Unit 2
Unit 2
Before Reading
Warm-up Questions..............................................................................................2
English Song — Money, Money, Money................................................................2
Who’s Who........................................................................................................... 3
A Debate …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Background Information……………………………………………………………………………………4
Global Reading
Part Division of the Text........................................................................................5
Further Understanding.........................................................................................5
Detailed Reading..........................................................................................................7
After Reading
Useful Expressions..............................................................................................16
Compound Dictation...........................................................................................16
Sentence Translation...........................................................................................17
Group discussion................................................................................................ 17
Writing Practice — Starting an essay with an anecdote.....................................18
Talk about the Pictures.......................................................................................18
Proverbs and Quotations....................................................................................18
Supplementary Reading
Culture Notes......................................................................................................20
Language Study...................................................................................................20
Comprehension Task...........................................................................................24
1
Before Reading
Ⅰ. Warm-up Questions
1. Do you think rich people must be happier than poor people? Why?
2. Watch the video clip “Money Can’t Buy Happiness”.
1) What cannot be bought according to the woman?
(=True love, the moon)
2) What can also happen to wealthy people?
(=Divorces, suicides and murders.)
3. Do you think a poor person can have a life full of riches? How?
4. How would you show your value if you were rich enough?
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All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It’s a rich man's world
Ⅲ. Who’s Who
Match the person with his name and identity.
Person
1 2 3 4 5
Name
A. Li Ka-Shing
B. Ingvar Kamprad
C. Samuel Moore Walton
D. Kushal Pal Singh
E. Warren Buffett
Identity
a. one of the most successful investors in the world, primary shareholder and CEO of Berkshire
Hathaway
b. Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) and Cheung Kong Holdings; the world’s
largest operator of container terminals and the world's largest health and beauty retailer
c. Chairman of the Board, DLF Universal Limited, India’s largest real estate developer
d. a Swedish entrepreneur; the founder of the home furnishing retail chain IKEA
e. an American businessman and entrepreneur; founder of the American retailer Wal-Mart
Ⅳ. A Debate
Who’s more important to the world?
VS
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Directions:
1. Before class, students are asked to collect relevant materials of participation in charity work by
Bill Gates or Mother Teresa.
2. In class, students form two camps to debate the following issue: Mother Teresa has no money,
but she took care of the poor in Calcutta until her death. Bill Gates gave a lot of money to
charity, but he seldom works in the “frontline” with the poor. Does the world need more love
like Mother Teresa’s or more money like Bill Gates’?
Ⅴ. Background Information
1. Salvation Army
☆ a Christian charity and social services organization
☆ founded by William Booth and his wife Catherine Booth in London in 1865
☆ got the name because of a popular saying that “The Christian Mission is a volunteer army.”
☆ Nearly 33 million Americans receive help from it annually
3. Wal-Mart
Founder Samuel Moore Walton (Sam Walton)
Founding time 1962
Characteristics The largest private employer and the largest grocery retailer in
the United States
Guiding philosophy of the To offer customers a wide selection of goods at a discounted
founder price
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Global Reading
Ⅰ. Part Division of the Text
Part Paragraph(s) Main Ideas
1 1~2 The writer’s encounter with a boy who raised the question “Are
you poor?”
2 3~12 In search of an answer the writer finds that not having expensive
possessions doesn’t make him feel poor mainly because he enjoys
life in many other ways.
3 13 In conclusion, the writer thinks he’s grown to understand more
about himself because of the boy’s question.
Ⅱ. Further Understanding
For Part 1
Table Completion
About the question the author was asked
Who asked the question? A boy.
What was the question? Are you poor?
What was the author’s reply? Well, I have more than some people, but not as
much as others.
What did the mother do after the question She scolded her son.
was asked?
For Part 2
Scan and Match
(略)
True or False
1. The author has taken just two vacation trips in the past 35 years. (F)
(=The author has taken just one vacation trips in the past 35 years.)
