When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled unkindly,  36  nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be  37 , only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so ashamed I burst into  38 . That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my  39 , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I  40  success. I’d sold the first thing I’d  41  written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck that was fine with me.

     During the next two years I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)  42  my published works. I never  43  my writing to my teachers, friends or my family  44  because they were dream killers.

I had four children at the time.  45  the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a  46  and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start  47  another book. Crying Wind, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became  48  reading in native American schools in Canada.

     The  49  year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I  50 , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I use an electric typewriter that I paid a hundred and twenty nine dollars  51  six years ago. I do all the housework and  52  my writing in a few minutes here and there. I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right  53  I’ve succeeded. Writing is  54 , it’s fun and anyone can do it.  55 , a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled       , and even worse, the rest nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be        . Only geniuses can become writers.” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so       that I burst into tears. That night I wrote a short          poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my      , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I tasted       ; I’d sold the first thing I’d ever written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck, that was fine with me.

During the next two years, I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)       with my published works. I never       my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again  because they were dream        .

 I had four children at the time. While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a       and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start       another book. Crying Wind, which became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became required        in native American schools in Canada.

      In the       year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I       , what degrees I have and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I use an electric typewriter that I paid a hundred and twenty nine dollars for six years ago. I do all the housework and fit my writing in a few minutes here and there. I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right but I’ve succeeded. Writing is        ; it’s fun and anyone can do it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

1.A. unkindly     B. happily C. willingly         D. crazily

2.A. curious       B. depressed     C. excited D. silly 

3.A. unlucky      B. ashamed        C. moved  D. unconfident

4.A. sad     B. innocent        C. disappointing         D. puzzling

5.A. puzzlement         B. expectation  C. astonishment         D. disappointment

6.A. coldness    B. failure   C. success D. prejudice

7.A. furnished   B. linked   C. combined      D. filled

8.A. remembered     B. concluded     C. described      D. mentioned

9.A. killers         B. makers C. designers      D. creators

10.A. writer       B. reporter        C. publisher       D. manager

11.A. working on       B. going on        C. turning on     D. putting on

12.A. writing     B. reading C. selling   D. buying

13.A. busiest     B. unluckiest     C. worst    D. highest

14.A. worked    B. attended       C. admitted        D. participated

15.A. easy          B. hard      C. convenient   D. practical

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1．5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）选出可以填入空白的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled unkindly,   36   nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be   37  , only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so ashamed I burst into   38   . That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my   39   , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I  40  success. I’d sold the first thing I’d   41  written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck that was fine with me.

     During the next two years I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)  42   my published works. I never   43   my writing to my teachers, friends or my family   44   because they were dream killers.

I had four children at the time.  45   the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a   46   and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start   47  another book. Crying Wind, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became  48  reading in native American schools in Canada.

     The   49  year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I   50   , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I use an electric typewriter that I paid a hundred and twenty nine dollars  51  six years ago. I do all the housework and  52   my writing in a few minutes here and there. I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right   53   I’ve succeeded. Writing is   54   , it’s fun and anyone can do it.   55   , a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

1.A. other              B. others           C. the other        D. the rest

2.  A. silly                B. curious      C. excited      D. depressed

3.  A. laughter         B. tears            C. song         D. cheers

4.  A. puzzlement           B. disappointment   C. expectation      D. astonishment

5.  A. tasted               B. met          C. accepted     D. considered

6.  A. yet              B. never            C. even         D. ever

7.  A. crowded with     B. filled with      C. combined with    D. linked with

8.  A. remembered       B. concluded        C. mentioned   D. described

9.  A. again                B. instead          C. still            D. merely

10. A. Though           B. Before       C. Until            D. While

11.A. writer                B. reporter     C. publisher        D. manager

12.A. working on        B. going on     C. turning on       D. putting on

13. A. requested            B. required     C. demanded     D. reminded

14.A. busiest           B. worse            C. worst           D. highest

15.A. attended          B. took         C. admitted     D. participated

16. A. out              B. to               C. by           D. for

17.A. keep              B. fit          C. save         D. hold

18. A. or               B. so           C. and          D. but

19.A. easy              B. hard         C. convenient       D. practical

20.A. On the contrary   B. Of course    C. As a result     D. In this way

AIDS’ Threat to Asia Grows

NEW DELHI----Just a few years ago, Mala was a typical middle-class Indian housewife. She cooked, cleaned and looked after her two small children.

Last year, her life took a tragic turn. Her husband died of AIDS; she was found out HIV-positive and her mother-in-law took her children away from her, saying they would get the disease. “When friends dropped for a visit, she would introduce me, saying, ‘She is my son’s widow. She has AIDS,’” said Mala. AIDS is now described as “explosive(炸药)” around the world. A study of a hospital in the port city of Durban in South Africa, where the world’s biggest and Africa’s second AIDS conference opened last Sunday, found that almost half the beds in medical wards (病房) were occupied by AIDS patients.

South Africa has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV infections, with 1,700 people infected daily, adding to the 4.3 million, or 10 percent of its population, living with HIV. Until now, Asia has been more successful in holding the AIDS virus than Africa, where the disease has killed about 12 million people.

AIDS is now threatening to surround many of Asia’s poverty-stricken countries. Countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, and Thailand, have HIV infection speeds over 1 percent. But the low speeds hide huge numbers of infected people, because of the population base.

In India, for example, 3.7 million are infected, more than in any other country except South Africa. In China, an estimated 860,000 people (the actual number may be a little larger), mainly drug users, live with HIV/AIDS. Gordon Alexander, a senior advisor for UN AIDS in India, estimates that the number hit by AIDS in Asia will climb about eight million over the next five years from about six million.

In many Asian countries, the battle against HIV is a social and cultural one against public discussion of sexual health put a nationwide media campaign into action to limit the speed of HIV through unsafe sex. Brenton Wong, an official for Singapore’s Action for AIDS, says the actual HIV incidence in the city state of 3.9 million people is at least eight times higher than official data. “Shame and deny is still very, very common so people are afraid to get tested and many times won’t even tell their families if they test positive,” said Wong.

1. We can conclude from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph that ______.

   A. The official data always tell lies and cheat people to hide the truth.       

   B. 3.9 million people in Singapore suffered from AIDS.    

   C. Singapore has a population of 3.9 million              

   D. The number of people infected with HIV is at least eight times larger than that of the AIDS patients in Singapore.

2. It is judged that there are ______ people hit by AIDS in Asia or so.

   A. 4.3 million       B. 6 million        C. 8 million       D. 3.7 million

3. According to the passage, the main reasons that AIDS spread in Asia is through_______. 

   A. blood             B. unsafe sex       C. love            D. drugs

4.Which of the following statements is not right?     

   A. The battle against Aids in many Asian countries is against their culture and

social customs. 

   B. Though the HIV infection in Asia develops with low speed, the infected number

is still quite large compared to other continents.       

   C. India has the second largest number of HIV infected people.  

   D. Aids might affect the poverty-stricken countries more severely.