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

这是一篇总结性的文章，讲述了一个公司一年的业绩状况，形势喜人。

　　19题，interests在这里的用法比较特殊，不是兴趣，而是股权，权益的证明：

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

　　权益、债权或股权的证明：

　　has interests overseas.

　　有海外产权

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

　　持有此种权益、债权或股权的人或集团：

　　a petroleum interest.

　　石油业者

　　20题，很显然意思是连续五年利润创记录，in a row是固定短语，连续几次的，连续不断的;in a line是成一排。

　　21题，年税前收益截至3月31日增长了24%，达到了420万英镑。the year ending March 31，表示以3月31日结束

　　22题，意思很明显，销售增长了5%。climb有一种用法是指数量或水平的增长(to increase in number, amount, or level)。例句：The temperature has climbed steadily since this morning.

　　23和24题，虽然整个行业的贸易状况很困难，但是agricultural business创造了另一个创纪录的表现。

　　25题，garden equipment division 园林设备部。截至目前所做的解析，这个division已经是第二次在完形填空里出现了。

　　26和27题，It is my belief that 我相信。我相信是因为好好对待了客户所以我们才会持续增长。

　　28题，很高兴报告客户基数的持续增长。从意思上看可以排除C，A和B都是比较正式的通知，选D，报告。

　　29题，customer base客户基数，这也已经是第二次考到了。

　　30题，典型的客套话，感谢客户的支持。

　　31题，新增了58位新员工。take up占据，拿起，继续，开始从事等等;take back拿回，收回;take on一般做呈现讲，有雇佣的意思(朗文：to start to employ someone)，例句：We're taking on 50 new staff this year.take over接管。

　　32题，付出了持续不断的努力实现了这些结果。achieve是最地道的。

　　33题，只需要理解dividend的意思就行了，因为后面有share(股份)，dividend是红利。recompense是给….以补偿。

　　疑问：

　　23题为什么不能选D做“示范”讲?

　　先从文章的内容来理解的话，23这个空说的是agricultural business的业绩好，表现好，用performance是很完美合适的

　　具体说这个demonstration,的确有“示范”的意思，但在英英词典是这么解释的：

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

　　所以用在这里是不合适的，并没有进行业绩演示

　　你理解的“示范”，应该是那种带有榜样性质的示范。单看中文意思很容易混淆