2. One of his main sources of enjoyment is to talk with many actor friends. (F)
(=One of his main sources of enjoyment is to talk with many interesting writer friends.)
3. The author feels quite natural about not being focused on material goods. (T)
4. Only a small part of people in the world would consider the author’s lifestyle to be affluent. (F)
(=Many people throughout the world would consider the author’s lifestyle to be affluent.)
5. The author has a sense of belonging as he put on the Salvation Army’s red apron. (T)
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4. What is something that the author feels deeply connected to?
(=People helping people.)
For Part 3
Blank Filling
1. The author has come to understand more about ________ (himself) because of the question
over the ________ (four) years from ________ (2003) to _________ (2007).
2. He is most thankful for his ________ (tangible) and _______ (intangible) good fortune.
Detailed Reading
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Ⅰ. Difficult Sentences
1. (LL. 1~2) It was early December 2003, my first season as a Salvation Army bell ringer, when I was
confronted with the question.
1. What does a Salvation Army bell ringer do?
(=To ring the bell and ask people to donate money to help the poor.)
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
(=首次面对这个问题,是在 2003 年 12 月初我第一次为救世军摇铃募捐的时候。)
2. (LL. 5~6) I can still see the confusion and curiosity in his eyes as he asked, “Are you poor?”
1. Why did the boy ask such a question?
(=Because he was confused and curious.)
2. How much did the boy know about the Salvation Army bell ringer?
(=Obviously he knew nothing about that.)
3. (LL. 7~8) “Well,” I stammered, trying to think, “I have more than some people, but not as
much as other.”
1. How did the author think of the question?
(=He thought it was difficult to answer.)
2. What does the author’s answer mean?
(=This means he is neither poor nor rich.)
4. (LL. 8~9) His mother scolded him for the social no-no ...
1. What is “social no-no”?
(=Something that is socially inappropriate.)
2. Why did the mother scold her son?
(=Because the author looked poor, the question was socially inappropriate to ask.)
5. (LL. 13~14) Yet I feel nothing more than a passing whim to attain the material things so many
other people have.
1. What do many other people have?
(=The material things.)
2. Please paraphrase this sentence.
(=However, I have only occasionally felt the urge to go after the material things so many
other people have.)
6. (LL. 19~20) And I love the “can do” attitude that follows.
1. What is the “can do” attitude?
(=That is self confidence.)
2. How do you understand this sentence?
(=And I love the feeling of self confidence brought by brisk exercises.)
7. (L. 31) Shortly after her visit, our relationship went straight south.
1. What was their relationship after her visit?
(=Their relationship went sour. That is to say, they were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend.)
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2. Why there was such a change in their relationship?
(=Because the girl actually paid much attention to material things although she claimed that
she was interested in what was on the inside, and after she went to the author’s apartment,
she found he was really poor.)
8. (LL. 35~38) There is a commercial on the radio that begins, “Everybody wants a high-end TV
…” The pressure to purchase is real. It may be true that everybody wants a high-end TV.
After all, nobody wants to be a nobody.
1. What is “a high-end TV”?
(=A TV that is expensive and of high quality.)
2. What can be inferred from this part about what role commercials can play in society?
(=Commercials can put people under pressure to purchase more than is really necessary.)
10. (LL. 50~51) Over the past four years, I’ve grown to understand more about myself because of
a single question from a curious child.
1. How has the boy’s question affected the author?
(=The boy’s question has helped him realize that, despite his lack of expensive
possessions, he is rich in many other ways and should be thankful for that.)
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
(=由于一个好奇的孩子提了一个简单问题,我在过去的四年中对自己的了解进了一步。)
Collocation:
a blood donation 献血
make/give a donation 捐赠
promise a donation 允诺捐助
Collocation:
covered with confusion 非常慌张
in confusion 乱七八糟,处于混乱状态
throw into confusion 使狼狈,使慌乱
Collocation:
from/out of curiosity 在好奇心驱使下
in open curiosity 公然出头过问与自己无关的事
Curiosity killed a cat. 好奇伤身。
5. (L. 7) stammer: v. speak with a tendency to repeat rapidly the same sound or syllable
* It’s cruel to make fun of people who stammer.
他结结巴巴地道了谢。
(=He stammered his thanks.)
7. (L. 10) fill out: add information such as your name and address in (a form or document)
* It took me quite a while to fill out the questionnaire.
请把附表填好。
(=Please fill out the attached blank.)
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8. (L. 11) fall into: belong to (a particular group of things that have similar qualities)
理事会成员们意见相左,分成自由和保守两个阵营
(=The council members disagreed, falling into liberal and conservative camps.)
* All whales fall into two groups, those with teeth and those without.
10. (L. 19) attain: vt. succeed in achieving, esp. after a lot of effort
我决心不惜任何代价达到目的。
(=I’m determined to attain my purpose at any cost.)
* She attained her ambition of becoming a pilot.
Collocation:
attain one’s goal 达到目的
attain the age of 有…岁了
attain the top of a moutain 到达山顶
11. (L. 16) minimal: adj. very small in size or amount; as small as possible
暴风雨只造成极轻微的损失。
(=The storm did only minimal damage.)
* The Ford CEO offered to work for a minimal salary of one dollar a year.
12. (L. 21) cherish: vt. love (sth./sb.) very much and protect them
(=Riding horses with my mother when I was a kid has become a cherished memory.)
* She cherished the child as though he were her own.
Collocation:
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cherish fond dreams of 做…的美梦
cherished desire 夙愿
cherish a deep love for 热爱…
13. (L. 21) fabricate: vt. make up (a story, a piece of information, etc.) in order to deceive people
* Have you ever lied a little, or fabricated a story about yourself, to impress someone you
meet the first time?
她缺席的借口显然是瞎编的。
(=The excuse for her absence was obviously fabricated.)
Pattern:
be vital to … 对…极为重要
16. (L. 25) well off: rich, or having enough money to live well
* The Communist Party of China will lead the Chinese people in building a well-off society.
如果他年轻时多努力一点,现在就能过得舒服些。
(=If he had worked harder when young, he would be well off now.)
18. (L. 26) pursuit: n. the act of looking for or trying to find
我们为追求幸福生活而努力工作。
(=We work hard in pursuit of happy life.)
* He exercises every day in pursuit of health.
Collocation:
daily pursuits 日常事务
educational pursuit 教育事业
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pursuit of profit 追逐利润
in one’s pursuit of happiness 追求幸福
19. (L. 26) out of place: feeling uncomfortable or not suitable in a particular situation
* Your jokes are out of place on such a solemn occasion.
在正式的舞会上,我感到局促不安,很不自在。
(=At the formal party I felt very awkward and out of place.)
Collocation:
as a consequence 因而,结果
in consequence 因此,结果
in consequence of …的结果,因为…的缘故,由于
of consequence 有势力的,重要的
take the consequences 自食其果,承担责任
(Directions:) Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the form where necessary.
1. The dilemmas that parents find themselves in today is a _______ of changes in society.
(=consequence)
2. I tried to persuade him, but with little or no ______. (=effect)
3. One of the ______ of this illness is that you lose your hair. (=effects)
4. It represents the ______ of ten years’ labor. (=result)
5. The high level of unemployment has produced harmful social ______. (=consequences)
23. (L. 39) focus: v. concentrate (one’s attention, etc.) on (sth.); concentrate (on sth.)
(=You should focus your attention on your work.)
* The only way to attain your goals is to stay focused and work hard.
24. (L. 41) affluent: adj. rich enough to buy things for pleasure
自然资源丰富的土地
(=land affluent in natural resources)
* In an affluent society people can afford to strike a balance between work and life.
(Directions:) Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the form where necessary.
1. It is _______ that the earth is round. (=true)
2. Is this a ______ Ming vase? (=genuine)
3. This is a story of ______ life. (=real)
4. A mirage is not a ______ object. (=real)
5. ______ silver (=genuine)
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(Directions:) Choose the appropriate translation for the expression “go through” in the following
sentences.
A. 检查、审查、搜查
B. 完成、做完
C. 遭受、经历
D. 看完
29. (L. 52) tangible: adj. that can be clearly seen to exist; that you can touch and feel
* Tangible assets refer to those assets that have a physical form, such as machinery,
buildings and land.
(=Sculpture is a tangible art form.)
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N.B.: 该词的反义词为 intangible。
After Reading
Ⅰ. Useful Expressions
1. 面临,遭遇 be confronted with
2. 仰头向上看 look up at
3. 填写 fill out
4. 属于 fall into
5. 仅仅,不多于,不强于 nothing more than
6. 转瞬即逝的念头 a passing whim
7. 磨损,损耗 wear and tear
8. 虽然,尽管 in spite of
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9. 期望,盼望 look forward to
10. 富裕的,有钱的 well off
11. 不自在,格格不入 out of place
12. 陈旧的家具 dated furniture
13. …之后不久 shortly after
14. 走下坡路,失败 go south
15. 转折点 a turning point
16. 与…形成对比 in contrast to
17. 对…予以注意,致力于 focus on
18. 归属感 a sense of belonging
19. 遭遇困难 go through a rough time
20. 久不消逝的微笑 a lingering smile
21. 为…感恩 be thankful for
22. 收入最低的档次 the lowest income bracket
23. 创作才能 the gift of creativity
24. 对物质财富的追求 the pursuit of possessions
Ⅱ. Compound Dictation
(Directions:) You will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you
should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are
required to fill in the blanks numbered from 1 to 7 with the exact words you have just heard. For
the blanks numbered from 8 to 10, you are required to fill in the missing information. You can
either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words.
Finally when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
He’s the most ___1___ (famous) businessman in the world. Many ___2___ (pages) have been
written about how he has dominated the revolution in personal ___3___ (computing). But we
know little about him as a person. Here’s a ___4___ (familiar) anecdote which may show his
personality: when Bill Gates was in the ___5___ (sixth) grade, his parents decided that he
needed some kind of help. He was at war with his mother Mary, an extrovert woman who
believed that he should do what she told him. She would call him to ___6___ (dinner) from his
bedroom, which she had given up trying to make him clean, but he wouldn’t ___7___ (respond).
“What are you doing?” she once asked him. “I'm thinking,” Bill answered. “You're thinking?”
“Yes, Mom, I’m thinking,” he said aggressively. “Have you tried thinking?” Finally, his parents
decided to ___________8____________ (send him to a psychologist). The psychologist
concluded that Bill was extremely intelligent. __________________9______________ (After a
one year session and a large amount of tests), the psychologist told Bill’s parents: “You’re going
to lose. You had better adjust to it because there’s no use trying to punish him. It’s useless to try
to compete with him.” ______________________10______________________ (A lot of
computer companies have concluded the same).
Ⅲ. Sentence Translation
1. The pressure to purchase is real. It may be true that everybody wants a high-end TV. After all,
nobody wants to be a nobody.
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(=购买这种电视机的压力千真万确。也许每个人真的都想要一台高档电视机,毕竟没有人想做一个无名之辈。)
2. I was standing just outside the doorway of a Wal-Mart, offering a “thank you” and a smile to
each person who dropped a donation into my red kettle.
(=当时我就站在沃尔玛商场入口处门外,对每一位向我的红壶里投入捐款的人都报以一声“谢谢”和一个微笑。)
3. My 1999 car shows the wear and tear of 105, 000 miles. But it is still dependable.
(=我的汽车是 1999 年的产品,到现在开了十万五千英里,已经很破很旧了,但是它依然可靠。)
4. But there is one vital area of my life where I am not so well off. In a society that spends so
much emotional energy on the pursuit of possessions, I feel out of place.
(=但是在我生活中,有一个重要方面我并不那么富有。在一个对物资财富的追求投入如此之多心力的社会中,我觉得很不自在。)
5. 然而,想要得到其他那么多人都有的物质的东西, 对我来说,只不过是转瞬即逝的念头而已。
(=Yet I feel nothing more than a passing whim to attain the material things so many other
people have.)
6. 五十三年来我一直非常健康。我不但不生病,而且精力充沛,情绪饱满。
(=I’ve enjoyed exceptionally good health for 53 years. It's not just that I've been illness-free, it's
that I feel vigorous and spirited.)
7. 当我写出美丽的诗句,或编造出能把人逗乐的笑话,我内心感到很富有。通过写作而获得的洞察力,不断地令我惊奇。
(=When I write a beautiful line of poetry, or fabricate a joke that tickles someone, I feel rich
inside. I'm continually surprised at the insights that come through my writing process.)
8. 她对我说,对她而言,最重要的是“一个人的内心”。我以为我找到了非同一般的生活伴侣。
(=What was most important to her, she told me, was "what's on the inside." I thought I had
found someone special to share my life with.)
Ⅳ. Group discussion
Imagine that you and three friends in your class have, as a group, just won RMB 1, 000 000 in a
lottery. You have decided to have a meeting to help and advise each other on how best to share
and use the money. Make a plan of how you personally think the money should be used. It could
include:
Immediate personal needs
Help for family and friends
Ideas for investment
Extravagances and luxuries
Donations to charity
Meet with the other three. Compare plans and try to reach some agreement.
Using a short anecdote is another way to start your essay. If you have a relevant anecdote ready,
using it in the introduction will make your essay more interesting and attract the attention of
your reader. Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point and relevant to your topic.
2. An Example
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Sarah Johnson remembers coming across her first auction twenty years ago, while out for a
weekend drive in the country. She pulled into a crowded dirt lot and wandered into the crowd.
There was a mouth-watering smell of barbecued pork and fried dough, set to the background
music of the auctioneer’s sing-song chanting. Hours later, she came back to her car, lugging a
chest full of vintage fabrics and a life-long love of auctions. “It’s an addiction,” says Sarah, a high
school teacher, and one of a growing number of auction devotees. (This anecdote, which is not
necessarily about a real person, is the introduction to an article about auctions.)
Suggested Writing:
I know that many of you think the homeless are a lost cause and that they are lazy, good for
nothings. Well, of course, that might be true for some of them, but let me tell you about Dave. I
went to school with Dave for three years until Grade 6. It was just before our exams when Dave’s
mum and dad hit problems! From then on, Dave’s life began to fall apart. He just wasn’t able to
cope. By the time he was eighteen, when I was sitting for my college entrance examination, Dave
was on the streets ...
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Supplementary Reading
Ⅰ. Culture Notes
1. Rolls-Royce
☆ any of the large, expensive, comfortable cars made by the British company Rolls-Royce
☆ The company was formed in 1905-1906 by Charles Rolls (1877-1910) and Henry Royce (1863-
1933).
☆ Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was sold to Volkswagen in 1998.
2. dime store
It’s a store offering a wide assortment of inexpensive items, formerly costing five or ten cents, for
personal and household use.
Ⅱ. Language Study
1. (para. 2) discount: n. amount of money which may be taken off the full price
* Traditional retailers who’ve opened cyber-stores may offer special discounts to online
shoppers.
尽管网上书店常有折扣,但不要期望能省多少。
(=Although online bookstores usually offer discounts, don't expect to save much.)
2. (para. 5) folk: n. people in general (You can refer to people as folk or folks.)
* These are the folks from the local TV station.
他们结了婚,有了孩子,像其他人一样生活。
(=They got married and had kids and lived like other folks.)
3. (para. 5) get away with: do sth. wrong or risky without being caught or punished (In the text, it
means “do sth. without experiencing any problems or difficulties”)
* They claimed that they knew how to play the system and get away with it.
艾力克偷税漏税好些年,都没碰到麻烦。
(=Eric has been getting away with tax fraud for years.)
4. (para. 5) Only in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks and get away with it.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=Only in America can a very rich person live like ordinary people without experiencing any
problems.)
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6. (para. 6) corporate: adj. relating to large companies
* The two companies decided to merge to take advantage of similarities in their corporate
cultures.
谷歌公司总部位于加州的山景城。
(=The corporate headquarters of Google Inc. is located in Mountain View, California.)
9. (para. 7) By all accounts, he’s friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in,
never flashy, never throwing his weight around.
Translate the sentence.
(=人人都说他为人友善,性情开朗,是个好邻居;他尽力与人们融洽相处,从不炫耀,也不盛气凌人。)
10. (para. 12) But one recent morning, The Richest Man in America did something that would
have made headlines anywhere in the world: He forgot his money.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=But one recent morning, The Richest Man in America did something to people’s surprise that
would appear as a piece of news: He forgot his money.)
11. (para. 14) But just how long Walton can hold firm to his folksy habits with celebrity hunters
keeping following him wherever he goes is anyone’s guess.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=然而,沃尔顿所到之处专门报道名人的记者紧跟不舍,他的平民习惯能保持多久,就很难说了。)
12. (para. 14) on the run: trying hard to hide or escape from sb.
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* Princess Diana died while on the run from paparazzi.
他在逃避警方的追捕。
(=He is on the run from the police.)
13. (para. 15) rank: v. put (sb./sth.) into a position according to their size, importance, etc.
* Jim was so sure of himself that he only applied to those universities ranked in the top 10
on the annual U.S. News & World Report issue on “America's Best Colleges.”
搜索引擎按相关度对搜索结果进行排名,最先展现的是最相关的记录。
(=This search engine ranks search results in order of relevance, showing you the most
relevant records first.)
18. (para. 17) loyalty: n. the quality of staying firm in your friendship or support for sb. / sth.; a
strong feeling that one wants to be faithful to sb./sth. (followed by to)
* My father is a soccer fan. His loyalty to the local team has taken him all over the country
to see them play.
一旦拿定了主意,李将军就没有动摇过对南方的忠诚。
(=Once his mind was made up, General Lee never changed his loyalty to the
South.)
19. (para. 18) One tennis guest managed to put him off this game by asking why a can of balls
cost more in one Wal-Mart than another. It turned out to be untrue, but the move
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worked. Walton lost four straight games.
Translate the sentence.
(=一位来打网球的客人为了分散他打球的注意力,故意问了句为什么一筒球在一家沃尔玛店卖得比别的沃尔玛店贵。此话并非实情,但这一招真管
用。沃尔顿连输四局。)
21. (para. 19) reward: vt. give sth. to (sb.) in return for work or services (used in the pattern:
reward sb. for sth. with sth.)
* The officer is to be rewarded for his efforts with promotion to the rank of inspector.
如果你期末考试考得好,我奖励你一趟香港游。
(=If you do well in the final exams, I will reward you with a trip to Hong Kong.)
24. (para. 22) come into contact (with): communicate with; touch
* The young Muslim came into contact with a terrorist group in Leeds some years ago.
你什么时候初次接触到哈罗·品特?
(=When was the first time you came into contact with Harold Pinter?)
Ⅲ. Comprehension Task
1. Listening Comprehension(
1) What were employees offered at Wal-Mart stores?
(=They were offered stock options and store discounts.)
2) What did Sam Walton believe?
(=He believed that “individuals don’t win, teams do”.)
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3) How many chain stores of Wal-Mart were there by 1991?
(=There were 1,700 stores then.)
4) What plan did Walton introduce to his company in 1970s?
(=The “profit sharing plan”.)
2. Pair Work
Suppose you were interviewed by the local newspaper as a senior clerk working with Wal-Mart.
You were sharing some anecdotes of Sam Walton with the reporter. You may choose to talk about
two of the following stories and the words and expressions are for your reference. Just exchange
your roles after the interview.
A. church service
B. hair cutting
C. pep rally
D. a tennis guest’s question
E. relief fund and rewarding mechanism
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