Unit 1 —— Could you please clean your room?

Peter, could you please take out the rubbish?
Sure, Mom.

1c：
A: Could you please sweep the floor?
B: Yes, sure. Can you do the dishes?
A: Well, could you please do them? I’m going to clean the living room.
B: No problem.

2c：
A: Could I use your computer?
B: Sorry. I’m going to work on it now.
A: Well, could I watch TV?
B: Yes, you can, but first you have to clean your room.

2d：
Sister: Tony, could you please help out with a few things?
Brother: Could I at least finish watching this show?
Sister: No. I think two hours of TV is enough for you!
Brother: Fine. What do you want me to do?
Sister: Could you take out the rubbish, fold the clothes and do the dishes?
Brother: So much?
Sister: Yes, because Mom will be back from shopping any minute now. And she won’t be happy if she sees this mess.
Brother: But the house is already pretty clean and tidy!
Sister: Yes, well, it’s clean, but it’s not “mother clean”!


3a：
Last month, our dog welcomed me when I came home from school. He wanted a walk, but I was too tired. I threw down my bag and went to the living room. The minute I sat down in front of the TV, my mom came over. “Could you please take the dog for a walk?” she asked.
“Could I watch one show first?” I asked. “No!” she replied angrily. “You watch TV all the time and never help out around the house! I can’t work all day and do housework all evening.”
“Well, I work all day at school, too! I’m just as tired as you are!” I shouted back.
My mom did not say anything and walked away. For one week, she did not do any housework and neither did I. Finally, I could not find a clean dish or a clean shirt.
The next day, my mom came home from work to find the house clean and tidy.
“What happened?” she asked in surprise.
“I’m so sorry, Mom. I finally understand that we need to share the housework to have a clean and comfortable home,” I replied.
1. Why was Nancy’s mom angry with Her?
2. Did they solve the problem? How?

1b：
Parent: Could you clean your room?
Child: Yes, I can.
Child: Could I invite my friends to a party?
Parent: No, you can’t have a party. You have a test on Monday.

1e：
A: Could you please take out the rubbish?
B: Yes, sure.

2b：
Skimming
This means looking quickly through a piece of writing to find the main idea without reading every word. It is still a good idea to read the first sentence in each paragraph a little more carefully.
Dear Sir,
I do not understand why some parents make their kids help with housework and chores at home. Kids these days already have enough stress from school. They do not have time to study and do housework,
too. Housework is a waste of their time. Could we just let them do their job as students? They should spend their time on schoolwork in order to get good grades and get into a good university. Also, when they get older, they will have to do housework so there is no need for them to do it now. It is the parents’ job to provide a clean and comfortable environment at home for their children. And anyway, I think doing chores is not so difficult. I do not mind doing them.
Ms. Miller
Dear Sir,
I think it is important for children to learn how to do chores and help their parents with housework. It is not enough to just get good grades at school. Children these days depend on their parents too much. They are always asking, “Could you get this for me?” or “Could you help me with that?” Doing chores helps to develop children’s independence and teaches them how to look after themselves. It also helps them to understand the idea of fairness. Since they live in one house with their parents, they should know that everyone should do their part in keeping it clean and tidy. Our neighbor’s son got into a good college but during his first year, he had no idea how to take care of himself. As a result, he often fell ill and his grades dropped. The earlier kids learn to be independent, the better it is for their future.
Mr. Smith