Ⅲ. Reading Comprehension(30 points, 2 points for each item)

　　从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

　　Passage One转自环 球 网 校edu24ol.com

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

　　Many 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 individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. “ 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. When I left a 20 — year career in the U.S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer ( 自由撰稿者 ), I had no prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me in 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 manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer.

　　After a year or so, however, I still hadn ? t gotten a break and began to doubt 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 and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.

　　21. The passage is meant to .

　　A. warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience

　　B. advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer

　　C. show young people it's unrealistic for a writer to pursue wealth and fame

　　D. encourage young people to pursue a writing career 【】

　　22. What can be concluded from the passage?

　　A. Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.

　　B. A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort.

　　C. Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation.

　　D. The chances for a writer to become successful are small. 【】

　　23. Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?

　　A. He wasn't able to produce a single book.

　　B. He hadn't seen a change for the better.

　　C. He wasn't able to have a rest for a whole year.

　　D. He found his dream would never come true. 【】

　　24. “ ... people who die wondering, What if? ” (Line 3, para.3) refers to “ those ” .

　　A. who think too much of the dark side of life

　　B. who regret giving up their career halfway

　　C. who think a lot without making a decision转自环 球 网 校edu24ol.com

　　D. who are full of imagination even upon death 【】

　　25. “Shadowland” in the last sentence refers to .

　　A. the wonderland one often dreams about

　　B. the bright future that one is looking forward to

　　C. the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reached

　　D. a world that exists only in one's imagination 【】

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