Ông già Noel phải làm thêm giờ
Từ vựng - Vocabulary
spare a thought (remember someone sympathetically): (dành chút thời gian) nhớ tới, nghĩ tới
overtime (longer than an ordinary shift): (làm) thêm giờ
hectic (busy, chaotic): bận rộn
backlog (work accumulated): dồn ứ lại, ứ đọng
heading your way (going where you are): đang trên đường đến chỗ bạn
Bài khóa - Transcript
Spare a thought for this man from Rovaniemi in Finland.
While many are on their Christmas holidays, Santa Claus and his team will be working overtime.
In the main post office, the year's most hectic period is underway. They receive around half a million letters from children all over the world.
They have to be answered and the team wants to avoid a backlog.
And if you've been good this year, he might just be heading your way.
Bản dịch - Translation
Hãy dành chút thời gian để nghĩ tới người đàn ông này từ Rovaniemi ở Phần Lan.
Trong khi nhiều người đang đi nghỉ Giáng sinh, Ông già Noel và nhóm của ông sẽ phải làm thêm giờ.
Tại bưu điện chính đây đang là giai đoạn bận rộn nhất trong năm. Họ nhận được khoảng nửa triệu lá thư từ trẻ em trên khắp thế giới.
Thư phải được trả lời và cả nhóm muốn tránh tình trạng ứ đọng.
Và nếu bạn đã ngoan ngoãn trong năm nay thì có thể Ông già Noel đang trên đường tới chỗ bạn đấy.
Bài tập - Exercise
Hãy dùng các từ và cụm từ dưới đây ở dạng thích hợp để hoàn thành những câu sau:
spare a thought / overtime / hectic / backlog / heading your way
1. There have been numerous studies indicating that people are becoming increasingly forgetful as a result of modern __________ lifestyles. Researchers have labelled the condition "busy lifestyle syndrome", with stress being the possible culprit behind day-to-day memory lapses.
2. As Africa's economic fortunes rise and the continent continues to be charmed by superpowers, __________ for the millions of Africans in faraway lands.
3. Hundreds of thousands of workers may be sitting idly by during the ongoing government shutdown, but comedians are working __________ to find the humour amidst the partisan political turmoil.
4. "We have no safety concerns, however, advice to members of the public is that if smoke is __________, closing your windows would be a good common sense measure."
5. Tom McPhail, the firm's head of pensions research, said it was "extremely sorry for the delays", but was making "significant progress in clearing the __________" and hoped to have all systems running normally again soon.
Giải đáp - Answers
1. There have been numerous studies indicating that people are becoming increasingly forgetful as a result of modern hectic lifestyles. Researchers have labelled the condition "busy lifestyle syndrome", with stress being the possible culprit behind day-to-day memory lapses.
Source: <link type="page"><caption> How easy is it to forget your children?</caption><url href="http://bbc.in/1c8V4Bh" platform="highweb"/></link>
2. As Africa's economic fortunes rise and the continent continues to be charmed by superpowers, spare a thought for the millions of Africans in faraway lands.
Source: <link type="page"><caption> Letter from Africa: 'Not welcome in Europe'</caption><url href="http://bbc.in/IRB0qr" platform="highweb"/></link>
3. Hundreds of thousands of workers may be sitting idly by during the ongoing government shutdown, but comedians are working overtime to find the humour amidst the partisan political turmoil.
Source: <link type="page"><caption> Shutdown and debt limit offer comic fodder</caption><url href="http://bbc.in/1dIXYcZ" platform="highweb"/></link>
4. "We have no safety concerns, however, advice to members of the public is that if smoke is heading your way, closing your windows would be a good common sense measure."
Source: <link type="page"><caption> Fire crews tackle metal recycling blaze in Lincoln</caption><url href="http://bbc.in/JveX9a" platform="highweb"/></link>
5. Tom McPhail, the firm's head of pensions research, said it was "extremely sorry for the delays", but was making "significant progress in clearing the backlog" and hoped to have all systems running normally again soon.
Source: <link type="page"><caption> Royal Mail shares jump sharply on market debut</caption><url href="http://bbc.in/19uR8Iw" platform="highweb"/></link>
