16岁女孩创办百万美元社交网络

西安外国语大学 孟 洁

从最初简单的漫画形象发展到目前价值1,500万美元的社交网站，Miss O And Friends取得了极大的成功，其不断地成熟发展，这当然离不开创始人Juliette Brindak一步步地成长与变化。

题材文章词数创意网站3 5 4 难度 ★★★体裁建议用时记叙文6′

海词积累

1.inceptionn.起初

2.start-upn.初创企业

3.polln.民意测验

4.homepagen.主页

5.animationn.动画片

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.产生

2.launchv.启动，开始

3.informedadj.见多识广的

4.engagev.吸引

5.in tune with与……一致

6.be appropriate for适合于

Ⅱ.Complete the following sentences.

1.据早期投资者宝洁公司（Procter&Gamble）的数据，它的价值约为1，500万美元。

_______around$15 million，_______early investor Procter&Gamble.

2.她的母亲是一位平面设计师，使她的绘画栩栩如生，而她的父亲有商业背景，帮助创建了这家公司的基础。

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

3.现年23岁的布林达克不太了解十几岁女孩的需求，所以她把这个网站当成了解她们需求的途径。

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.当它最初发布时，只有一些吸引人的图形。

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