You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
It was a great double act. Piper looking relaxed but dependable in a conservative, lightweight suit. Art Buxxy, the showman, doing what he did well. It was a big moment for both of them. They had to secure
00 million from their audience. Piper warmed up the crowd. In a reasonable, persuasive voice he talked in abstract terms about the remarkable financial opportunity that the Tahiti represented. There was talk of numbers, strategy, competitive analysis. Enough to make us think that the Tahiti was in safe hands, not enough to bore us. Despite the outward reserve, as he warmed up to his presentation, Piper did let some of the excitement he felt for the project show through. Standing there, tall, tanned, elegantly but conservatively dressed, speaking in a manner that was more suited to the Harvard Club than a casino, he gave his audience reassurance. Despite appearances, the Tahiti must be a respectable, conservative investment, or why would someone like Irwin Piper be involved with it? Then it was Art Buxxy's turn. Buxxy was a small man with a nut-brown face, longish blow-dried grey hair and bundles of enthusiasm. He was hardly ever still, and when he was, it was for a melodramatic pause, to let the full consequence of what he had just said sink in. His abrasive, rough-edged manner jolted his audience after the smooth Piper, but within a minute his energetic charm had already bewitched us all. Selling was his calling, and the Tahiti was the love of his life. He used all his skills. We were captivated. And I think most of us were sold. They took us on a tour of the complex. Seen through Buxxy's eyes, the tackiness and the loneliness of a big casino disappeared. We saw the glamour, the glitter, the amazing technological effects. He took us to see the private rooms where the high-rollers played, wallowing in sophistication, power and money. By the time we had returned to the conference room where he had started his pitch, I could feel the majority of the audience would write out a cheque there and then. 'Any questions?' Silence. No difficult questions about Piper's background. No tedious questions about percentage drop of slots against tables, high-roller comps, or blue-collar busing costs. Even the most cynical investor was under the spell of the greatest casino on earth. At least temporarily. I had thought through this moment carefully. I stood up. Piper's eyebrows pulled together slightly, in the barest trace of a frown. 'Yes?' I have two questions for Mr Piper. The audience were looking at me with mild interest. My English accent jarred in the glitzy Las Vegas surroundings. Piper was staring at me hard. 'First – has the Nevada Gaming Commission scrutinised your previous investments?' The audience stirred a little, but not much. Piper stiffened. 'Second – can you comment on an investment you made in a clinic for executive stress in Britain?' I sat down. The audience reaction was mixed. Some faces bore disapproval; I was a spoil-sport to try and take cheap shots at these great guys and their great casino. A few sat up and took notice. Piper rose to his feet. He was as unruffled and urbane as ever. 'I would be happy to answer those questions. First, the Commission checks out all applicants for gambling licences very thoroughly. Second, I have a large portfolio of investments. I believe a few years ago these included some properties in England, but I don't have the details at my fingertips. Any other questions?' He looked around the audience quickly. This was a dangerous moment for Piper. Until now he had had his listeners eating out of his hand. But he hadn't answered my questions properly. If anyone pursued him on this, then doubts might creep in. But I wasn't going to push it any further. I had achieved my objective. He knew I knew, and he knew I would tell. Half an hour later, I was having a cup of coffee in the atrium, when a bellboy came over to me. 'Excuse me sir, Mr Piper would like you to join him in his suite.' That didn't take him long, I thought, as I put down my cup and followed the bellboy to the elevators. Piper's suite was on the top floor of the hotel. Piper was alone in the room. He beckoned me to a seat. I perched on the flimsy-looking Georgian sofa, whilst he sat in one of the high-backed mahogany armchairs. Gone was all the civilised politeness. Piper was angry. 'What the hell do you think you were doing out there?' he said. 'I am not some two-bit bond salesman you can play games with. I am a powerful man in this town. I've got money, and I've got lawyers. And if you mention Bladenham Hall one more time, or even allude to it, I will sue. I will sue you for so much that your great-grandchildren will still be paying off your debts a hundred years from now.' Piper, angry, was impressive. For a moment he had me on the defensive. If I had upset such a powerful man, I had surely made a mistake. The moment passed.
it was not his primary purpose to get the audience to invest in the project.
he was less comfortable talking about details than about general principles.
he was not the sort of person who would normally associate himself with such a project.
there were already plenty of people who were keen to invest in the project.
When he addressed the audience, Irwin Piper gave the impression that
contained certain elements he may not have been aware of.
came as something of a shock to them.
involved making his most important points first.
contrasted with his physical appearance.
The narrator says that Art Buxxy's style of addressing the audience
it appeared that some members of the audience had never been inside a casino before.
Buxxy diverted the audience's attention away from the less attractive aspects of casinos.
it was clear the project was at a more advanced stage than the audience had realised.
Buxxy encouraged the audience to picture themselves playing there.
When they went on a tour of the complex,
he feared that the audience would not take him seriously because of his accent.
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