The world is filled with smart, 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 fixed it in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine sound. I was amazed. The sad truth is that 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 told me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant (顾问) 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 schools do not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers “live within their means”. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend that young people 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 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.
【小题1】The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that .| A．he is just one of the talented people |
| B．he is ready to help others |
| C．he has a sharp sense of hearing |
| D．he knows little about car repairing |
| A．spend more than they can afford |
| B．do in their own way |
| C．live in their own circle |
| D．live within what they earn |
| A．They don’t work hard enough. |
| B．They lack financial intelligence. |
| C．They don’t make full use of their talents. |
| D．They have no specialized skills. |
| A．how young people can find a satisfactory job |
| B．what schools should teach about finance |
| C．why so many talented people are poor |
| D．how McDonald’s makes much money |
