Worksheet 4
Reading
The Working Student
Name No. Class
Date/ / Teacher
Revise:
The Working Student Student’s Book, p. 112
Workbook, p. 61
As if managing school, sports, friends and family is not enough, many teenagers are adding one more
item to their hectic and stressful schedules: part-time jobs. Teens who juggle all this deserve more credit
than just a pay slip with a bunch of numbers and initials that look like hieroglyphs.
As a working student, I know how it feels to sit in class all day listening to teachers droning on when
5 all I can think about is how long my day will be since I’m working late that night. Then I remember
when an English essay is due and suddenly it feels as if there is no time left.
For most people, it’s not normal for a 16-year-old to feel as if there are not enough hours in the day to
complete all of his or her tasks. Adolescence is thought to be a time of leisure and freedom from
responsibility, not stressing over how many hours you were assigned this week while wondering how
10 that Math test turned out or thinking about what’s happening this weekend. Teens who take the
initiative to earn some independence by making money deserve recognition. Not only because they
are helping their parents (by spending their own money on things), but also because they go to school
for
seven hours, work for four, continue
15 working at home because they have
homework to do, and still manage to fit
in time for household chores. And then,
after all that, there might be a chance of
getting a bit of time for themselves. So,
20 eleven hours of work is what a working
student endures, which is more than an
adult works. Surprisingly, most teens
don’t have hypertension or grey hair.
Employment shows teens what the
25 world of work is like. At the grocery
store, I see the frustrated and impatient
side of people. Customers can be rude
and they often try to take advantage of
me. Underage kids who want to
30 purchase alcohol or tobacco usually get
in my line. They assume because I’m
young and a girl I won’t ask for
identification. I, however, ID everyone
who looks under 30. People also give me expired coupons or claim there’s a sale when there isn’t. They
35 seem to think I’ll overlook that and, to be honest, it’s difficult to deal with this age prejudice.
Teenagers who are out working, getting their schoolwork done, maintaining their own lives and,
somehow, finding time to be kids should have society’s praise for accomplishing tasks most adults
wouldn’t even dare to attempt.
Adapted from: teenink.com
The Working Student
1 Complete the following sentences according to the text.
a. Many teens’ hectic schedules not only include .
b. Working students have little time for .
c. Teens work to .
d. Part-time jobs show teens .
2 Match the synonyms to the correct words in the text. There are two extra words.
a. sufficient 1. rude
b. continuously talking in a boring way 2. assigned
c. attributed 3. courteous
d. impolite 4. enough
5. droning on
6. babbling away
3 Answer the following questions about the text. Use your own words as much as possible.
a. Why is the author of the opinion that working teens work more than adults?
b. According to the author, who tries to take advantage of working teens and why?
c. Explain the following sentence from the text: “Surprisingly, most teens don’t have hypertension or grey
hair.”
