英语听力精选进阶版 6281

An 11-year-old boy from Germany has caused a domestic incident by claiming he's the victim of forced labour because his mother asks him to do the chores.

The youngster even called a police emergency line to complain he was being treated like a slave after his mother told him to clean the home and terrace.

Household tasks such as washing up, dusting and hoovering are mundane¹ for all but the tidiest amongst us. But this young boy's actions have made it clear just how much he hates housework.

Police say the youth from Aachen, who has not been identified, spoke² to an officer on the 110 number. Clearly unwilling³ to carry out dull and soul-destroying jobs, he said: "I have to work all day long. I haven't any free time."

His mum replied: "He plays all day long and when told to tidy up what he's done, he calls it forced labour." She also revealed that he'd been threatening to call them having repeatedly complained about having to lend a helping⁴ hand around the house during the summer holidays.

Lots of kids are reluctant to muck in when it comes to cleaning, but how can they be motivated so parents don't end up working their fingers to the bone? Perhaps pocket money is a good incentive⁵. A financial reward is often a good way to get people to put a bit of elbow grease into their jobs.

Or maybe if he understood the true meaning of 'forced labour' he'd stop complaining about being treated like a skivvy!

Quiz 小测验

1. How did the boy contact the police? 

Both. His mother told him to clean the house and terrace.

2. Name three types of chores mentioned in the article. 

Washing up, dusting and hoovering.

3. Was the mother surprised her son called the police?

1 mundane   

adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的

参考例句：

• I hope I can get an interesting job and not something mundane.我希望我可以得到的是一份有趣的工作，而不是一份平凡无奇的。
• I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.我发现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的感知。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。