Teri Bolton is 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.

She credits these skills to her late grandfather and builder Derek Lloyd. From the age of six, Teri, 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 it was backbreaking work, but I know he was proud of my skills.”

Teri, who now rents a house 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 personalize 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.”

With millions of people likely to take on DIY projects over the 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 fifths 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.

1.Which is closest in meaning to “a dab hand” in paragraph 1?

A An artist.

B A winner.

C A specialist.

D A pioneer.

解析：选C。C 词义猜测题。根据文章第一段画线短语下文“Skilled at putting up shelves and piecing together furniture, she never pays someone else to do a job she can do herself. ”可知，此处指Terri Boltonis是一位DIY高手。 C项“A specialist (一位专业人员)”最接近画线短语“a dab hand”的意思。故选C。

2.Why did Teri’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.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据文章第二段“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. ”可知，Terri的祖父每天给她5英镑是作为对她的工作的鼓励。故选B。

3.How did Teri avoid losing the deposit on the house she rented?

A By making it look like before.

B By furnishing it herself.

C By splitting the rent with a roommate.

D By canceling the rental agreement.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章第三段最后一句“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. ”可知，Terri是通过粉饰房间，让它看起来像以前一样，来避免被扣除租房的押金的。故选A。

4.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.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。通过文章最后一段最后一句的“the research shows it is women now leading the charge ”可知，研究表明，DIY将在女性中越来越受欢迎。故选D。