There is a workman in Britain who earns as much as a company director.He is Max Quarterman,36 thirty-year-old plasterer(泥瓦匠).
Max lives in an upper middle-class housing area.His 37 are mostly bank managers,airline pilots and the like,but Max's seven-bedroom house- 38 $80 000 -is the largest in the area.39 outside the house are Max's $7 000 sports car and his wife's Morris Mini.40 is a splendid colour TV set and the family's 41 -a circular bath with gold-plated taps.There are also many labour-saving devices(装置)and beautiful and expensive 42 .
How can a plasterer 43 all this The answer,says Max,is 44 .In partnership with another plasterer,Max does contract(合同)plastering jobs for a firm.The owner of the firm 45 them as human machines,the best and quickest in the 46 ,who can do as much in two days as 47 two-man team can in two weeks.
How do they 48 it Not by working overtime,they work a 49 eight-hour day,five days a week.The secret 50 in Max's hod(桶)in which he carries the plaster to the site of the 51 .Max's has a super-hod—it contains double the usual quantity of plaster,and Max,a strong fellow,runs when he carries it.More time is thus 52 to get on with the plastering.Besides,53 man wastes time smoking,and they 54 their lunch break to a total of an hour a day.Now Max earns over $800 a 55 which is four times the average weekly pay in Britain today,and if he gets as little as $400,it's a disaster.
36.A.the B.one C.a D.that
37.A.friends B.neighbours
C.relatives D.guests
38.A.worthy B.spending C.taking D.worth
39.A.Kept B.Lain C.Parked D.Stayed
40.A.Indoors B.Outdoors C.Nearby D.Above
41.A.property B.honour C.work D.pride
42.A.diamonds B.furniture C.clothes D.materials
43.A.buy B.use C.afford D.provide
44.A.good luck B.small change C.strong wish D.hard work
45.A.discovers B.takes C.compares D.describes
46.A.trade B.chance C.favour D.walk
47.A.no B.few C.any D.all
48.A.manage B.get C.do D.finish
49.A.busy B.long C.full D.normal
50.A.results B.lies C.hides D.falls
51.A.building B.firm C.place D.job
52.A.left B.needed C.spent D.kept
53.A.both B.either C.neither D.each
54.A.have B.cut C.miss D.attend
55.A.week B.day C.month D.year