The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is: Great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100, 000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, “Job means just over broke (破产)' ”. And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers “live within their means”. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald’s makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald’s is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on bui1ding a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
16．The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that __________.
A.he has a sharp sense of hearing
B.he is ready to help others
C.he is just one of the talented people
D.he knows little about car repairing
17．The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by “__________”.
A.spend more than they can afford B.live within what they earn
C.live in their own circle D.do in their own way
18．Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?
A.They don't work hard enough.
B.They have no specialized skills.
C.They don't make full use of their talents.
D.They lack financial intelligence.
19．The main purpose of the author is to tell us___________.
A.why so many talented people are poor
B.what schools should teach students
C.how young people can find a satisfactory job
D.how McDonald's makes much money