When Frank Woolworth was a young man, apprenticeship was still in existence, particularly in the eastern part of the United States. A boy was taken into a business to learn a trade, or to learn how to conduct the business. He was considered to be worth very little to the owner during his learning period. Sometimes, the apprentice would be given his board and a room. The businessman felt that he was doing something worthwhile for the young man he took as an apprentice. He reasoned that it was like sending the young man to a school and paying his tuition.

Woolworth managed to take a short commercial course which he knew he needed to become a merchant. At first, he was given a small wage of three dollars and fifty cents a week in the firm of Moore and Smith. After a while Woolworth came to the conclusion that while he was not a good salesman, he could trim the store and dress the windows to attract customers. In time, he worked up to six dollars a week. Another merchant offered him ten dollars a week and Woolworth decided that it was enough to marry on. Unfortunately, his new employer was not interested in having his windows dressed. And after a week or two of Woolworth's poor salesmanship, he reduced his wages to eight dollars a week.

With a wife to support now, Woolworth decided to try farming. He bought a farm on mortgage and he and his wife raised chickens. But in a short time farming bored him. Besides, Moorc and Smith asked him to return to his job. They found that they needed Woolworth as a window trimmer, to attract customers. When they offered him the job at ten dollars a week, Woolworth went back to working in the store.

45.One thing that a store chain can do but an independent storekeeper cannot do is to ______.

A. hold sales                        B. compete

C. advertise                         D. buy in large quantities

46.Frank Woolworth had ability in ______.

A. farming                           B. salesmanship

C. dressing store windows               D. bargaining

47.Woolworth's first ambition was to become ______.

A. a farmer                          B. a railroad engineer

C. a merchant                        D. a designer

Passage 3

More and more residences, businesses, and even government agencies are using telephone answering machines to take messages or give information or instructions. Sometimes these machines give confusing instructions, or play messages that are difficult to understand. If you make telephone calls, you need to be ready to respond if you get a recording.