Question

    My father died when I was nine, and I remember doing the household chores to help my mother. I hated changing the vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器) bag and picking up things the machine did not suck up.

Twenty years later, in 1978, I was doing chores at home alongside my wife. One day the vacuum cleaner was screaming away, and I had to empty the bag because I could not find a replacement for it. With this lifelong hatred of the way the machine worked, I decided to make a bagless vacuum cleaner.

Easier said than done, of course. I didn’t realize that I would spend the next five years perfecting my design, a process that resulted in 5,127 different prototypes (设计原型). By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash, and we were getting further and further into debt. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem.

I just had a passion for the vacuum cleaner as a product, but I never thought of going into a business with it. In the early 1980s, I started trying to get licensing agreements for my technology. The reality was very different, however. The major vacuum makers had built a business model based on the profits from bags and filters (滤网). No one would license my idea, not because it was a bad one, but because it was bad for business.

That gave me the courage to keep going, but soon after, the companies that I had talked with started making machines like mine. I had to fight legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic to protect the patents on my vacuum cleaner. However, I was still in financial difficulties until 1993, when my bank manager personally persuaded Lloyds Bank to lend me $1 million. Then I was able to go into production. Within two years, the Dyson vacuum cleaner became a best-seller in Britain.

Today, I still embrace risk and the potential for failure as part of the process. Nothing beats the excitement of invention. Go out and brainstorm your ideas. You are not bound to any rules - in fact, the stranger and riskier your idea, the better.

1.According to the article, which of the following statements about the writer is NOT true?

A.He lost his father during his childhood and lived with his mother.

B.He built over five thousand prototypes of the vacuum cleaner between 1978 and 1983.

C.Finally, the vacuum cleaner he reinvented became popular with British customers.

D.He decided to develop an innovative vacuum cleaner for his wife while in his thirties.

2.According to the article, the writer’s bagless vacuum cleaner was produced in large numbers ______.

A.in the early 1980s

B.after his bank manager agreed to lend him $1 million

C.after he managed to get a $1 million loan

D.before he obtained a patent on the product

3.It can be inferred from the article that ______.

A.the writer was a born businessman

B.the writer had no confidence in his vacuum cleaner initially

C.the writer’s invention might have ended up in failure without his wife

D.the writer’s vacuum cleaner was never recognized by other vacuum makers

4.According to the article, which of the following would most likely be the writer’s motto?

A.Never be afraid of failure because failure is nothing but the first step to success.

B.The foundation stones for a success are honesty, faith, love and loyalty.

C.It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves.

D.If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.C

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。主要记叙了作者从小讨厌捡那些机器吸不进去的东西，于是后来发明了无袋吸尘器的经过。从最开始的多次尝试到后来成为英国最畅销的产品，作者认为永远不要害怕失败，没有什么比发明更令人激动的了。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中One day the vacuum cleaner was screaming away, and I had to empty the bag because I could not find a replacement for it. With this lifelong hatred of the way the machine worked, I decided to make a bagless vacuum cleaner.可知有一天，吸尘器不断发出尖叫声，我不得不清空袋子，因为我找不到替代品。带着对机器工作方式的终生仇恨，我决定做一个无袋吸尘器。由此可知，作者想开发无袋吸尘器并不是为了他妻子，而是因为讨厌这种机器的工作方式。故D选项“他决定在他三十多岁的时候为他的妻子开发一种创新的真空吸尘器”错误。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中However, I was still in financial difficulties until 1993, when my bank manager personally persuaded Lloyds Bank to lend me $1 million. Then I was able to go into production. Within two years, the Dyson vacuum cleaner became a best-seller in Britain.可知然而，直到1993年，我的财务仍然困难，我的银行经理亲自说服Lloyds银行借给我100万美元。然后我就可以投入生产了。两年之内，戴森真空吸尘器成为英国最畅销的产品。由此可知，在获得100万美元的贷款后，作者家的无袋吸尘器被大量生产出来。故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据第三段中By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash, and we were getting further and further into debt. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem.可知到了第2627个模型时，我和妻子开始精打细算。到第3727个模型时，甚至需要妻子去教授艺术课以贴补家用，即便如此还是负债累累。那段时间很艰难，但每次失败都让我离解决问题更近了一步。由此可推知，如果没有作者的妻子，作者的发明可能会以失败告终。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中Today, I still embrace risk and the potential for failure as part of the process. Nothing beats the excitement of invention.可知今天，我仍然接受风险和失败的可能性作为过程的一部分。没有什么比发明的激动更令人激动的了。由此可推知，A选项“永远不要害怕失败，因为失败只是成功的第一步” 最有可能是作者的座右铭。故选A。