Background information 

This is an article by an Education Correspondent, Alexandra Blair, published in September 2008 in The Times, a long-established British quality newspaper. In Europe generally, and in Britain in particular, there has been for a number of years a rising number of students going to university and therefore more new graduates seeking employment. However, for many graduates finding a job became harder in 2008—2009 because the economic downturn — then a recession — meant that many employers were reducing their workforce.

After their final exams, some students took a break over the summer before looking for jobs, only to find that it was difficult to find employment in their field or at the level they wanted. The passage addresses the problems of such new graduates who might be stuck at home and advises their parents to be there for their children (ie to be available if their children want to talk about the problem or if they need help). 

The passage recommends finding work in a bar or supermarket rather than sitting at home unemployed since this is more likely to lead to better employment later on. The style is partly that of a report, but also of a humorous comment for light entertainment (seen in the jokey language and advice to parents). 

Cultural background 

1. Middlesex          a former county of southeast England, situated to the north west of London. In 1965 it was divided between Hertfordshire, Surrey, and Greater London.  米德尔塞克斯郡（英国英格兰原郡名）

2. Nottingham        英国诺丁汉大学

The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is considered among the top ten leading universities in the UK, and has been described by The Times as “the nearest Britain has to a truly global university” and “a prime alternative to Oxbridge”.

3. Gael Lindenfield      盖尔·林登费尔德（英国作家兼心理治疗学家）

Gael Lindenfield is a psychotherapist and the UK’s leading confidence and self-help expert, a specialist in improving self confidence, assertive communication, anger management and emotional healing.

She is also the internationally best selling author of 21 ground-breaking books, which have been translated into 33 languages.

4. Whoopi Goldberg      乌比·戈德堡（美国女演员） 

Whoopi Goldberg (1955— ) is an Oscar-winning American actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, and talk show host.

Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her first Golden Globe Award for her role in the film. In 1990, she starred as Oda Mae Brown, a psychic helping a slain man find his killer in the blockbuster film Ghost. This performance won her a second Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.  

5. Bruce Willis            布鲁斯·威利斯（美国男演员）

Bruce Willis (1955— ) is an American actor, producer and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard series, which were mostly critical and uniformly financial successes. He has also appeared in over 60 films, including box office successes like Pulp Fiction, Sin City, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and The Sixth Sense.

6. Brad Pitt       布拉德·皮特（美国男演员）

Brad Pitt (1963— ) is an American actor and film producer, whose films include Troy, Mr and Mrs Smith and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media attention.

7. El Pollo Loco       （美国连锁餐馆名）

El Pollo Loco is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Mexican grilled chicken, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. “El Pollo Loco” is Spanish for “The Crazy Chicken”.

Their main dish is pollo asado, a grilled marinated chicken. Over time, the chain has expanded into burritos and salads, and serves items that compete with Taco Bell, Del Taco and other Mexican-style restaurants.