Question

【题目】For years people had told our founders, motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, inspiring stories about themselves. Jack and Mark included these stories in their talks, and their audiences repeatedly asked if they had ever been published. Eventually, Jack and Mark decided to collect the best 101 stories they’d been told and put them in a book. They called it Chicken Soup for the Soul because they wanted it to provide comfort, just like their grandmothers’ cooking.

They took the book to New York, hoping to sell it to one of the big publishers, but every single one turned them down. The project appeared to have stalled until they met Peter Vegso. Peter read some of the stories and loved them, so he decided to give the book a chance, becoming Chicken Soup for the Soul founding publisher.

Chicken Soup for the Soul turned into one of the most popular and loved books ever published, selling 11 million copies around the world. Today, we’ve published more than 250 books and Chicken Soup for the Soul has become the best-selling trade paperback book series of all time.

People have connected with Chicken Soup for the Soul books deeply. Years ago, we started getting letters from readers asking for more, not just more books, but other things, too. Jack and Mark recognized that Chicken Soup for the Soul had grown into something much bigger than the book series they had created. So, in 2008, William Rouhana, Amy Newmark and Robert Jacobs bought Chicken Soup for the Soul from them. Today, we have a line of comfort foods, including healthy and balanced pet foods. We’re online now with our forums, apps and a YouTube channel. We’re working hard on a new Chicken Soup for the Soul TV show and a movie. Meanwhile, we are still collecting stories from our readers and the public, just like we’ve done since the beginning. We have new books coming out almost every month. We’re always looking for ways to share happiness, inspiration and wellness through everything we do.

【1】The first Chicken Soup for the Soul ________.

A. was published by Peter Vegso

B. was Jack and Mark’s own experiences

C. encouraged people to be speakers

D. told stories that happened in kitchens

【2】The underlined word “stalled” in paragraph 2 means “________”.

A. stopped making money

B. stopped following the original plan

C. stopped achieving progress

D. stopped attracting the attention of big publishers

【3】Jack and Mark sold Chicken Soup for the Soul because ________.

A. they lost interest in it

B. it deserved expansion

C. readers got tired of the series

D. it could be sold at a high price

【4】What’s the text mainly about?

A. The popularity of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

B. Publishing in different periods.

C. The importance of readers’ support.

D. The history of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】B

【4】D

【解析】

试题分析: 本文主要讲了《心灵鸡汤》这本书的发展历程，从最开始的没人愿意投资出版，到现在成为了最畅销的书目之一，《心灵鸡汤》对人们的激励作用很大。

【1】A 细节理解题。根据文中第二段The project appeared to have stalled until they met Peter Vegso. Peter read some of the stories and loved them, so he decided to give the book a chance, becoming Chicken Soup for the Soul founding publisher.可知，Peter是第一个出版人。故选A。

【2】C 词义猜测题。根据文中every single one turned them down. The project appeared to have stalled until they met Peter Vegso. 可知，刚开始出版人都拒绝发行这本书，直到遇到Peter才开始有了发展，所以这时这个计划并没有取得任何进展。故选C。

【3】B 细节理解题。根据第三段中Years ago, we started getting letters from readers asking for more, not just more books, but other things, too. Jack and Mark recognized that Chicken Soup for the Soul had grown into something much bigger than the book series they had created.可知，他们决定卖掉这个品牌是因为他们觉得《心灵鸡汤》这个书系列已经成长到远远大于他们刚创造出来的时候，这个品牌值得扩展。故选B。

【4】D 主旨大意题。这篇文章主要讲了《心灵鸡汤》的发展历史，故选D。