Question

    After having her second child in 2012, Victoria was jobless and lost her clear direction. She found herself suffering depression. “My sister, Karen, suggested I try selling something to do with weddings on eBay,” she said, “when the children were asleep, I learned to design invitations on my laptop. Because I already had a laptop and a printer, the only startup costs were buying some cards and envelopes.”

Victoria listed what she made for sale on eBay, but weeks and months passed and she hardly had any sales. Concerned, Karen suggested she should change the designs but Victoria firmly believed that her design was good.

But in January 2013, everything changed dramatically. “I remember getting out of the bath one night and I’d made nearly ￡200 in orders in the time it had taken to have a bath. Now the demand was so huge that I had to buy a bulk-load of cards and envelopes and purchase another printer. I started to work at 7 pm each night and worked into the early hours.” Victoria believes that her affordable wedding invitations are the key.

Having something else to focus on, the fog of depression soon lifted. By the end of January she had made an impressive ￡8,000 in just one month. The business now turns over an incredible ￡80,000 a year, half of which is profit. She continued: “The money has allowed us to upgrade to a three-bedroom house and we have had some great family holidays.” In October, Victoria was one of eleven eBay sellers recognized at the eBay for Business Awards.

“I want to show to other women with little or no experience that even if you’re struggling as I did, you can be a mother and a businesswoman and do both successfully,” smiles Victoria. “I’m a one-woman band but it’s more than enough for me!”

1.What made the most contribution to Victoria’s success?

A.The advice from her sister.

B.The design of the invitations.

C.The help from buyers on eBay.

D.The low price of the invitations.

2.How much can Victoria earn by selling the invitations a year?

A.￡200. B.￡8,000.

C.￡40,000. D.￡80,000.

3.What personality does Victoria probably have?

A.Cautious. B.Sensitive.

C.Easygoing. D.Determined.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.The Cure for Depression

B.Defeating Depression with Business

C.Selling Wedding Invitations Online

D.An Unforgettable Experience

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

本题是一篇记叙文。讲述了主人公在有了孩子之后，失去工作且内心郁闷，但通过自己努力成为eBay最受欢迎的网点店主之一，并且内心也逐渐“明朗”了起来。

1.细节理解题。根据原文“Victoria believes that her affordable wedding invitations are the key. ”（维多利亚相信她价格划算的婚礼请柬是（成功经营）关键）。据此，可判断低价的请柬对她网店的成功经营有较大贡献。故选D项。

2.细节理解题。根据原文“The business now turns over an incredible ￡80,000 a year, half of which is profit.”（如今，每年可观经营额达到80000英镑，其中一半是利润）可知主人公一年可以赚到40000英镑。故选C项。

3.推理判断题。根据原文的After having her second child in 2012, Victoria was jobless and lost her clear direction. She found herself suffering depression. “I want to show to other women with little or no experience that even if you’re struggling as I did, you can be a mother and a businesswoman and do both successfully.”（2012年生完第二个孩子后，维多利亚失去了工作，失去了明确的方向。她发现自己患了抑郁症。我想要向那些没有经验的女性朋友们证明，即使和我一样在为生活奔波，你可以成功成为一名母亲也可以成为一名女商人，同时也可以兼顾两者）侧面凸显了她虽遇种种困难，但她始终还是“有勇有谋”闯过了一个又一个关卡。由此判断出她内心坚定。故选D项。

4.主旨大意题。根据原文的“Having something else to focus on, the fog of depression soon lifted”（有所专注，内心的郁闷也消失了）以及“you can be a mother and a businesswoman and do both successfully”（你可以成功成为一名母亲也可以成为一名女商人，同时也可以兼顾两者），可以得出女主人公通过经营网店克服自己的心里问题，同时也获得事业上成功。所以短文的最佳标题为“用事业战胜抑郁”。故选B项。