I’ve loved making jewelry since I was little. My mom used to take me to bead shops. In my twenties, after graduating from college, I tried working in tech sales and later at a big company. But I always felt that those office jobs were not for me. The whole time, I kept making jewelry as a hobby, never imagining it could become a real career.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I lost my job and found myself making jewelry all day long at home. I bought beads online and sold finished pieces and DIY kits to friends. Meanwhile, I was also studying for business school exams, thinking I would go back to the finance world. But slowly, more and more people started reaching out, asking me to create custom gifts for them. I began using larger, old-style beads and shiny chains to make unique charms, and I even set up a simple website for my work.

Sadly, my father passed away suddenly around that time. I felt I couldn’t focus on my office work anymore, so I poured all my energy into making jewelry. I signed up for local farmers’ markets and pop-up shops anywhere I could. I was determined and worked nonstop. Then in 2024, something unexpected happened. An online influencer wore one of my necklaces in a video. Within 24 hours, I went from selling a couple of pieces a month to receiving forty orders in a single day.

That viral moment changed everything. I realized I couldn’t make all the jewelry alone, so I found a skilled woman named Melinda who lived nearby. She and her small team of local women started handcrafting the designs for me. By the end of 2024, I had left my corporate job to run the business full-time. My brand, Spicy Dan, grew slowly but steadily, and we now have a few full-time employees working with us.

1.1. What did the author think of her office jobs before her business?

A They were poorly paid.

B They were full of pressure.

C They were unsuitable for her.

D They were quite interesting.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第一段中的“But I always felt that those office jobs were not for me”可知，作者一直觉得办公室工作不适合自己。选项C中的“unsuitable for her”是对原文“were not for me”的同义替换。A、B、D三项在文中均未提及。故选C。

2.2. The word underlined “custom” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A expensive

B personalized

C traditional

D common

解析：选B。B词义猜测题。划线单词 “custom”出现在第二段：|“...asking me to create custom gifts for them.”（请求我为她们制作____礼物。）根据常识和下文的语境，作者开始按照顾客的特定需求制作独特的饰品，因此这里的 “custom gifts” 指的是根据个人要求定制的、个性化的礼物。选项 B “Personalized”（个性化的、定制的）与 “custom” 在此语境下的含义完全吻合。故选B。

3.3. What happened after the influencer wore the author’s necklace?

A The brand went worldwide.

B Sales increased sharply.

C More designers joined in.

D Her father’s story spread online.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第三段最后两句“Then in 2024, something unexpected happened. An online influencer wore one of my necklaces in a video. Within 24 hours, I went from selling a couple of pieces a month to receiving forty orders in a single day.”（2024年发生了一件意想不到的事。一位网红在视频中戴了我的一条项链。在24小时内，我的销量从一个月卖几件变成了单日收到四十个订单。）这表明，网红佩戴作者的项链后，销量急剧上升。选项 B “Sales increased sharply.” 是对这一细节的准确概括。因此，这是一道从原文中可直接定位答案的细节理解题。故选B。

4.4. What is the author’s primary purpose in sharing her story?

A To show her love for jewelry design.

B To introduce her brand Spicy Dan.

C To stress the importance of teamwork.

D To encourage creators to take action.

解析：选D。D主旨大意题。虽然文章前半部分讲述了作者如何将制作珠宝从爱好发展为事业的过程，但文章的主旨和作者的写作意图集中在最后一段。作者在结尾处明确给出了建议：“If I could give one piece of advice to other young creators, it would be this: don’t wait for things to be perfect. Just start.”（如果我能给其他年轻的创作者一个建议，那就是：不要等到万事俱备。只管开始行动。）这说明作者分享自己经历的主要目的并非单纯讲述故事或介绍品牌，而是希望用亲身经历去激励和鼓励其他创作者勇于迈出第一步。选项 D “To encourage creators to take action.” 准确概括了作者的深层意图。故选D。