37-40 為題組
The Swiss army knife is a popular device that is recognized all over the world.
In Switzerland, there is a saying that every Swiss citizen has one in his or her
pocket. But the knife had humble beginnings.
In the late nineteenth century, the Swiss army issued its soldiers a gun that
required a special screwdriver to dismantle and clean it. At the same time, canned
food was becoming common in the army. Swiss generals decided to issue each
soldier a standard knife to serve both as a screwdriver and a can opener.
It was a lifesaver for Swiss knife makers, who were struggling to compete with
cheaper German imports. In 1884, Carl Elsener, head of the Swiss knife
manufacturer Victorinox, seized that opportunity with both hands, and designed a
soldier’s knife that the army loved. It was a simple knife with one big blade, can
opener, and a screwdriver.
A few years after the soldier’s knife was issued, the “Schweizer Officer Messer,”
or Swiss Officer’s Knife, came on the market. Interestingly, the Officer’s Knife was
never given to those serving in the army. The Swiss military purchasers considered
the new model with corkscrew for opening wine not “essential for survival,” so
officers had to buy this new model by themselves. But its special muti-functional
design later launched the knife as a global brand. After the Second World War, a
great number of American soldiers were stationed in Europe. And as they could buy
the Swiss army knife at shops on military bases, they bought huge quantities of
them. However, it seems that “Schweizer Officer Messer” was too difficult for
them to say, so they just called it the Swiss army knife, and that is the name now
known by all over the world. 【題組】39. Why didn’t the Swiss army buy the Swiss Officer’s Knife?
(A) The design of the knife was too simple.
(B) The knife was sold out to American soldiers.
(C) The army had no budget to make the purchase.
(D) The new design was not considered necessary for officers to own.
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