Question

Mark,a young person,tells me he wants to be a writer.I always encourage such people,but I also explain that there’s a big difference between “being a writer” and writing.In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame,not the long hours alone at a typewriter (打字机).“You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them,“not want to be a writer.”

The reality is that writing is a lonely,private and poor-paying affair.For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded (报答).When I left a 20-year job in the U.S.Coast Guard to become a writer,I had no hopes at all.

What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building.It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom.I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer.

After a year or so,however,I still hadn’t got a break and began to doubt (怀疑)myself.It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat.But I knew I wanted to write.I had dreamed about it for years.I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering “what if”.

I would keep putting my dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty (不确定)and fear of failure.This is the shadowland of hope,and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.

1.According to the author’s idea,writing is .

A. enjoyable B. interesting C. lonely D. boring

2.When the author left his 20-year job,he .

A. felt sad B. lost his heart C. felt unforgettable D. found himself

3.When the author went to the New York apartment building,.

A. there was almost nothing there B. there was everything there

C. the author was pleased with it D. the author was so happy

4.What does the underlined word “shadowland” probably mean in Chinese?

A. 点点希望 B. 夺目强光 C. 人生低谷 D. 虚幻境界

5.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Tell us to study hard. B. Let us dream of succeeding.

C. Let us do something that we can’t accept. D. Hold on to your dream even if you meet difficulties.

Answer 1