First, turn back to the report of the certified public accountant. This third-party auditor will tell you right off the bat if Galaxy's report conforms with "generally accepted accounting principles". Then go to the footnotes. Check to see whether earnings are up or down. The footnotes often tell the whole story. Next, turn to the letter from the chairman. Typically addressed "to our shareholders," it's up front in more ways than one. The chairman's tone reflects the personality and well-being of the company. In his letter, the chairman should tell you how the company fared this year. But more importantly, the letter should tell you why. Keep an eye out for sentences that start with " Except for ..." and "Despite the..." They are clues to problems. On the positive side, a chairman's letter should give you insights into the company's future and its stance on economical or political issues that may affect it. Now begin digging into the numbers! One source is the balance sheet. It is a snapshot of how the company stands at a single point in time. At the top are assets — everything the company owns. Things that can quickly be turned into cash are current assets. On the bottom are liabilities — everything the company owes. Current liabilities are the debts due in one year, which are paid out of current assets. The difference between current assets and current liabilities is working capital, a key figure to watch from one annual report to another. If working capital shrinks, it could mean trouble. One possibility: the company may not be able to keep dividends growing rapidly. Owners' equity is the difference between total assets and liabilities. It is the presumed dollar value of what the owners or shareholders own. You want it to grow. The second basic source of numbers is the income statement. It shows how much money Galaxy made or lost over the year. Most people look at one figure first. It's in the income statement at the bottom: earnings per share. Watch out. It can fool you. Galaxy's management could boost earnings by selling off a plant or by cutting the budget for research and advertising. The number you should look at first in the income statement is net sales. Ask yourself: Are sales going up at a faster rate than the last time around? When sales increases start to slow, the company may be in trouble. Have sales gone down because the company is selling off a losing business? If so, profits may be soaring. Another important thing to study is the company's debt. Turn to the balance sheet, and divide long-term liabilities by owner's equity. That's the debt- to-equity ratio. A high ratio means the company borrows a lot of money to spark its growth. That's okay if sales grow too, and if there's enough cash on hand to meet the payments. A company doing well on borrowed money can earn big profits for its shareholders. But if sales fall, watch out. The whole enterprise may slowly sink. Some companies can handle high ratios; others can't. Finally, you have to compare. Is the company's debt-to-equity ratio better or worse than it used to be? Better or worse than the industry norms? In company-watching, comparisons are all. They tell you if management is staying on top of things.
单选题
According to the writer, the most important element of the chairman's letter is A. the expressions used. B. the explanation given by the chairman. C. the performance of the company during the year. D. the company's future described by the chairman.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 文中第二段：“In this letter, the chairman should tell you how the company fared this year. But more importantly, the letter should tell you why. ”可知，这封信中，主席会告知公司的进展情况，更重要的是，会告的你原因。选项B符合题意。
单选题
According to the article, a drop in working capital shows that A. both current assets and current liabilities fall. B. current assets decline while current liabilities rise. C. both current assets and current liabilities remain the same as the previous year. D. current assets increase but current liabilities decrease.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 文中第四段：“The difference between current assets and current liabilities is working capital, a key figure to watch from one annual report to another. If working capital shrinks, it could mean trouble.”选项B符合题意。
单选题
What do shareholders expect to increase? A. total assets B. working capital C. total liabilities D. owner's equity
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 文中第四段：“Owners' equity is the difference between total assets and liabilities. It is the presumed dollar value of what the owners or shareholders own. You want it to grow.”选项D为同义替换。
单选题
According to the article, the main reason to look at net sales first is that A. they tell how much profit the company has earned. B. they have nothing to do with advertising. C. they are not affected by selling off a plant. D. they are not so easily manipulated by the management as earnings per share.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 文中第无段：“Watch out. It can fool you. Galaxy's management could boost earnings by selling off a plant or by cutting the budget for research and advertising. The number you should look at first in the income statement is net sales. Ask yourself: are sales going up at a faster rate than the last time around?”意为：“要小心了，你可能被糊弄了……你最先开始看的数字应该是净销售量。问问自己：销售量是否比上一年涨幅大？”选项D符合题意。
单选题
According to the writer, a great deal of borrowing A. boosts sales. B. promotes growth. C. generates profits. D. entails risk.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 文中第六段：“A company doing well on borrowed money can earn big profits for its shareholders. But if sales fall, watch out. The whole enterprise may slowly sink. Some companies can handle high ratios; others can't.”意为：“一个公司通过借的饯运作良好能够为股东赢利。但是一旦销量下降，就要小心了。整个企业都可能会有风险。”选项D符合 题意。
单选题
According to the article, what makes it clear that a company is well-managed? A. the chairman's letter B. auditor's report C. comparison made by the reader D. footnotes
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 文中最后一句：“In company-watching, comparisons are all. They tell you if management is staying on top of things.”意为：“在公司监督中，比较十分重要，他们会告诉你，你的管理是否优秀。”选项C符合题意。