The daily programme

UNIT 3 My Daily Routine

Reading

Read and translate the text

THE DAILY PROGRAMME

On week-days the alarm-clock wakes me up and my working day begins. It is seven o’clock. If it is spring or summer I jump out of bed, run to the window and open it wide to let the fresh morning air in. The bright sun and the singing of birds set me into a cheerful working mood. In winter I am not so quick to leave my bed, and I bury my head under the pillows pretending not to hear the alarm-clock. But all the same, it is time to get up and I start getting ready for my work.

I do my bed and go to the bathroom where I turn on the hot and cold taps. While the water is running into the bath, I clean (brush) my teeth. Then I turn off the taps and have my bath. Sometimes I have a shower. If I am not short of time I tidy up the room. I am through with it in 10 minutes.

While I am having breakfast I switch on the radio and listen to the news. Breakfast, as doctors say, must be the most substantial meal of the day. But I have neither time nor inclination to cook it, so I just have a cup of coffee and some sandwiches. I live in the suburbs and every week-day I commute to town.

I leave the house at ten minutes to eight and as I live quite near the station I like to walk there in any weather. My train to town leaves at 8.10 I arrive in town at a quarter to nine. On my way to the office I often meet my fellow-workers and we go on together talking shop.

My working day starts at 9 sharp. I work till half past twelve and then I go out for dinner to a self-service canteen which is just round the corner. It does not take me long to have my midday meal. I return to my office at half past one and work steadily till six. During my working hours I haven’t a spare moment to think of my University classes. I am a student at the Evening Department of the University.

We have classes four times a week and on other days I often spend my evenings in the reading-room of our library preparing my homework. It is not easy to work and study at the same time but I feel great satisfaction when I think of the future.

Exercise 1. Agree or disagree with the following statements (Let the boy’s name be Peter)

1. On week-days Peter’s mother wakes him up.

2. Peter gets up at 7 o’clock.

3. In spring or summer he jumps out of bed and opens the window wide.

4. A cup of coffee sets him into a cheerful working mood.

5. In winter he is very quick to leave his bed.

6. In the bathroom he cleans his teeth and has his bath.

7. Peter doesn’t listen to the news in the morning.

8. Dinner must be the most substantial meal of the day.

9. Peter has neither time nor inclination to cook breakfast.

10. Peter arrives at town at nine o’clock.

11. On his way to the office he talks shop.