Narrator: Listen to a conversation between two students.

Student 1(female): Hi, Ted. What’s up?

Student 2(male): Oh, hi, June. I’m just studying as usual. I haven’t had time for anything else recently, and the near future is looking about the same.

Student 1: Is something the matter?

Student 2: It’s all this homework and tests that are coming up. I have five tests within two days of each other, and I also have several presentations and research papers to write, and they are all due within a couple of days of each other.

Student 1: Wow, that explains why I haven’t seen you around lately. Don’t you also have to work?

Student 2: Yeah, every night this week. I really don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t think there are enough hours in the week to finish all this stuff.

Student 1: Well, maybe you could talk to some of your professors about this. I know, sometimes professors give extensions on papers. And some will even let you reschedule a test. Maybe if you tell them your situation they will be more lenient with you.

Student 2: That sounds like a pretty good idea. But, it also might be embarrassing for me to ask just to have my teacher say to me, “Why should I give you special treatment and not the other students?” You know?

Student 1: Hmmm, maybe talk to your boss at work and ask for a few days off or something. Or maybe just call in sick. Ha-ha

Student 2: I don’t know if my boss will give me time off. We’ve been pretty busy lately and he doesn’t like me too much…

Narrator: Now get ready to answer the question.

   <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Answer

The problem that the man has is that he is too busy. He has lots of tests to take this week, papers to write, homework to do, and he has to work every night. He just doesn’t have enough time to do everything that everybody needs him to do. I think, if I didn’t call in sick to work, I would probably talk to a few of my teachers and ask if they could help me out. Maybe the teachers would be nice and let the man turn in a paper or two late if he asks them. I have had teachers before who allowed students to turn in late work or to take a test on a different day when they also had several tests on one day. The worst that could happen is that the teacher says “no.” If the man asks his boss for a few days off of work when his boss already doesn’t like him, maybe he could lose his job. I prefer asking the teachers for extensions.