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AftergraduatingfromcollegeIworkedasasalesmanforapianocompany.Weadvertisedourpianosinsmalltownnewspapersandthenwhenwehadreceivedmanyreplieswewouldloadourlittletrucksanddriveintotheareaandsellthepianostothosewhohadreplied.Everytimeweadvertisedwewouldreceiveareplyonapostcardwhichsaid“Pleasebringmeanewpianoformylittlegranddaughter.Itmustberedmahogany红木.Icanpay$10amonthwithmyeggmoney.^^Ofcoursewecouldnotsellanewpianofor$10amonth.Nofinancecompanywouldcarryacontractwithpaymentsthatsmallsowcignoredherpostcards.OnedayhoweverIhappenedtobeinthatareacallingonotherrepliesandoutofcuriosityIdecidedtolooktheoldladyup.IfoundprettymuchwhatIexpected:Theoldladylivedinaone-roomcabininthemiddleofacottonfield.Thecabinhadadirtfloorandtherewerechickensinthehouse.Obviouslytheoldladycouldnothavequalifiedtopurchaseanythingoncredit-nocarnophonenorealjobnothingbutaroofoverherheadandnotaverygoodoneatthat.Icouldseedaylightthroughitinseveralplaces.Herlittlegranddaughterwasabout1barefootandwearingafeedsack麻布袋dress.Iexplainedtotheoldladythatwecouldnotsellanewpianofor$10amonthandthatsheshouldstopwritingtouseverytimeshesawourad.Idroveawayheartsickbutmyadvicehadnoeffect—shestillsentusthesamepostcardeverysixweeks.Alwayswantinganewpianoredmahoganypleaseandswearingshewouldnevermissa$10payment.Itwassad.SeveralyearslaterIownedmyownpianocompanyandwhenIadvertisedinthatareathepostcardsstartedcomingtome.FormonthsIignoredthem一whatelsecouldIdo【阅读理解•训练部分】WhatisthemainmessageofthepassageAdvertisingpianosisdifficultinsmalltowns.Theoldladywaspersistentinherdesireforapiano.Thesalesmancouldnotsellpianosfor$10amonth.Theoldladyslivingconditionswerepoor.Answer:BExplanation:Thepassagefocusesontheoldladyspersistenceinherdesireforapianodespitethesalesmansexplanationthatitwasnotpossible.WhydidthesalesmanignoretheoldladyspostcardsHedidnotthinkshewasseriousaboutbuyingapiano.Hedidnotwanttowastehistimevisitingher.Thefinancecompanywouldnotapproveherforcredit.Hecouldnotsellanewpianofor$10amonth.Answer:DExplanation:Thesalesmanignoredtheoldladyspostcardsbecauseheknewhecouldnotsellanewpianofor$10amonth.Whydidtheoldladyliveinaone-roomcabinShedidnothaveenoughmoneytoliveinalargerhouse.Shepreferredthesimplelifeoflivinginacabin.Sheenjoyedlivinginthemiddleofacottonfield.Herlivingconditionswerepoorduetofinancialdifficulties.Answer:DExplanation:Thepassagestatesthattheoldladylivedinaone-roomcabininthemiddleofacottonfieldbecauseshecouldnotqualifytopurchaseanythingoncreditandhadnothingbutaroofoverherhead.WhatdidthesalesmanfindwhenhevisitedtheoldladyTheoldladyhadajobandacar.Theoldladylivedinamansion.Theoldladyslivingconditionswerepoor.Theoldladydidnotwantapianoanymore.Answer:CExplanation:Thesalesmanfoundthattheoldladylivedinaone-roomcabininthemiddleofacottonfieldwithpoorlivingconditions.WhatdidtheoldladywantinapianoIthadtobemadeofredmahogany.Ithadtobenew.Ithadtobesmallenoughtofitinhercabin.Ithadtobeaffordable.Answer:AExplanation:Theoldladyspostcardsalwaysrequestedanewpianomadeofredmahogany.WhydidtheoldladysendpostcardseverysixweeksShewantedtoannoythesalesman.Shewantedanewpiano.Shewantedtokeepintouchwiththesalesman.Shewantedtonegotiateabetterdeal.Answer:BExplanation:Theoldladysentpostcardseverysixweeksbecauseshewantedanewpianodespitethesalesmansexplanationthatitwasnotpossibletosellonefor$10amonth.WhatdidthesalesmandowhenhereceivedtheoldladyspostcardsagainyearslaterHevisitedtheoldladyandsoldherapiano.Heignoredthepostcards.Hecalledtheoldladytodiscussherrequest.Hewrotebacktotheoldladyexplainingthesituation.Answer:BExplanation:Thepassagestatesthatthesalesmanignoredthepostcardswhenhereceivedthemyearslater.HumorousSympatheticCriticalSarcasticAnswer:BExplanation:Thepassagehasasympathetictonetowardstheoldladyandherpersistenceinwantinganewpianodespiteherdifficultlivingconditions.【问答题难度较高】WhydidthesalesmanignoretheoldladyspostcardsaskingforanewredmahoganypianoAnswer:Thesalesmanignoredtheoldladyspostcardsaskingforanewredmahoganypianobecausethepaymentssheofferedwereonly$10amonthwhichwastoosmallforanyfinancecompanytocarryacontracton.WhatdidthesalesmanfindwhenhelookeduptheoldladywhokeptsendingpostcardsaskingforanewpianoAnswer:Whenthesalesmanlookeduptheoldladywhokeptsendingpostcardsaskingforanewpianohefoundthatshelivedinaone-roomcabininthemiddleofacottonfieldwithadirtfloorandchickensinside.Shehadnocarnophoneandnorealjobandonlyhadaroofoverherhead.Whydidtheoldladykeepsendingpostcardsaskingforanewpianoeventhoughsheknewthesalesmancouldnotsellonetoherfor$10amonthAnswer:Theoldladykeptsendingpostcardsaskingforanewpianoeventhoughsheknewthesalesmancouldnotsellonetoherfor$10amonthbecauseshereallywantedoneforherlittlegranddaughterandwasdeterminedtomakethepaymentseveniftheyweresmall.WhatwasthesalesmansreactionwhenhestartedreceivingpostcardsfromtheoldladyagainseveralyearslaterAnswer:Whenthesalesmanstartedreceivingpostcardsfromtheoldladyagainseveralyearslaterheignoredthemformonthsbecausehedidnotknowwhatelsehecoulddo.WhatlessoncanbelearnedfromthestoryoftheoldladywhokeptsendingpostcardsaskingforanewpianoAnswer:Thestoryoftheoldladywhokeptsendingpostcardsaskingforanewpianoteachesusthatpeoplecanhavestrongdesiresanddrcamseveniftheyseemimpossibletoachieve.Italsoshowstheimportanceofempathyandunderstandinginbusinessdealingsaswellastheimportanceofperseveranceanddeterminationinachievingonesgoals.【文章翻译】大学毕业后，我在一家钢琴公司做推销员我们在小镇的报纸上为钢琴做广告然后，当我们收到很多回复时，我们就把我们的小卡车装上，开进那个地区，把钢琴卖给那些回复我们的人每次做广告，我们都会收到一张明信片上的回复上面写着“请给我的小孙女送一架新钢琴一定是红木的我可以用卖鸡蛋的钱每月支付10美元”当然，我们不可能以每月10美元的价格出售一架新钢琴没有一家金融公司会接受这么小的付款合同，所以我们没有理睬她的明信片然而，有一天，我碰巧在那个地区寻找其他人的回复，出于好奇，我决定去看看这位老太太我的发现和我预料的差不多:这位老太太住在棉花田中央的一间只有一个房间的小木屋里小屋的地板是土的，房子里有鸡显然，这位老妇人不可能有资格用信用卡购买任何东西一一没有车，没有电话，没有真正的工作，除了一个不太好的屋顶以外，什么都没有我可以透过它看到好儿个地方的日光她的小孙女大约1岁，光着脚，穿着一件饲料袋连衣裙我向那位老太太解释说，我们不能以每月10美元的价格出售一架新钢琴，她不应该每次看到我们的广告就给我们写信我伤心地开车离开了，但我的建议没有奏效一一她仍然每六个星期给我们寄一张同样的明信片总是想要一架新钢琴，要红木的，还发誓永远不会错过10美元的付款这是悲伤的儿年后，我拥有了自己的钢琴公司，当我在那个地区做广告时，我开始收到明信片几个月来，我一直无视他们一一我还能做什么呢？。
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