Another successful year

　　The UK-based agricultural and garden equipment group PLT has had another successful year and is looking forward to the future with confidence. The group, which also has distribution and fuel (19),has enjoyed record profits for the fifth year in a (20) . Pre-tax profits for the year (21) March 31 rose by 24 per cent to £4.2 million.

　　Total group sales (22) by five per cent to £155 million, with the agricultural business delivering yet another record (23), despite the somewhat difficult trading (24) in the industry. Sales in the garden equipment (25) were slow in the early months of the year, but increased dramatically in the final quarter.

　　Chairman Suresh Kumar said, ‘It is my (26) that we have continued to grow by (27) our customers well. I am delighted to (28) the continued development of our customer (29) and I would like to thank all our customers for their (30).As well as an increase in customers,our staff numbers also continue to grow. During the year, we have taken(31)58 new employees, so that our total workforce now numbers in excess of 700. All of the staff deserve my praise for their dedication and continued efforts in (32) these excellent results.’

　　The group has proposed a final (33) of 9.4p per share, bringing the total to 13p for the year.

　　19 A commitments B interests C responsibilities D benefits

　　20 A row B series C line D sequence

　　21 A completing B closing C finalising D ending

　　22 A extended B lifted C expanded D climbed

　　23 A display B production C performance D demonstration

　　24 A conditions B features C states D aspects

　　25 A part B division C component D side

　　26 A certainty B thought C belief D idea

　　27 A caring B dealing C providing D treating

　　28 A inform B notify C comment D report

　　29 A source B base C foundation D origin

　　30 A support B favour C assistance D service

　　31 A up B back C on D over

　　32 A winning B gaining C achieving D earning

　　33 A dividend B recompense C return D interest

這是一篇總結性的文章，講述了一個公司一年的業績狀況，形勢喜人。

　　19題，interests在這里的用法比較特殊，不是興趣，而是股權，權益的證明：

　　1)Something in which such a right, claim, or share is held:

　　權益、債權或股權的證明：

　　has interests overseas.

　　有海外產權

　　2)A person or group of persons holding such a right, claim, or share:

　　持有此種權益、債權或股權的人或集團：

　　a petroleum interest.

　　石油業者

　　20題，很顯然意思是連續五年利潤創記錄，in a row是固定短語，連續幾次的，連續不斷的;in a line是成一排。

　　21題，年稅前收益截至3月31日增長了24%，達到了420萬英鎊。the year ending March 31，表示以3月31日結束

　　22題，意思很明顯，銷售增長了5%。climb有一種用法是指數量或水平的增長(to increase in number, amount, or level)。例句：The temperature has climbed steadily since this morning.

　　23和24題，雖然整個行業的貿易狀況很困難，但是agricultural business創造了另一個創紀錄的表現。

　　25題，garden equipment division 園林設備部。截至目前所做的解析，這個division已經是第二次在完形填空里出現了。

　　26和27題，It is my belief that 我相信。我相信是因為好好對待了客戶所以我們才會持續增長。

　　28題，很高興報告客戶基數的持續增長。從意思上看可以排除C，A和B都是比較正式的通知，選D，報告。

　　29題，customer base客戶基數，這也已經是第二次考到了。

　　30題，典型的客套話，感謝客戶的支持。

　　31題，新增了58位新員工。take up占據，拿起，繼續，開始從事等等;take back拿回，收回;take on一般做呈現講，有雇傭的意思(朗文：to start to employ someone)，例句：We're taking on 50 new staff this year.take over接管。

　　32題，付出了持續不斷的努力實現了這些結果。achieve是最地道的。

　　33題，只需要理解dividend的意思就行了，因為后面有share(股份)，dividend是紅利。recompense是給….以補償。

　　疑問：

　　23題為什么不能選D做“示范”講?

　　先從文章的內容來理解的話，23這個空說的是agricultural business的業績好，表現好，用performance是很完美合適的

　　具體說這個demonstration,的確有“示范”的意思，但在英英詞典是這么解釋的：

　　“an act of explaining and showing how to do something or how something works”,中文做“演示”講

　　所以用在這里是不合適的，并沒有進行業績演示

　　你理解的“示范”，應該是那種帶有榜樣性質的示范。單看中文意思很容易混淆