高二阅读专项训练.doc

2016-2017学年高二（上）阅读专练 Schoolgirl picks names 起英文名居然有这么多讲究。((( 词数375 建议阅读时间6分钟  Many children dream of becoming astronauts, scientists, teachers or pop stars, but it is unlikely that many would say, “When I grow up, I want to help people pick their baby’s name.” Yet one British teenager is a baby namer who is laughing all the way to the bank. Beau Jessup, 16, has earned more than ￡48,000 (422,155 yuan) by helping Chinese parents choose English names for their children, according to the BBC. A student at Cheltenham Ladies College in England, Jessup had the idea during a family visit to China. It came when, during a meal out, she was asked by her parents’ friends to suggest an English name for their newborn baby. And thus, her business was born: She founded the Specialname website. After choosing their child’s gender (性别), parents are asked by the site to select from a list of 12 personality traits (特点) – including sensitive, honest, creative and clever – to match the way they would like their kid to be. Three names are then suggested, along with their meanings and a famous person with the same name such as Grace Kelly or Catherine Middleton. For example, Rose means elegant, sensitive and reliable. Parents can share the choices with their family and friends using messaging app WeChat so they can help make the final choice. Users are charged dozens of yuan to use the service. Jessup said she was happy to have played a part in the lives of many families and changed her own life. “I have a target to reach that will allow me to pay for my university fees, and writing the text for the site was really good practice for my Mandarin GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education),” she told The Independent. The practice of the Chinese choosing Western names for themselves and their kids has been going on for decades. It is especially handy when it comes to cross-cultural communication. Jessup’s business isn’t the first of its kind. Last year, Lindsay Jernigan from the US st