Terri Boltonis a dab hand when it comes to DIY (do-it-yourself). Skilled at putting up shelves and piecing together furniture, she never pays someone else to do a job she can do herself.
Terri Bolton在DIY方面可谓得心应手。擅长安装货架和拼装家具，她从不花钱请别人做自己能做的工作。

She credits these skills to her late grandfather and builder Derek Lloyd. From the age of six, Terri, now 26, accompanied Derek to work during her school holidays. A day’s work was rewarded with £ 5 in pocket money. She says: “I’m sure I wasn’t much of a help to start with painting the rooms and putting down the flooring throughout the house. It took weeks and is was backbreaking work, but I know he was proud of my skills.”
她把这些技能归功于已故的祖父和建筑商Derek Lloyd。从6岁开始，现年26岁的Terri在放假期间经常跟着Derek一起工作。一天的工作以5英镑的零花钱作为奖励。她说：“我肯定一开始对于粉刷房间和铺设整个房子地板没有什么帮助。这项工作花了好几周，令人筋疲力尽，但我知道他为我的技能感到自豪。”

Terri, who now rents abhouse with friends in Wandsworth, South West London, says DIY also saves her from losing any deposit when a tenancy (租期) comes to an end. She adds: “I’ve moved house many times and I always like to personalise my room and put up pictures. So, it’s been useful to know how to cover up holes and repaint a room to avoid any charges when I’ve moved out.”
泰瑞，现在和朋友一起在伦敦西南部旺兹沃思租房，说DIY也能帮她避免在租期结束时失去押金。她补充道：“我搬过很多次家，我总是喜欢个性化我的房间并贴上图片。所以，了解如何覆盖孔洞和重新粉刷房间对我搬出时避免任何费用很有帮助。”

With millions of people likely to take on DIY projects over that coming weeks, new research shows that more than half of people are planning to make the most of the long, warm summer days to get jobs done. The average spend per project will be around £ 823. Two thirds of people aim to improve their comfort while at home. Two fifth wish to increase the value of their house. Though DIY has traditionally been seen as male hobby, the research shows it is women now leading the charge.
有数百万人可能会在未来几周进行DIY项目，新研究显示，超过一半的人计划利用漫长而温暖的夏日来完成工作。每个项目的平均花费将约为823英镑。三分之二的人旨在提高在家中的舒适度。三分之二的人希望提高房屋的价值。虽然DIY传统上被视为男性的爱好，但研究显示现在是女性在带头。

4, Which is closest in meaning to “a dab hand” in paragraph 1?
A. An artist. B. A winner. C. A specialist. D. A pioneer.
答案：C

5, Why did Terri’s grandfather give her £ 5 a day?
A. For a birthday gift. B. As a treat for her work.
C. To support her DIY projects. D. To encourage her to take up a hobby.
答案：B

6, How did Terri avoid losing the deposit on the house she rented?
A. By making it look like before. B. By furmishing it herself.
C. By splitting the rent with a roommate. D. By cancelling the rental agreement.
答案：A

7, What trend in DIY does the research show?
A. It is becoming more costly. B. It is getting more time-consuming.
C. It is turning into a seasonal industry. D. It is gaining popularity among females.
答案：D