16.The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves,but even their sense of humor has a limit,as the British retailer Gerald Ratner found out to his cost.
When Ratner took over his father's chain of 140jewelry shops in 1984,he introduced a very clear company policy.He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices.It was a great success.The Brithish public loved his cheap gold earrings and his tasteless silver decorations.By 1991,Ratner's company had 2,400 shops and it was worth over 680million pounds.But in April of that year,Gerald Ratner made a big mistake.At a bit meeting of top British business people,he suited up and explained the secret of his success-People say"How can we sell our goods for such a low price?".He say"Because they are absolute rubbish."His audience burst out laughing.But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused.People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops.
Sales fell and six months after his speech,Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%.The following year,things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign.By the end of 1992,he lost his company,his career and his house.Even worse,25,000of his employees had lost their jobs.It had been a very expensive joke.
28.What are the British noted for according to the passage?C
A.Their jewelry shops.
B.Their love for jewelry.
C.Their jokes about themselves.
D.Their harmless humor.
29.How did Ratner achieve success in his business?B
A.He cut down his labor cost.
B.He adopted an effective business model.
C.He employed a lot of new staff.
D.He developed great relations with business VIPs.
30.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word"insulted"?A
A.Offended.
B.Amazed.
C.Abused.
D.Attracted.
31.What does the story of Gerald Ratner suggest?D
A.Action speaks louder than words.
B.What goes around comes around.
C.A friend in need is a friend indeed.
D.A man may dig his grave with his teeth.
分析 本文主要讲述了商业家 Ratner 在生意非常好多额时候因为不恰当的言语而导致生意失败的故事.
解答 28.C 细节题.根据文章内容,The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves英国人因很会自嘲而享誉全球,这就是本文里提到英国人的原由.结合选项,故选C
29.B 细节题.根据文章内容,He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices.It was a great success.The Brithish public loved his cheap gold earrings and his tasteless silver decorations当他接手父亲的产业的时候,他决定要以最低的价格卖产品,而英国的公众似乎对此非常的感兴趣,因此他的商品大卖.由此推断,他采用拿了一个特别的有效的营销模式,结合选项,故选B
30.A 词义猜测题.根据文章内容,He say"Because they are absolute rubbish."His audience burst out laughing.But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused.People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops他在电视节目里说他的顾客都很愚蠢,观众大笑.但是报纸和公众并不觉得幽默.他的话让人们感到自己受到了侮辱,并因此远离他的商店,结合选项,故选A
31.D 推理题.根据文章内容,Sales fell and six months after his speech,Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%.The following year,things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign.By the end of 1992,he lost his company,his career and his house.Even worse,25,000of his employees had lost their jobs.It had been a very expensive joke.因为 Ratner 开了一个不恰当的玩笑,他的生意一落千丈,最终以破产告终,这是一个多么昂贵的笑话啊.由此推断,一个人会因口出狂言而自掘坟墓.故选D
点评 本文是一个人物故事类阅读理解,题目涉及多道细节理解题,做题时结合原文和题目有针对性的找出相关语句进行仔细分析,结合选项选出正确答案.推理判断题也是要在抓住关键句子的基础上合理的分析才能得出正确答案,切忌胡乱猜测,一定要做到有理有据.