Name___________ Progress test 1
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.
Workaholism
Most workers spend eight or nine hours on the job. They work because it is
unavoidable. They need to make enough money their necessities. They spend about
one third of their lives at work, but they hate it. They complain and count the minutes
until quitting time each day – or the days until their next vacation.
By contrast, there are some people who actually enjoy work, in fact they love to
work, so they spend many extra hours on the job each week and often take work home
with them. These workaholics are as addicted to their jobs as other people are to drugs
or alcohol.
In some urban centers, workaholism is so common that people do not consider
it unusual. Government workers in Washington frequently work sixty to seventy
hours a week. They don't do that because they have to; they do it because they want
to. Hundreds of workaholics in New York tried to go to work even in the famous
blackout of 1977.
Workaholism can be a serious problem. Because true workaholics would rather
work than do anything else, they probably don't know how to relax; that is, they might
not enjoy movies, sports, or other types of entertainment. Most of all, they hate to sit
and do nothing. The lives of workaholics are usually stressful, and this tension and
worry can cause health problems such as heart attacks or stomach ulcers. In addition,
typical workaholics don't pay much attention to their families. They spend little time
with their children, and their marriages may end in divorce.
Is workaholism always dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people
who work well under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great
energy and interest in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very
happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment are the same thing. Their jobs
provide them with a challenge; this keeps them busy and creative. Other people retire
from work at the age of sixty-five, but workaholics usually prefer not to quit. They are
still enthusiastic about work and life in their eighties and nineties.
Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to
work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it
offers more than financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have
a feeling of satisfaction when they have produced a challenging piece of work and are
able to say,' I made that.' In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially
acceptable way to meet others.
A. Which statements are true about workaholics according to the reading?
Check them.
1. They spend no more than eight to nine hours on the job. ( )
2. They complain a lot about their jobs and often watch the clock. ( )
3. They spend a lot of time working at their jobs and at home. ( )
4. They work only because they have to. ( )
5. They would rather work than rest. ( )
6. They may have health problems from their inability to relax. ( )
7. They may be happy because their work provides a lot of pleasure. ( )
8. They retire from their jobs at the age of sixty-five. ( )
9. They probably have a feeling of satisfaction. ( )
[Link] rarely meet people through their work. ( )
2 Complete the sentences with these words
protection equipment retirement independence invention confidence
1 To do a good building job, you need the right __________.
2 A lot of fights between teenagers and their parents are about __________.
3 My grandmother isn’t enjoying her __________. She says she’s bored.
4 Many people say that the computer was an English __________.
5 You need a lot of __________ to be an actor and perform in front of crowds of people.
6 That small umbrella doesn’t give much __________ when it’s raining very hard.
3. Complete the sentences with these prepositions.
out for into out up across
1 I was cleaning my room yesterday and I came _____ an old diary from ten years ago.
2 The police are looking _____ two men in a black car.
3 Can you find _____ when the exam starts?
4 The police are looking _____ the murder of a shopkeeper in the village.
5 The stolen jewellery turned _____ in New York three years later.
4. Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.
1 How much/many new verbs did you learn last week?
2 I’m afraid there are only a few/a little biscuits left. I ate most of them last week.
3 I was worried about mistakes in my English homework, but there weren’t a lot/a lot of.
4 The teacher didn’t give us much/many time to finish the test.
5 A few/little people at our school studied Mandarin Chinese instead of French!
6 I didn’t get some/any sleep last night and I’m feeling terrible this morning.
