Unit 4 The Joy of Work
-
Unit 4
The Joy of
Work
Text A
Work
Is a Blessing
Para.1
I grew up in Lakeland,
LA,one of 12 children. We all lived on my
parents
’
subsistence farm. We grew cotton, sugar cane,
corn, hogs,
and
chickens
and
had
a
large
garden,
but
it
didn
’
t
bring
in
much
cash. So when I was 12, I got a part-
time job on a dairy farm down
the
road,
helping
to
milk
cows.
We
milked
65
cows
at
5
in
the
morning and again at 2
in the afternoon, seven days a week.
Para.2
In
the
kitchen
one
Saturday
before
daylight,
I
remember
complaining to my
father and grandfather about having to go milk
those cows. My father said,
“
Ya know, boy, to work is a
blessing
。”
Para.3
I looked at
those men who had worked harder than I ever had
—
my
father
eking
out
a
living
on
that
farm
and
my
grandfather
farming and working as a carpenter
during the Depression. I had a
feeling
I had been told something really important, but it
took many
years before it sank in.
Para.4
Going to
college was a rare privilege for a kid from
Lakeland. My
father
told
me
if
I picked
something
to
study
that I
liked
doing,I
’
d
always look forward to my work. But he
also added,
“
Even having a
job you hate is better than not having
a job at all.
”
I wanted to
be a
farmer, but I joined the ROTC
program to help pay for college. And
what started out as an obligation to
the Army became a way of life
that
I
stayed
committed
to
for
37
years,
three
months
and
three
days.
Para.5
In
the late 1980s, during a visit to Bangladesh, I
saw a woman with
a
baby
on
her
back,
breaking
bricks
with
a
hammer.
I
asked
a
Bangladesh
military
escort
why
they
weren
’
t
using
a
machine,
which would have been a lot easier. He
told me a machine would
put that lady
out of
work. Breaking
those
bricks
meant
she could
earn enough money to feed her self and
her baby that day. And as
bad as that
woman
’
s job was, it was
enough to keep a small family
alive.
It
reminded
me
of
my
father
’
s
words:
To
be
work
is
a
blessing.
Para.6
Serving in the U.S. Army overseas, I
saw a lot of people like that
woman
in
Bangladesh.
And
I
have
come
to
believe
that
people
without jobs are not free. They are
victims of crime, the ideology of
terrorism, poor health, depression and
social unrest. These victims
become the
illegal immigrants, the slaves of human
trafficking, the
drug dealers, and the
street gang members. I have seen it over and
over again on the U.S. Border, in
Somalia, the Congo, Afghanistan
and in
New Orleans. People who have jobs can have a home,
send
their kids to school, develop a
sense of pride, contribute to the good
of the
community, and
even
help
others.
When
we can work,
we
are free. We are blessed.
Para.7
I
don
’
t think I will ever quit
working. I
’
m retired from
the Army, but
I
’
m
still working to help people be prepared for
disaster. And I may
get
to
do
a
little
farming
someday,
too.
I
’
m
not
going
to
stop.
I
believe
in my father
’
s words. I
believe in the blessing of work.
Text B
How to Start Your Own
Business
Para.1
The paradox
of starting your own business lies in the
simultaneous
challenge and reward,
making it an experience unlike any other. So
many businesses fail, and most
entrepreneurs exclude themselves
from
the possibility. The tragic reality is that when
businesses fail,
the passion often dies
with it. By following some sound advice and
being prepared for the process, you
will decrease your chances of
losing a
lot more than you bargained for. I have recently
started a
business
and
have
learned
some
crucial
lessons
in
the
process
that I feel privileged to share with
you.