Page 44 - Focus 1st Edition (demo)

Working away from home • useful phrases • collocations

1 Read the article quickly and choose the best t it le
tanker (n) = a large sh1p that carries oil
A, B or C.
leave (n) = t1me that you are allowed to spend away
A I love my long holidays at home. D
from your work
B Life is difficult when my husband comes home. D
strict (adj) = expecting people to obey rules or to do
C This is not the right job for me. D
what you say
seem (v) = to appear to exist or be true

.-\rthur lives in Portsmouth Christmas dinner in November he want-; to tell his children
with his wife and three children. or January but there is always a stories and play with them. The
He has a good job but he isn't feeling of sadne:,s that they can't children stop doing housework
happy. Arthur is the captain of happen at the right time. and, because they go to bed
a large tanker. He loves late, they are tired when
ships and the sea and is they get up in the morning.
good at his job. He earns Of course, Thcre-;a
a lot of money and has a understands and is pleased
lot of free time at work to see her family so happy,
to ~tudy languages and but it takes a week or more
write. So what's the to get life back to normal
problem? when Arthur goes back to

Arthur has a 'three sea.
months on- two months Now, Arthur wants to find a
off' contract, which job on land but he knowc; it
means that he goes to isn't easy. What can a ship's
sea for three months and then Life is also difficult for his captain do when he isn't on
hab two months of holiday. This wife, Theresa. She is a teacher a ship? Arthur's dream is to be
means that some years he isn't and, for three months, has a writer of children's hooks and
at home for Christmas, some no husband to help her with work from home. This dream
years he is away during the shopping, cooking, cleaning cheers him up when he is on the
summer holiday~ and every year and checking homework. She other side of the world and still
he misses someone's birthday, is very strict, so the children has two months before he -,ees
school shows and other special help with the housework, go to his family again.
days. His children are 12, 10 and bed at nine o'clock
6 and they grow quickly at that and get up for
~· school without any
\\.'hen Arthur comes home, the problems. Theresa
children spend a day or two just prepares dinners
looking at him and trying to in advance and
think of what to say The last makes the most of
week of his leave is filled with every hour of the
tears. There are also good times day. Then, Arthur
The family have parties to comes home. He
celebrate any birthdays missed ignores the normal
and they sometimes haw bedtimes because

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