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(1)
A lot of us lose life’s tougher confrontations(2)
by mounting a frontal attack --- when a touch
of (3)
humor might well enable us to chalk up a win.(4)
Consider the case of a young friend of mine,
(5)who
hit a traffic jam(6)
en route(7)
to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(8)
about being late on the job.(9)
Although there was a good reason for Sam’s chronic
tardiness ---(10)serious
illness at home --- he decided that this by-now-familiar
excuse(11)
wouldn’t work any longer. (12)
His supervisor was probably already pacing up and
down with a dismissal speech rehearsed.
He was. Sam entered the
office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as (13)a
locker room; everyone was hard at work. Sam’s supervisor approached
him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and shoved out his hand. “How do you do!”
he said. (14)“I’m
Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job which I understand became available
just 35 minutes ago.Does the early bird get the worm?” |
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English
Intensive Reading 
Introduction
