Questão
ID 564300Disciplina: Língua Inglesa
Assunto: Interpretação de Texto | Text Interpretation
Ano: 2012 Banca: Instituto AOCP Órgão: Banco Regional de Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul
Mr. Law´s
invention
Less than a year ago the judges on the realityprogramme Dragon´s Den rejected his invention. Now inventor Rob Law is having the last laugh after a productconsidered “worthless” on the BBC television programmefor young entrepreneurs has proved a huge commercialhit. Mr. Law, 29, from Bath, spent 11 years – and 17,000 pounds of his own money – refining his design for awheelie suitcase which doubles up as a child´s ride-on toy. The plastic Trunki case is designed to allowyoungsters aged three to six to take their own bag on holiday – and sit on it when they are tired. But when Mr.Law appeared on Dragons´ Den last September, he was given a hard time by the famously unfriendly panel ofinvestors. Businessman Theo Paphitis ridiculed the product after managing to pull off one of the straps. His colleagueDeborah Meadon, head of a holiday firm, declared bluntly that there was no market for the case. And the notoriouslybrusque tele- communications tycoon Peter Jones declared: “I meet people like you all the time – you thinkyou have something. I tell you, you don´t”. The paneldeclined Mr. Law´s offer to give up 10 percent of his new company in return for a 100,000 pounds investment – anoffer which valued the firm at 1 million. However, it now appears that the experts were wrong.After a succession of positive press reviews, Mr. Law hassold 85,000 of his trunki suitcases. It is marketed in 22 countries via a network of distributors. Retailing at 25 pounds, it has proved a hit at several high street stores.Mr Law said: “When I went on to the programme I was fullof confidence that I was going to get the investment I needed. But they were rude and obnoxious and justfocused on the strap, which was actually something thatwas easily fixed. I was terrified that by appearing on the programme I may have ruined my company before it evenstarted. But afterwards we had loads of hits on the websitefrom people who said they thought it was a brilliant idea. Now I am absolutely delighted to have proved theDragons wrong. It just goes to show you should nevergive up. Mr. Law also revealed that during filming he managedto sell two of the suitcases to Australian panellist RichardFarleigh, who wanted to invest 100,000 pounds in return for half of the company. But Mr. Law rejected the deal. Hedeclined to say exactly how much the company – which is100% owned by him - is now worth, but said it was morethan a million.
(Adapted from New English File Upper, Oxford, 1996)
Less than a year ago the judges on the realityprogramme Dragon´s Den rejected his invention. Now inventor Rob Law is having the last laugh after a productconsidered “worthless” on the BBC television programmefor young entrepreneurs has proved a huge commercialhit. Mr. Law, 29, from Bath, spent 11 years – and 17,000 pounds of his own money – refining his design for awheelie suitcase which doubles up as a child´s ride-on toy. The plastic Trunki case is designed to allowyoungsters aged three to six to take their own bag on holiday – and sit on it when they are tired. But when Mr.Law appeared on Dragons´ Den last September, he was given a hard time by the famously unfriendly panel ofinvestors. Businessman Theo Paphitis ridiculed the product after managing to pull off one of the straps. His colleagueDeborah Meadon, head of a holiday firm, declared bluntly that there was no market for the case. And the notoriouslybrusque tele- communications tycoon Peter Jones declared: “I meet people like you all the time – you thinkyou have something. I tell you, you don´t”. The paneldeclined Mr. Law´s offer to give up 10 percent of his new company in return for a 100,000 pounds investment – anoffer which valued the firm at 1 million. However, it now appears that the experts were wrong.After a succession of positive press reviews, Mr. Law hassold 85,000 of his trunki suitcases. It is marketed in 22 countries via a network of distributors. Retailing at 25 pounds, it has proved a hit at several high street stores.Mr Law said: “When I went on to the programme I was fullof confidence that I was going to get the investment I needed. But they were rude and obnoxious and justfocused on the strap, which was actually something thatwas easily fixed. I was terrified that by appearing on the programme I may have ruined my company before it evenstarted. But afterwards we had loads of hits on the websitefrom people who said they thought it was a brilliant idea. Now I am absolutely delighted to have proved theDragons wrong. It just goes to show you should nevergive up. Mr. Law also revealed that during filming he managedto sell two of the suitcases to Australian panellist RichardFarleigh, who wanted to invest 100,000 pounds in return for half of the company. But Mr. Law rejected the deal. Hedeclined to say exactly how much the company – which is100% owned by him - is now worth, but said it was morethan a million.
(Adapted from New English File Upper, Oxford, 1996)
What Rob was initially looking for was?