It is hard to make money peddling social media anywhere. During their first few years in business , Facebook and Twitter lost pots of money. Yet somehow Tencent, an innovative Chinese firm that released the WeChat app in 2011, seems to have cracked the code. Alicia Yap of Barclays, an investment bank, forecasts that WeChat will earn some 6. 8 billion yuan($1.1 billion)this year and 9. 6 billion yuan next year. The reasons for optimism include clever integration of the app with other money-making services and spectacular growth in users at home and, unusually for a Chinese app, abroad. WeChat started off as a messaging service, similar to America"s WhatsApp, but it has grown rapidly into much more. In recent months, Tencent has integrated online-payment functions into it. Customers can do their banking through it and a wealth-management service has just been launched. It is also promoting e-commerce: during a recent sale held exclusively on WeChat, Xiaomi, China"s hottest smartphone-maker, is said to have sold 150,000 of its latest model in under ten minutes. Most internet companies that make money do so by selling online ads, but Tencent makes most of its money selling customers virtual goods. About 85% of the money Tencent will make this year from the app will come from gaming. Tencent says that WeChat has 270m active users, including tens of millions overseas. Their number and enthusiasm matter a lot to marketers. At the moment, Tencent allows companies to send occasional, targeted messages to some users without charge. Mark Natkin of Marbridge, a consultancy, says that in future it might ask for a fee. The biggest unknown about WeChat is whether the app can become a global blockbuster like Twitter or Facebook. Mr Natkin points out that the app will lose one of its most attractive features outside the country. WeChat usage exploded in part because it integrates a user"s address book from Tencent"s QQ, an old-fashioned instant-messaging service that has over 800m registered users, though few outside China. WeChat is already used in South-East Asia, Russia and India. The app is available in the Japanese and Korean languages, but strong local rivals already exist in those markets. America and Europe will be harder to crack. To succeed there, it must beat WhatsApp and other rivals.
单选题
According to Paragraph 1, which one is true?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：选项[A]对应第一段最后一句．．．．spectacular growth in users at home and，unusually for a Chinese app，abroad．大意为：国内外用户数量猛增，这对于中国的app来讲是很少见的。选项[A]中的most一词与原文unusually一词明显相反，故错误。选项[B]对应该段第二句：During their first few years in business，Facebook and Twitter lost pots of money．其中，Facebookand Twitter对应foreign social software；而lost pots of money与该项earn more money完全相反，故该项也是错误的。选项[C]中的made money illegally在原文并无体现，其中illegally一词是无中生有。选项[D]对应最后一句：The reasons for optimism include clever integration of the appwith other money-making services…其中，该项的combined the app with对应integration of theapp with；other profitable services对应other money—making services，故该项正确。
单选题
We can conclude from Paragraph 2 that______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：选项[A]中的WeChat和WhatsApp对应第二段首句：WeChat started off as a messa—ging service，similar to America’s WhatsApp…由此可见该项是正确的，其中chatting tools(聊天工具)对应messaging service(短信服务)。选项[B]与原文相悖，原文提到：but it has grown rap—idly into much more．In recent months．Tencent has integrated online—payment functions into it．其中的it指代的是上一句的主语“WeChat微信”，故我们知道是微信的功能更多，该项错误。选项[C]原文没有提到，属于无中生有。选项[D]对应本段最后一句:．．．during a recent sale heldexclusively on WeChat，Xiaomi，China’s hottest smartphone—maker，is said to have sold 150，000 ofits latest model in under ten minutes．注意，原文说的是“during a recent sale在最近的一次销售中”小米手机在十分钟内卖出15万部，而不是该项说的“every ten minutes每隔十分钟”就销售出15万部，该项错在every ten minutes。综上所述，本题答案为[A]。
单选题
Internet companies can make money by selling all EXCEPT______.
单选题
WeChat has a large number of users partly because______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：题干中的WeChat has a large number of users partly because…(微信拥有大量用户，部分是因为……)对应第四段第三行的WeChat usage exploded in part because(微信使用人数激增，部分是因为……)，故该题答案来自原文because之后的内容，即“it integrates a user’s address book from Tencent’s QQ它(微信)把用户的腾讯QQ通讯录结合起来”，故我们得知答案为[D]，其中该项的related with对应integrates；another popular message service指代Tencent’sQQ，故该项为答案。
单选题
WeChat may succeed more easily in______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】解析：根据第五段首句我们得出答案为[C]。选项[A]可以通过该段第二句进行排除：The app is available in the Japanese and Korean languages，but strong local rivals already exist inthose markets．其中“strong local rivals already exist in those markets”让我们知道WeChat要在日本、韩国获得成功并没有那么容易。选项[B]可以通过第三句来排除：America and Europe willbe harder to crack．其中，我们看到harder一词便可以知道该项不是答案。选项[D]的Africancountries and South America在文章中没有提及，故也是错误的。