Question

Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, was born in Kingfish, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. He was raised in Missouri where he worked in his father’s store while attending school. This was his first retailing (零售業) experience and he really enjoyed it. After graduation, he began his own career as a retail merchant.

He soon opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart specialized in name brands at low prices and Sam Walton was surprised at the success. Soon a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America.

Walton's management style was popular with employees and he founded some of the basic concepts of management that are still in use today.

After taking the company public in 1970, Walton introduced his “profit sharing plan”. The profit sharing plan was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to improve their income dependent on the profits of the store. Sam Walton believed that “individuals don't win, teams do”. Employees at Wal-Mart stores were offered stock options (認股權) and store discounts. These benefits are commonplace today, but Walton was among the first to implement (實現) them. Walton believed that a happy employee meant happy customers and more sales. He also believed that by giving employees a part of the company and making their success dependent on the company’s success, they would care about the company.

By the 1980s, Wal-Mart had sales of over one billion dollars and over three hundred stores across North America. Wal-Mart’s unique decentralized (分散的) distribution system, also Walton’s idea, created the edge needed to further encourage growth in the 1980s during growing complaints that the “superstore” was stopping smaller and traditional stores from developing. By 1991, Wal-Mart was the largest US retailer with 1,700 stores. Walton remained active in managing the company, as president and CEO until 1988 and chairman until his death. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death.

1.Sam Walton first made a hit in retailing when __________.

A. he worked in his father’s store

B. he created Walton's management style

C. a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America

D. he specialized in name brands at low prices

2.What is the purpose of Walton’s carrying out “profit sharing plan”?

A. To make sure all the employees had their own shares.

B. To encourage the employees to work hard and make joint efforts.

C. To select excellent employees for his stores.

D. To make more profit for himself.

3.Which of the statements is TRUE?

A. With Walton’s management style, employees treated the stores as their own.

B. Walton wasn’t one of the merchants who first implemented stock options.

C. The smaller and traditional stores were well affected by Walton’s stores.

D. In his old age, Walton gave all the management to his men.

4.What does the underlined word “edge” in the last paragraph mean here?

A. Danger. B. Disadvantage.

C. Advantage. D. System.

Answer 1

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.C

【解析】

試題分析：本文主要介紹了沃爾瑪的創始人Sam Walton創辦沃爾瑪并將它發展為美國最大零售商的事跡。1. specialized in name brands at low prices and Sam Walton was surprised at the success.可以看出，沃爾瑪早期從事名牌商品低價售出，獲得了驚人的成功。故選D。

2. profit sharing plan was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to improve their income dependent on the profits of the store.可以看出這個計劃是為了在提高整個商店的利潤的基礎上提高員工的收入。即鼓勵員工共同努力工作，故選B。

3.

4. the edge needed to further encourage growth句意為“……為沃爾瑪的長遠發展創造了優勢”，答案為C。

考點：考查人物傳記類閱讀