Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of the Businesswoman

Jodie Lawson is a managing director of roundpeg.com, an internet-based recruitment agency. Her day 1) ______ at 7.15 when the alarm goes off. But she doesn’t often 2) ______ straight away. She lies in bed and 3) ______ to the news on the radio until 7.30. She usually goes to work by bus, but she sometimes 4) ______. She likes running and finds it relaxing. It 5) _______ her about 30 to 35 minutes to get to work – about the same as the bus.

When she gets to the office, she 6) ______ on the computer, 7) ______ her e-mail, and has breakfast – a bowl of cereal. Her morning always 8) ______ meetings, taking calls from clients and dealing with e-mails. Most days she has lunch at her desk, but sometimes she goes out with a client, or 9) ______ a lunchtime presentation. In the afternoon she is usually out of the office visiting clients. She 10)______ work around seven, but quite often goes to an evening meeting. To relax she 11) ______ seeing her friends and family, and 12) ______ going away at the weekend and getting out of the city. She goes to bed between 11 and midnight.

Read and translate the text.

Daily Routine

Hi! I’m Helen and I’m in my first year at the university. My elder sister, Ann studies economics at the same university. Ann can organize her time wisely, whereas I don’t know what order I should do things in. I find it hard to get up on time, and usually I don’t get enough sleep. I wind two alarm-clocks to make sure I don’t oversleep.

My sister, an early riser, is up by 7 o’clock. While I’m wandering round the kitchen fighting the urge to go back to bed, sister manages to have a quick shower, make her bed, put on make up, do her hair, eat a full breakfast and set off to the university. It takes me an hour and a half to get ready. I have a hasty bite and rush out of the house. Even if I catch a bus at once I still arrive at the university 15 minutes late, which always makes me feel guilty.

My study keeps me busy all day long. I have 6 hours of English a week. I also have lectures and seminars. At lunchtime I meet up with my sister and we have a snack at the university cafe. After classes I go to the library where I spend about six hours a week reading for my seminars. My sister and I come home tired. I always find excuses to put my homework off. Unlike me the sister manages to do the housework and get down to homework. I like the idea of going to bed early, but quite often I have to sit up late, brushing up my grammar and vocabulary, though I feel sleepy. My sister says that keeping late hours ruins one’s health. Of course, I agree.

As my sister and I do not get any time off during the week, we try to relax on the weekends. One of my greatest pleasures is to lie in bed and read my favourite books. My sister is a sporty person. To keep herself fit, Betty goes for a run in the park, from time to time she works out in the gym.

I hate staying in, and sometimes on Saturday night my sister takes me out to a concert or a play. Sometimes we go to a party or to a disco. But more often than not I end up catching up on my studies and my sister goes out. I wonder how I manage to spoil my leisure time.

Every Monday when I awaken I think I should start a new life. I honestly think I must become well-organized and correct my daily routine. I make plans to go to keep-fit classes, to do shopping with my sister, to do the cleaning and to do a hundred other good things. But then I remember that I have to call on my school friend in the evening, and I put off my plans till next Monday. It is always better to start a new life in a week.

Answer the questions.

1) Where does the girl study?

2) Does she have a sister?

3) Can the girl organize her time wisely?

4) How does their working day begin?

5) How long does it take the girl to get ready?

6) What does she do after classes?

7) What do the girls do after coming home?

8) What does the girl do in the evening?

9) How do the girls relax on the weekends?

10) What do the girls sometimes do on Saturday night?

12. Find in the text the equivalents to the following words and phrases: