自考综合英语2-12.doc

Lesson Twelve Selling the Post (II) Russell Baker 　　小男孩第一天的推销失败了，母亲面授技巧也无济于事。妹妹却颇具乃母风范，推销极为成功。三年过去了，母亲终于认识到此子无缘跻身于商界，开始为他寻找其他成功之路。一天她终于发现了他的写作天赋。 　 1 We lived in Belleville, New Jersey, a commuter town at the northern fringe of Newark. It was 1932, the bleakest year of the Depression. My father had died two years before, leaving us with a few pieces of Sears, Roebuck furniture and not much else, and my mother had taken my sister, Doris, and me to live with one of her younger brothers. This was my Uncle Allen. Uncle Allen had made something of himself by 1932. As salesman for a soft-drink bottler, he had an income of $ 30 a week; wore pearl-gray spats, detachable collars, and a three-piece suit; was happily married; and took in threadbare relatives. 　 2 With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. Thats where the people were. There were two filling stations at the intersection with Union Avenue, as well as an A P, a street fruit stall, a bakery, a barber shop, a drugstore, and a diner shaped like a railroad car. For several hours I made myself highly visible, shifting position now and then from corner to corner, from shop window to shop window, to make sure everyone could see the heavy black lettering on the bag that said the Saturday Evening Post. When the angle of the light indicated it was suppertime, I walked back to the house. 　　3 How many did you sell, Buddy? my mother asked. 　　4 None. 　　5 Where did you go? 　　6 The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues. 　　7 What did you do? 　　8 Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post. 　　9 You just stood there? 　　10 Didnt sell a single one. 　　11 For Gods sake, Russell! 　　12 Uncle Allen intervened. Ive been thinking about it for some time, he said, and Ive about decided to take the Post regularly. Put me down as a regular customer. I handed him a magazine and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned. 　　13 Afterwards my mother instructed me in salesmanship. I