诉他我还学过两年代数的时候，他似乎很满意。 31“你喜欢不喜欢学学这行？”他问。 32“我很喜欢，先生，我真是再乐意不过了，”我说。他对我那么好，对我那么和气。 33他告诉我，他有意在眼镜行业培养一个黑人小伙子，有意去帮助他，指导他。我在回答时竭力要让他知道，我将竭尽全力，决不辜负他的栽培。这正是我期待已久的机会——学门手艺、长点出息的机会。克兰先生把我向公司其他职员一一作了介绍，随后说，“好了，小伙子，让我们瞧瞧你能把这间屋子打扫得有多干净。” 是不是你要的答案？？

。。。这个我们课文刚学过承接上文 作者表达途中很劳累，TOO..TO..的意思在这里表达是因为上述的劳累，他已经感觉不到紧张了。HOT修饰JUNE MORNING.不用考虑到那里的。

大学英语精读第二册Unit Four：My First Job

导语：你还记得你的第一份工作是怎样的吗，下面我分享一篇有关第一份工作的英语课文，欢迎前来学习!

Trying to make some money before entering university, the author applies for a teaching job. But the interview goes from bad to worse...

My First Job

While I was waiting to enter university, I saw advertised in a local newspaper a teaching post at a school in a suburb of London about ten miles from where I lived. Being very short money and wanting to do something useful, I applied, fearing as I did so, that without a degree and with no experience in teaching my chances of getting the job were slim.

However, three days later a letter arrived, asking me to go to Croydon for an interview. It proved an awkward journey: a train to Croydon station; a ten-minute bus ride and then a walk of at least a quarter to feel nervous.

The school was a red brick house with big windows, The front garden was a gravel square; four evergreen shrubs stood at each corner, where they struggled to survive the dust and fumes from a busy main from a busy main road.

It was clearly the headmaster himself that opened the door. He was short and fat. He had a sandy-coloured moustache, a wrinkled forehead and hardly any hair.

He looked at me with an air of surprised disapproval, as a colonel might look at a private whose bootlaces were undone. 'Ah yes,' he grunted. 'You'd better come inside.' The narrow, sunless hall smelled unpleasantly of stale cabbage; the walls were dirty with ink marks; it was all silent. His study, judging by the crumbs on the carpet, was also his dining-room. 'You'd better sit down,' he said, and proceeded to ask me a number of questions: what subjects I had taken in my General School Certificate; how old I was; what games I played; then fixing me suddenly with his bloodshot eyes, he asked me whether I thought games were a vital part of a boy's education. I mumbled something about not attaching too much importance to them. He grunted. I had said the wrong thing. The headmaster and I obviously had very little in common.

The school, he said, consisted of one class of twenty-four boys, ranging in age from seven to thirteen. I should have to teach all subjects except art, which he taught himself. Football and cricket were played in the Park, a mile away on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

The teaching set-up filled me with fear. I should have to divide the class into three groups and teach them in turn at three different levels; and I was dismayed at the thought of teaching algebra and geometry-two subjects at which I had been completely incompetent at school. Worse perhaps was the idea of Saturday afternoon cricket; most of my friends would be enjoying leisure at that time.

I said shyly, 'What would my salary be?' 'Twelve pounds a week plus lunch.' Before I could protest, he got to his feet. 'Now', he said, 'you'd better meet my wife. She's the one who really runs this school.'

This was the last straw. I was very young: the prospect of working under a woman constituted the ultimate indignity.

apply

vi. write to ask for (a job, membership. etc.), esp. officially 申请

application

n.

interview

n. 面试;接见;会见

advertise

vt. make know to people by printing a notice in a newspaper, etc. or by broadcasting on television, ets. 为...做广告

advertisement

n.

local

of, special to, a place or district 当地的;地方性的

post

n. job or position 职位

suburb

n. outer area of a town or city, where people live 郊区

slim

a. small, slight; slender 微小的';苗条的

depress

vt. make sad 使沮丧

depression

n.

brick

n. 砖

gravel

n. 砾石

evergreen

a. with green leaves throughout the year 常绿的

shrub

n. low bush with several woody stems 灌木

fume

n. strong-smelling smoke, gas or vapour 浓烈难闻的烟,气,汽

headmaster

n. (中,小学的)校长

sandy-coloured

a. yellowish-red 沙色的,黄中带红的

moustache

n. hair growing on the upper lip 小胡子

disapproval

n. unfavorable opinion or feeling; dislike 不赞成;不满

colonel

n. 上校

private

n. soldier of the lowest rank 列兵;士兵

bootlace

n. shoelace for a high shoe or boot 靴带

undo

vt. untie, unfasten 解开;松开

ah

interj. (a cry of surprise, pity, pain, joy, dislike, etc.) 啊

grunt

vt. 咕哝着说出

unpleasantly

ad. 令人不愉快地

stale

a. not fresh 不新鲜的

cabbage

n. 卷心菜

crumb

n. very small, broken piece of bread or cake 面包屑;糕饼屑

carpet

n. heavy woven material fir covering floors or stairs 地毯

certificate

n. 证(明)书

bloodshot

a. (眼睛)充血的

vital

a. very necessary; of the greatest importance 必不可少的,极其重要的

mumble

vt. speak (words) unclearly 含糊地说

attach

vt. give (to); fasten (to) 把...给予;系,贴

importance

n. the quality of being important

obviously

ad. it can be easily seen; plainly 明显地，显然

obvious

a.

consist (of)

vi. be made up (of) 组成，构成

range

vi. vary between certain limits (在一定的范围内)变动

cricket

n. 板球

set-up

n. arrangement

dismay

vt. make discouraged or afraid 使灰心，使害怕

algebra

n. 代数学

geometry

n. 几何学

incompetent

a. completely unskillful; not good enough at doing a job, etc. 无能力的;不胜任的

competent

a. opposite of incompetent

leisure

n. free time; time which one can spend as one likes 闲暇;悠闲

salary

n. fixed (usually monthly) pay for regular work 薪水

plus

prep. with the addition of 加(上)

protest

vi. express a strong objection 抗议;反对

straw

n. 稻草;麦杆

prospect

vi. sth. expected or considered probable; possibility 期望中的事;展望;前景

constitute

vt. form; make up; be 组成，构成

ultimate

a. greatest; utmost; last or final 最大的;终极的，最终的

indignity

n. injury to one's dignity; insult 侮辱

be short of

not having enough of 缺少

smell of

have, give out the smell of 有...的气味

judging by

forming an opinion based on

attach importance to

consider important 重视

in common

shared with someone else 共有的,共同的

consist of

be made up of

in turn

one after another 轮流

London

伦敦(英国首都)

Croydon

克洛伊登(英国地名)