I’ve worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer since I graduated from high school. but making the transition (转变) 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 uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o’clock each morning is torture. 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’re few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People 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 1 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 downsizing (裁员) 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. When Fm 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. These lessons I’m learning, however valuable, are always tinged (带有) with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. "This job pays well, but it’s hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading," she added. My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good. 1 How did the author look back on his summer days while at college? A They brought him nothing but torture. B They were no holiday for him at all. C They were a relief from his hard work at school. D They offered him a chance to know more people. 2 What does the author say about college students? A They expect too much from the real world. B They have little interest in blue-collar life. C They think too highly of themselves. D They are confident of their future. 3 What, according to the author, is most frustrating for blue-collar workers? A They do not get decent pay. B They do not have job security. C They have to work 12-hour shifts. D They have to move from place to place. 4 In what important way has the author’s work experience changed him? A He learned to be more practical. B He acquired a sense of urgency. C He came to respect blue-collar workers. D He came to appreciate his college education. 5 Why does the author feel somewhat guilty? A He realizes there is a great divide between his life and that of blue-collar workers. B He looks down upon the mechanical work at the assembly line. C He has not done much to help his co-workers at the factory. D He has stayed at school just for the purpose of escaping from the real world.

I’ve worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer since I graduated from high school. but making the transition (转变) 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 uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o’clock each morning is torture. 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’re few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People 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 1 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 downsizing (裁员) 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. When Fm 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.
These lessons I’m learning, however valuable, are always tinged (带有) with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. "This job pays well, but it’s hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading," she added.
My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.
1 How did the author look back on his summer days while at college?
A They brought him nothing but torture.
B They were no holiday for him at all.
C They were a relief from his hard work at school.
D They offered him a chance to know more people.
2 What does the author say about college students?
A They expect too much from the real world.
B They have little interest in blue-collar life.
C They think too highly of themselves.
D They are confident of their future.
3 What, according to the author, is most frustrating for blue-collar workers?
A They do not get decent pay.
B They do not have job security.
C They have to work 12-hour shifts.
D They have to move from place to place.
4 In what important way has the author’s work experience changed him?
A He learned to be more practical.
B He acquired a sense of urgency.
C He came to respect blue-collar workers.
D He came to appreciate his college education.
5 Why does the author feel somewhat guilty?
A He realizes there is a great divide between his life and that of blue-collar workers.
B He looks down upon the mechanical work at the assembly line.
C He has not done much to help his co-workers at the factory.
D He has stayed at school just for the purpose of escaping from the real world.