Ever since I graduated from high school I’ve worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer. However, making the transformation between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be unacceptable, getting to a factory by 6 o’clock each morning is suffering. My friends never seem to understand why I’m so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.
There are few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People of my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine I ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward or upside down.
The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear overnight. Issues like being laid off and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.
After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. “This job pays well, but it’s hell on the body,” said one co-worker. “Study hard and keep reading.” she added. When I’m back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale now ring true.
My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.
【小题1】What does the author think of his summer holiday?| A．It was a relief from his hard work at school. |
| B．It brought him nothing but suffering. |
| C．It was no holiday for him at all. |
| D．It offered him a chance to make more friends. |
| A．They are confident when they work. |
| B．They think too highly of themselves. |
| C．They do better in the real world. |
| D．They are expert at handling machines. |
| A．The lack of security | B．Less break | C．An unstable location | D．A low income |
| A．Approving | B．Doubtful | C．Appreciative | D．indifferent |
