A、They were skilled carpenters themselves. B、It didn’t need much capital to start with. C、Wood supply was plentiful in Romania.

M: Morning, Ms. Samino, welcome to our studio.
W: Thanks, my pleasure.
M: OK, then, let me start by asking you how old your company is.
W: My grandparents started the company in 1955.
M: Why did they decide to open a furniture plant in Bucharest?
W: (8) At that time there was a construction boom. There was a great need for furniture, and my grandparents saw a business opportunity. (9) Their aim was to provide quality yet affordable wooden furniture. And this goal has never changed.
M: Do you still only work with wood?
W: That’ s right. It’ s what we know and what we do best. If we started trying different materials, our quality would probably suffer.
M: And all of the wood is local?
W: Correct. (10) A hundred percent of raw material comes from Romania.
M: Could you please outline how the company has grown over time? What have been the main challenges and opportunities that you have faced?
W: Well, back in the 50s and 60s, Romania was a lot poorer than it is today. My grandfather and father did not have much capital and our customers didn’ t have much money either. Survived limited growth, the big change was in 2007 , when Romania joined the European Union. (11) Suddenly, our market is exploded in size, and we could now sell our products all across the continent. There was also more financial investment and as a result, we went from having 20 employees to 200.
M: Which countries are your biggest market?
W: Besides Romania, our biggest market is Germany. There is strong demand there for our traditional style of furniture.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. Why did Samino’s grandparents start a furniture plant in Bucharest?
9. What was Samino’s grandfather trying to do?
10. What does Samino say about her company’ s raw materials?
11. Where does Samino’s company sell their products?