Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most important people in America. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world, and the third owned many buildings in the center of New York.
　　The reporter was talking to them about being important.
　　“How do we know if someone is really important?” the reporter asked the banker.
　　The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I think anybody who is invited to the Whiter House to meet the President of the United States is really important.”
　　The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. “Do you agree with that?” she asked.
　　The man shook his head, “No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White House. You’d only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the president of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it.”
　　The reporter turned to the third man. “Do you think so?”
　　“No, I don’t.” he said. “I don’t think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important.”
　　“Then what would make the visitor important?” the reporter and the other two men asked.
　　“Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the President and the phone rang, and the President picked up the receiver, listened and then said, ‘it’s for you.’”
　　1.This story happened in _______.
　　A. England B. America C. Japan D. Australia
　　2.There are _______ in this passage.
　　A. two men and two women B. three men and one woman
　　C. three women and one man D. four women
　　3.The banker thought _______.
　　A.he was really important because he was a rich banker
　　B.the visitor to the White House was really important
　　C.the visitor who met the President of the United States
　　D. the reporter was really important
　　4.The owner of the very large company thought _______.
　　A.she was really important because she owned one of the largest companies
　　B.the banker was really important
　　C.the owner of many buildings in the center of New York was really important
　　D. the visitor would be really important if while he was visiting the President, the President would not answer any telephone call
　　5.The owner of many buildings thought _______.
　　A.he was really important because he owned many buildings in the center of New York
　　B.the owner of the very large company was really important
　　C.the visitor was really important if he talking to the President and the President received a telephone call for the visitor
　　D.the person who worked in the White House was really important
    【答案与解析】短文的梗概是：一名电视台记者向三个很富有的人问了这样一个问题：如何判断一个人是不是重要人物。银行家认为凡被邀请到白宫与美国总统会见的人都是重要人物。拥有世界上最大公司的那个人却不赞同。他说被邀请去白宫的人太多了。但如果正当你与总统谈话时，另一个国家的总统来了电话，美国总统说他太忙了，不能接电话。这才说明你确实是重要人物。然而第三个人却认为这只能衬托美国总统的地位。他说如果正当来访者与美国总统谈话时电话铃响了，美国总统拿起电话听了听，然后对来访者说，“找你的。”这个人是最重要的人物。
　　1.B。答案即是短文首段的第一句“Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most important people in America.”。
　　2.A。记者和那三个重要人物，共二男二女。关于男女性别可在下文中说话人的话语中可以看出来。
　　3.C。由“I think anybody who is invited to the Whiter House to meet the President of the United States is really important”这句可知。
　　4.D。同上题一样，本题也属表层理解题。答案就在“You’d only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the president of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it.”中。
　　5.C。文章最后一段即是本小题答案之所在。