“It’s the best…uhh…What? You don’t want it?...,”the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed.
“Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don’t put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology,” Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father’s criticism.
“You’ve been in this shop for six months and you haven’t succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll give you another three more weeks. If you still can’t make one sale, I’ll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I’ll just give you one last chance to prove yourself,” said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin.
Andrew’s heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father.
It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him,“ Sort it out yourself. It’s gotta come from yourself.” he said.
The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:‘ How to increase your confidence,’‘ The art of communication,’‘How to sell well’amongst others.
The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising.
【小题1】
We learn from the story that at the beginning Andrew’s father_________.

完形填空

　Charile Yates was seventeen years old, and although he had left school, he still lived with his parents．Charlie was still 　　　1 　a child and he had many 　　　2 　habits．He did not wash his hair very often, 　3 　he shaved once a week, and he could not bear 　　　4 　shoes, so his feet were nearly always 　　　5 　　　．

　His father did not see him very 　　 　　　6 　, because he worked quite a long way 　　 　　　7 　home and usually left the house very early, 　8 　Charlie got up; and when he got home in the evenings, Charlie was usually somewhere else, 　　 　　　9 　himself with a few of his friends．Also, Charlie's father often had to go abroad 　　 　　　10 　business．

　But Mr Yates sometimes saw his son at weekends, and then he was always angry 　11 　him．He used to say to him:“Why ever don't you shave every day? Who ever would 　12 　you a job with your dirty hair? Where ever are your shoes?”and so on．

　“But father,”Charlie said, “I don't 　　　13 　about those things．All my friends are like me now, and if I changed, I wouldn't be 　　　14 　with them any more．”On Saturday morning, while Charlie and his father were having their usual argument, his father said to him, “You 　15 　be ashamed to live like that．I grew up quite 　　　16 　　 　．When I was seventeen, my father never let me do any of the things that you do all the 　　　17 　, I was not permitted to stay out 　18 　three o'clock in the morning, and come down to breakfast at 10, and walk about the house with dirty feet, and 　　　19 　a beard, and wear gold chains, and behave like a ...”

　He went on and on until Charlie said kindly, “Poor father, my grandfather died before I was born, so I never met him, but he must have been a 　　　20 　old gentleman．”

　“Not at all!”Mr Yates said angrily, “I think I had a much nicer father than you'll ever have!”