Since1989,DaveThomas,whodiedatage69,wasoneofthemostrecognizablefacesonTV.Heappearedinmorethan800commercials(商业广告)forthehamburgerchainnamedforhisdaughter.“Aslongasitworks,"hesaidin1991,“I’llcontinuetodothosecommercials."
Eventhoughhewassuccessful,Thomasremainedtroubledbyhischildhood.“Hestillwon’tletanyoneseehisfeet,whichareoutofshapebecauseheneverhadproperfittingshoes,"Wendysaidin1993.Borntoasinglemother,hewasadopted(收养)asababybyRexandAulevaThomasofKalamazooinMichigan.AfterAulevadiedwhenhewas5,ThomasspentyearsontheroadasRextraveledaroundseekingconstructionwork.“Hefedme,"Thomassaid,“andifIgotoutofline,he’dbeatme."
Movingoutonhisownat15,Thomasworked,firstasawaiter,inmanyrestaurants.Buthehadsomethingmuchbetterinmind.“IthoughtifIownedarestaurant,"hesaid,“Icouldeatforfree."A1956meetingwithHarlandSandersledThomastoacareerasthemanagerofaKentuckyFriedChickenrestaurantthatmadehimamillionairein1968.
In1969,afterbreakingwithSanders,ThomasstartedthefirstWendy’sOldFashionedHamburgers,inColumbus,Ohio,whichsetitselfapartbyservingmadetoorderburgers.With6,000restaurantsworldwide,thechainnowmakes$6billionayearinsales.
Althoughtroubledbyhisownexperiencewithadoption,Thomas,marriedsince1954toLorraine,66,andwithfourgrownkidsbesidesWendy,feltitcouldofferafutureforotherchildren.HestartedtheDaveThomasFoundation(基金会)forAdoptionin1992.
In1993,Thomas,whohadleftschoolat15,graduatedfromCoconutCreekHighSchoolinFlorida.HeeventookLorrainetothegraduationdanceparty.ThekidsvotedhimMostLikelytoSucceed.
“TheDaveyousawonTVwastherealDave,"saysfriendPatWilliams.“Hewasn’tagreatactororagreatspeaker.HewasjustJoeEverybody."Whatisthearticlemainlyabout?Whatdoweknowabouthischildhood?ChoosetherighttimeorderofthefollowingeventsinThomas’slife.
a.graduatedfromhighschool b.startedhisownbusiness
c.becameamillionaire d.startedafoundation
e.metHarlandSanders“HewasjustJoeEv
