托福阅读材料(7)

　　Life as a newspaper reporter can be aggravating. Every morning at 5 a.m. , there's a staff meeting where the managing editor goes through his agenda for the day. He's not at all agreeable in the morning. In fact, he's akin to a grouchy bear. Oh does he love to agitate us! I drink coffee to calm my nerves but sometimes it just aggravates my stomach.
　　"Jim, you'll be covering the recent acts of aggression in the Middle East. We can't afford to ignore this important development. You need to be airborne and on your way to the Middle East within the hour."
　　"Jane, come in here, you're late. Don't leave the door ajar, this is a private meeting. I need you to get a copy of that new alien alert from the Immigration Department. The aggregate number of aliens in this country is growing, but it seems to me that such an alert will only serve to alienate our own minority groups.'
　　"Sam, you're the most agile of us all. Use your agility to catch up with the world-class runners who are in town for maraton. Come on Sam, don't agonize your assignment, just do it. "
　　"Mary, the children in Central Africa are afflicted with an unknown disease. It's not just an ailment. It's something far more serious. Hey, stop looking so aghast, you don't need go there. Just find out the source of the affliction and write a report on it by this afternoon. By the way, I think you should quit drinking coffee, it does nothing to calm your nerves! "
　　Oh well, I guess I better get going. Can I afford to quit this wonderful job? Not today.
　　报社记者的生活时常相当恼人。每天早上五点有一次全体员工会议，会上主编会一一讲述当天的日程安排。早上的主编根本谈不上和蔼可亲。 实际上，他就像头爱发脾气的狗熊。噢，他偏偏要弄得我们狂躁不安！我喝点咖啡以镇静神经，但有时咖啡又会加剧我的胃痛。
　　“吉姆，你去报道最近在中东发生的侵略行为。我们可担不起错过这一重大进展的后果。一小时以内你必须坐上飞往中东的飞机。”
　　“进来，简，你迟到了。别开着门，这是私人会议。我要你从移民局搞一份最新的外侨警报。这个国家的外侨总人数不断增长，但我看这种警报只会疏远本地的少数群体。”
　　“山姆，你是我们所有人当中最灵敏的。运用你的灵敏劲去报道城里世界级马拉松参赛选手的最新情况。好了，山姆，用不着为这点任务弄得痛苦不堪，就动手干吧。”
　　“玛丽，中非儿童正经受不明病症的折磨。那还不是小病小恙，而是很严重的某种疾病。喂，你别目瞪口呆的，你又不用去中非。你只需找出痛苦的原由，然后在今天下午前写一篇报道就行了。对了，我想你该戒掉喝咖啡的习惯，咖啡根本不能镇静你的神经。”
　　哎，我想我得去干活了。我能舍得辞去这份好工作吗？今天可不行。