新视野大学英语视听说教程 3 Unit 5-15

Task3: An office boy or a billionaire?
A jobless man applied¹ for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The human resource manger interviewed him, and gave him a test: clean the floor.
“You are engaged,” he said, “give me your email address, and I’ll send you the application form to fill and tell you when you will start.” The man replied, “I don’t have a computer or an email.”
“I’m sorry,” said the HR manager, “if you don’t have an email, that means you don’t exist. And whoever doesn’t exist can’t have the job!”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only 10 dollars in his pocket. He then decided² to go to the supermarket and buy a crate³ of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes in a door-to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded in doubling his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with 60 dollars. The man realizes that he could survive this way, and started to go out early and returned late every day.
Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. A little later, he bought a cart, then a trunk, then he has his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers⁴ in the United States. He started to plan his family’ future, and decided to buy life insurance. He called an insurance broker⁵, and chose a protection plan. Before the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him for his email address. The man replied,” I have no email.”
The broker replied,” You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded in building an empire! Can you imagine what you could have been you had an email.”
The man replied, “ An office boy at Microsoft!”

For Reference
1. “If you don’t have an email that means you don’t exist. And whoever doesn’t exist can’t have the job!”
2. He sold the tomatoes in a door-to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded in doubling his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with 60 dollars.
3. He bought a cart, then a trunk, then he has his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers in the United States.
4. He started to plan his family’ future, and decided to buy life insurance. He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan.
5. He thought that with an email , he would have become an office boy at Microsoft.

1 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 crate   

vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱

参考例句：

• We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。
• The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。

4 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

5 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。