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Demi Skipper, 29, has had an iPhone and minivan in her possession since her Trade Me Project began two months ago. Among the unlikely trades Ms Skipper, from San Franciso, has completed are a vacuum cleaner for a snowboard and an iPhone 11 Pro Max for a Dodge Ram van. Sceptics might wonder if her friends are helping her achieve her goal, but under the rules of the challenge she is forbidden from using cash or trading with anyone she knows.

Ms Skipper, who works for a restaurant reservation app, said she sends out around a thousand messages early in the morning and late at night, when her life is "all trades". Her success has gone viral, with millions of online followers on Tik-Tok and Instagram tracking her progress.

She was inspired to take on the challenge after watching a video of Kyle MacDonald who managed to swap a red paper clip for a house over the space of a year and 14 trades between 2005 and 2006. She said, "During quarantine(隔离) I think a lot of us were going a bit crazy trying to figure out what we were going to do with our lives. Watching Mr MacDonald I was really inspired. This felt like the final challenge, to go from something so small to a house."

Ms Skipper's hairpin, which she said was just the smallest thing in her home, was exchanged for a pair of earrings and then a set of glasses which were, in turn, bartered for a vacuum. The project nearly stopped when the minivan broke down shortly after it was driven across the US to be delivered and she was forced to trade it for a $2,000 electric skateboard. Ms Skipper said she took precautions to ensure she was safe when meeting traders through the Internet, but "surprisingly" people willing to trade had been "open and really nice".

1.Ms Skipper won't stop until she has traded up to _____.

A a house

B an iPhone

C a minivan

D an electric skateboard

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据文章第三段... this felt like the final challenge, to go from something so small to a house.可知，斯基普的最终目的是换到一套房子，故选A。

2.Which of the following breaks the trade rules?

A Trading with strangers.

B Directly using money.

C Sending out messages on apps.

D Telling the traders what she needs.

解析：选B。推理判断题。根据文章第一段最后一句Sceptics might wonder if her friends are helping her achieve her goal, but under the rules of the challenge she is forbidden from using cash or trading with anyone she knows. 可知，根据以物换物的挑战规则，斯基普既不能使用现金，也不能和自己的熟人进行交易。因此，直接使用现金是违规的，故选B。

3.How did Ms Skipper start a trading challenge with a hairpin?

A She decided to make her life meaningful.

B She hoped to be well-known in the world.

C She got the inspiration from Kyle MacDonald.

D She was supported to do so by online followers.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第三段第一句She was inspired to take on the challenge after watching a video of Kyle MacDonald who managed to swap a red paper clip for a house over the space of a year and 14 trades between 2005 and 2006.可知，她发起这项挑战是受一位名叫凯尔·麦克唐纳的男子的启示，他曾用一枚红色的曲别针换回了一栋房子，故选C。

4.What’s Ms Skipper’s attitude toward the trade with others?

A Active.

B Cautious.

C Impatient.

D Surprised.

解析：选B。观点态度题。根据文章最后一段最后一句Ms Skipper said she took precautions to ensure she was safe when meeting traders through the Internet, but "surprisingly" people willing to trade had been "open and really nice".可知斯基普表示，她在通过互联网与交易人见面时采取了预防措施，以确保自己的安全，但“令人惊讶”的是，愿意交易的人一直是“开放的，非常友好的”。由此看出她对与他人交易这件事还是持谨慎的态度，故选B。