Lesson E - 44 New Words (most used: 526-570 )
describe cook floor either result burn hill safe cat century consider law bit coast copy tall sand soil roll finger industry value fight lie meter beat view sense ear else quite case middle kill son lake scale loud spring observe child straight nation milk
Plus 10 Work Words: assemble truck distribution dock chute shower haul lunch switch
THE ENDLESS BELT
Jerry had described their job to them, in their language. The full job was to assemble boxes of slug bait for distribution on trucks that hauled them to many buyers, even as far as the coast. Now it was time to do it. Tim and Fabian placed themselves next to an endless belt with rollers under it. There were 12 sacks in a box. Tim filled the sacks and let them go down the moving belt to Fabian. Fabian then closed the sacks and put them in boxes.
"Can we take a break now?" said Fabian, lifting his mask after they had 12 sacks in one box.
"I'll consider it after you have 20 boxes on the dock," answered Jerry. Jerry was watching them work together for the first time.
"I'm just getting how to do this," said Tim, lifting his mask to talk and then putting it down quickly. He had only 10 seconds.
Tim's bit of the job was to take a sack, open it, and place it under the chute where the slug bait dust came straight down. They stored the dust in a large room above them. The belt moved 2 meters every 10 seconds. Also, every 10 seconds that the belt was running, the chute opened. It dropped just enough slug bait to fill the sack. Then the moving belt carried the full sack of slug bait along to Fabian, who closed the sacks and put them in boxes. At the same time, Tim had to beat the clock. He had only 10 more seconds to open another sack. Either he put the sack under the chute to catch the slug bait, or the result was dust over everything. They finished 20 boxes with 12 sacks in each box, and Jerry gave them a break.
"Now you know why we got this job," said Fabian to Tim, on their first break. "Nobody in this century wants to do this all day."
"I guess we do," said Tim. They were sitting outside on a tall hill of sand at the edge of the parking lot. There was a small lake of bad water behind them. A cat ran past.
"Look at all the dust on the floor in there. The air in there is not quite safe."
"Well we have masks and covers for everything. Jerry says that's a law for this industry." Tim and Fabian did not speak English with each other now. Their fathers had brought their sons to this nation just 2 years before.
"I value my life, and that dust could kill you. It kills slugs, doesn't it?" asked Fabian.
"But the slugs eat it. I mean we don't cook it with milk, do we? And Jerry said 'don't get it in your eyes or ears or anywhere else.'"
"He's crazy." Fabian began to lie back on the sand. He didn’t care about the soil on his back.
"Maybe," said Tim, "but that makes sense…so we can't fight it. OK…, " Tim was back up on his feet now. "This time you catch it in the sack."
Fabian thought it would be no problem to copy Tim. Tim showed him, without the belt moving, just in case. Fabian observed Tim and learned how to open the sack and catch all the dust from the chute.
"OK, I'm ready. Let's go," said Fabian. Tim's finger hit the power switch and the big belt started moving. Fabian put the sack right under the middle of the chute and the sack filled with slug bait. This time, Tim closed the sacks and put them into boxes.
They had almost 20 boxes filled. Then Jerry came with a scale to check the sacks. Fabian looked over at him. The belt kept moving. Tim saw it.
"Fabian! The sack!" Tim said loudly, though the mask.
Fabian reached for a sack. There were no more sacks ready. "The switch! Where's the switch! " said Fabian back to him.
Tim reached for the switch…too late. 10 seconds had passed. The chute spring opened. Down came the slug bait.
Fabian, looked up. His eyes like a child's, "OH…NO!"
Fabian had no open sack as the slug bait came out of the chute. It hit the belt very hard. Then the dust was everywhere, over everything. It was all over the front of Fabian and some even got on Tim.
Jerry was laughing. He had seen this kind of learning before. "Guess it's about time for a lunch break," Jerry said. "I've got other things to show you after that."
The two started to take off their masks.
"But first you have to take a shower." That sounded OK to Tim and Fabian.
"But before that," Jerry handed them each a broom, "you need to pick all this dust up."
They were pushing the brooms as he left the room.
"Did you see the crazy way he was laughing?" said Fabian.
