16歲女孩創(chuàng)辦百萬美元社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)

西安外國語大學(xué) 孟 潔

從最初簡單的漫畫形象發(fā)展到目前價值1,500萬美元的社交網(wǎng)站，Miss O And Friends取得了極大的成功，其不斷地成熟發(fā)展，這當(dāng)然離不開創(chuàng)始人Juliette Brindak一步步地成長與變化。

題材文章詞數(shù)創(chuàng)意網(wǎng)站3 5 4 難度 ★★★體裁建議用時記敘文6′

海詞積累

1.inceptionn.起初

2.start-upn.初創(chuàng)企業(yè)

3.polln.民意測驗(yàn)

4.homepagen.主頁

5.animationn.動畫片

Juliette Brindak started a social networking site for teens when she was 16，and it's doing better than ever.Miss O And Friends generates10 million monthly visits，a twenty-fold increase from itsinceptionin 2005.It's also worth around$15 million，according to early investor Procter&Gamble.

When she was ten，Brindak drew characters for a set of five friends she called“Cool Girls，” who were all inspired by real-life girls.The main cool girl，Miss O， represents her younger sister Olivia.The set of “Cool Girls”would eventually becomeMiss O And Friends.In the beginning， like manystart-ups， Brindak reached out to family members and friends for investment money.Her mother，a graphic designer，brought her drawings to life while her father， who has a background in business， aided in the fundamentals of creating the company.

The site took off and was ranked the third largest girls-only website in 2011，according toInc.Magazine.Now， at 23，Brindak isn'tin tune withwhat teen girls are looking for，so she uses the site as an avenue to understand their needs.Throughpolls， quizzes， and the “Girl2Girl Wall”， members are able to keep Brindak updated.

Through high school and college，the site has continued to improve.When it was originallylaunched，there was little more than a few attractive graphics. “There was ahomepage，which had the five Miss O characters and simple flashanimations，”Brindak says. “There was hardly anything to it，but it was definitely a start.” Now the site boasts （有） message boards，quizzes， games，music， and more.

“I was able to learn so much about cultures around the world and also becomeinformedand aware of different ways that I can reach out to women，”Brindak says. “The goal for the site was， and still is， to help young girls build confidence and self-esteem （自尊）.” “We started off with a business plan that we have used as our guide，but that business plan is always changing.We continue to find new ways toengagegirls， to generate income，and new markets thatare appropriate forMiss O and our community.”

Reading Check

1.Which of the following contributes to the popularity ofMiss O And Friends?

A.Gaining the support and help from her parents.

B.Grasping the needs of teen girls easily.

C.Drawing characters at an early time.

D.Designing attractive graphics.

2.What is the goal of the site?

A.Boasting message boards， quizzes， games and more.

B.Helping girls build confidence and selfesteem.

C.Drawing the characters for real-life girls.

D.Launching a business plan.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Important vocabulary in the text

1.generatev.產(chǎn)生

2.launchv.啟動，開始

3.informedadj.見多識廣的

4.engagev.吸引

5.in tune with與……一致

6.be appropriate for適合于

Ⅱ.Complete the following sentences.

1.據(jù)早期投資者寶潔公司（Procter&Gamble）的數(shù)據(jù)，它的價值約為1，500萬美元。

_______around$15 million，_______early investor Procter&Gamble.

2.她的母親是一位平面設(shè)計師，使她的繪畫栩栩如生，而她的父親有商業(yè)背景，幫助創(chuàng)建了這家公司的基礎(chǔ)。

Her mother，a graphic designer，brought her drawings to life _______her father，_______has a background in business， ________the fundamentals of creating the company.

3.現(xiàn)年23歲的布林達(dá)克不太了解十幾歲女孩的需求，所以她把這個網(wǎng)站當(dāng)成了解她們需求的途徑。

Now， at 23， Brindak isn't in tune with_______teen girls are looking for，________she uses the site as an avenue to understand their needs.

4.當(dāng)它最初發(fā)布時，只有一些吸引人的圖形。

When it was originally launched，there was_______a few attractive graphics.