A: How’s everything? B: I’m pretty busy these days, and you? A: So am I. My wife just gave birth, so there are lots of things to deal with.
B: I can imagine! Taking care of a new baby is hard, right?
A: Yes, I have to change diapers1 several times a day.
B: That’s an unpleasant job. How are you dealing with the smell?
A: I just hold my nose. But, I’m getting used to it now. And, I’m getting better at it, so I can do it faster. She poops a great deal, so she keeps me busy!
B: Great. Are you getting enough sleep?
A: Well, it’s a struggle. I had to get up twice in the middle of the night because my wife was out like a light and heard nothing. I care about her, so I let her sleep.
B: My wife sleeps like a log, too. How are you coping with the lack of sleep?
A: I’m managing. I deal with it by taking a nap3 when I get home and that helps. I managed to nap for an hour yesterday. That kept me fresh4.
B: Great. How about your older daughter? How is she coping with the new arrival?
A: Well, at first she was pretty miffed because she was always the centre of attention. But, she’s dealing with it fine. She sings songs for the baby now.
B: Great. How about your wife? It must be stressful for her, right? How is she doing?
A: She’s fine. Looking after a new baby is harder for her, because she has to feed the little brat. But, she’s handling the extra work and she does yoga to get rid of stress.
B: Good! So, you’re coping fine, that’s good to hear.
A: The problem is, with a new baby there are many expenses. Diapers cost a lot!
B: There’s a good deal on diapers at Charlie’s Drug Mart this week.
A: Thanks for the info5. And, the toilet broke because my older daughter tossed6 a dirty diaper down it. So, I have to see to that tonight.
B: Yes, there are always jobs to take care of when you have kids.
A: I’m glad you understand. So, can I borrow some money? S
1. I can imagine a. a naughty child, maybe spoilt
2. unpleasant b. sleep deeply
3. get used to c. to deal with a difficult situation or problem
4. a great deal d. something you must pay, in life
5. it’s a struggle e. fall asleep deeply, quickly
6. out like a light f. I understand your bad feeling when I hear it.
7. sleep like a log g. not nice (not a smooth life)
8. cope with h. It’s hard doing it. I must try hard.
9. lack of i. the state of not having enough of something
10. miffed j. pressure. Problems make you worry a lot, can’t relax.
11. stressful k. new situation is hard at first, later okay experience
12. brat l. a little angry or annoyed because I didn’t get what I want
13. handle m. do the small job, fix the problem
14. get rid of n. a good price
15. expense o. to take action so that you no longer have something unpleasant that you do not want
16. good deal p. It’s hard, but I can do (hard situation), don’t worry!
17. see to q. a lot
Usage Tips
1. 词组see to的意思是“处理（某事）”，但一般指应付小问题，完成起来并不费劲，如：see to the broken window；同义词组take care of和look after也具有同样的含义，它们还有“照看，照料，照顾”之意，即to keep it healthy and good，如：take care of the baby/ dog / car。
2. 有关manage、cope with和handle这三个同义词的区别和用法，请见下面的英文讲解：
* “Manage” is to be okay in a hard situation. Usually, you want to tell the person worried about you that you’re okay. “Manage to” is for any small thing that was hard but you did: I woke up late but managed to get to class on time.
* “Cope with” is to be okay in a very hard situation, like managing but less comfortable: So, you can cope with studying for three tests. But, sometimes“cope” is like “bear”, that is, to be patient in a hard time. So, you can cope with a bad smell, or pain. It also means to be okay in your mind with bad news, such as, to cope with losing your job.
* To “handle” a hard job means that you are strong enough: He’s good enough to handle a higher English class. You can also be strong enough in your mind to be okay with bad news: he can handle criticism. So, it’s more positive and successful than just coping, or managing.