Everyone wants some degree of success. Many people believe that they deserve success simply because they believe that they deserve success.
But there is a widespread belief that people who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential (有影响的) friends or the right background. Sometimes it may just be a comforting and harmless belief, while at the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors (上司). This injustice discouraged the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been.
At the same time, we should not be pessimistic (悲观的). More and more the modern world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because their faces fit. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and tapped, once. The machine started up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested, "This can't be right! $ 100 just for tapping a machine with a hammer?" The engineer wrote out a new bill: "For tapping a machine, $1; for knowing where to tap. $99."
小题1:The engineer at the chemical plant was not promoted because _____.
A．it was politically less good for the boss to accept her than the man
B．her boss did not think she had the fight qualifications for the job
C．the man who got the promotion was more experienced than she was
D．it is more difficult for a woman to get a promotion than for her male colleague小题2:The engineer who repaired the machine was right in charging $ 100 because____.
A．he hit the machine to get it started again
B．the factory owner could not have repaired it himself
C．he was charging for his knowledge and expert skills
D．he was the only person who could find out what was wrong with it小题3:What can we learn about the author's attitude toward the widespread belief that "people get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it"?
A．He quite agrees with it.
B．He doesn't express his opinion his opinion at it.
C．He completely disagrees with it.
D．He doesn't quite agree with it.小题4:According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
A．Having influential friends or right background seems helpful sometimes.
B．The engineer had good reason to overcharge the factory owner.
C．Not all those who are good in their jobs have the chance to be promoted.
D．Those who are good in their jobs are still largely needed by the modern society.
