Anthony was sad. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Anthony was sent away to a boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded with（恳求）his parents year after year not to send

him. “The thought was ,it would be good for me,” he recalled.

It was not. Anthony did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel. The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was the desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”

Now, at 55, Anthony is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies，and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, has come out.

The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.

Anthony says he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way.“ I have a feeling that it has something to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.

The style has also made Anthony a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.

Now, Anthony couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success:“…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”

1.Which of the following is true of Anthony?

A. He was the beloved child of his family.  

B. Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.

C. He places more emphasis on the characters’ behavior in his stories.             

D. Studying in a boarding school proved a good choice for him.

2.At boarding school , Anthony’s teachers_____________.

A. often criticized him.                              B. showed great concern for him.

C. encouraged him to be a writer.                D. thought little of his ability.

3.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Anthony’s popular books—Alex Rider series

B. Alex Rider, a popular character

C. Anthony, a successful children’s book author  

D. Special writing style

4.What advice does Anthony give to readers?

A. Confidence is the key to success.     B. Hardship teaches valuable lessons.

C. Internet is the best teacher.                     D. Failure is the mother of success.

Anthony was sad. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Anthony was sent away to a boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded with（恳求）his parents year after year not to send
him. “The thought was ,it would be good for me,” he recalled.
It was not. Anthony did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel. The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was the desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at 55, Anthony is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies，and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, has come out.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.
Anthony says he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way.“ I have a feeling that it has something to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
The style has also made Anthony a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Anthony couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success:“…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”

1. 1.

   Which of the following is true of Anthony?

   1. A.
      He was the beloved child of his family.
   2. B.
      Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.
   3. C.
      He places more emphasis on the characters’ behavior in his stories.
   4. D.
      Studying in a boarding school proved a good choice for him.
2. 2.

   At boarding school , Anthony’s teachers________.

   1. A.
      often criticized him.
   2. B.
      showed great concern for him.
   3. C.
      encouraged him to be a writer.
   4. D.
      thought little of his ability.
3. 3.

   What would be the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      Anthony’s popular books—Alex Rider series
   2. B.
      Alex Rider, a popular character
   3. C.
      Anthony, a successful children’s book author
   4. D.
      Special writing style
4. 4.

   What advice does Anthony give to readers?

   1. A.
      Confidence is the key to success.
   2. B.
      Hardship teaches valuable lessons.
   3. C.
      Internet is the best teacher.
   4. D.
      Failure is the mother of success.

Anthony was sad. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Anthony was sent away to a boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded with（恳求）his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was ,it would be good for me,” he recalled.

It was not. Anthony did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel. The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was the desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”

Now, at 55, Anthony is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies，and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, has come out.

The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.

Anthony says he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way.“ I have a feeling that it has something to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.

The style has also made Anthony a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.

Now, Anthony couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success:“…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”

56.Which of the following is true of Anthony?

A. He was the beloved child of his family.   

B. Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.

C. He places more emphasis on the characters’ behavior in his stories.            

D. Studying in a boarding school proved a good choice for him.

57.At boarding school , Anthony’s teachers_____________.

A. often criticized him.                                     

B. showed great concern for him.

C. encouraged him to be a writer.                                           

D. thought little of his ability.

58.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Anthony’s popular books—Alex Rider series                                            

B. Alex Rider, a popular character

C. Anthony, a successful children’s book author                      

D. Special writing style

59.What advice does Anthony give to readers?

A. Confidence is the key to success.                       

B. Hardship teaches valuable lessons.

C. Internet is the best teacher.                    

D. Failure is the mother of success.

Dear editor,

      Several days ago, I heard that a dear friend of mine had killed herself. I was deep in sorrow by the sudden news. I can’t keep calm any longer. I’m always thinking about life and death.

      Life is so precious. If we can slip into death in an impulsive (冲动的) moment, what use in all our efforts and hopes? Our families, our ambitions, everything is flung into total darkness. And death allows no time for regret.

      Nevertheless, the suicide rate increases year by year, particularly of young people. Reasons may vary from person to person, yet I think they share something in common.

      First, today’s young people are morally weak. They hunger for success but can not face failure; they are eager to be understood but afraid of opening their hearts to others. They live in a wide world, from east to west, ancient to present, but their hearts beat in a narrow desert, closed tight, unable to communicate. Each becomes an isolated fortress (孤堡), lonely, and weak.

      My friend is a good example of that. As a young teacher, she was devoted to her work but was disappointed with her students’ occasional failures. She fell in love with a colleague but he deserted her. With no close friends, disappointed at work and in love, death seemed to her the only remaining choice and she took it.

      Another reason for the weakness of today’s youth, in my opinion, comes from society’s pressures. The young are forced to try too hard to succeed. On the other hand, society refuses to accept that children sometimes do fail. But failure is more important because it can teach the young how to win next time.

      What can we do to save the desperate young?

56. The passage wants to tell us         .

      A. a lot of young people choose death to escape from the society

      B. the number of people who take suicide is larger and larger

      C. the young people should go to see doctors to solve the spiritual problems

      D. the reason why the young kill themselves lies in two main kinds

57. In the writer’s opinion, failure is         .

       A. the mother of success                       B. the key to success

       C. good for the young                            D. bad for the young

58. Among the following, which one is NOT the cause of “my friend’s death”?

      A. She has too much society’s pressure. 

      B. She is not well content with her work.

        C. She is disappointed in love.         

        D. She doesn’t get on well with others.

59. The passage suggests those people       would be most likely to take suicide.

       A. who are alone                              B. who are weak-minded

       C. who fail in love                            D. who suffer from society’s pressures