Success is often measured by the ability to overcome
adversity. But, it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to
try.
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series,
began writing at age 6. In her biography, she remembers with great fondness
when her good friend, Sean, whom she met in secondary school, became the first
person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be
a very good writer.
“He was the first person with whom I really discussed
my serious ambition to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I
was bound to be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told
him at the time.”
Despite many setbacks Rowling persevered in her
writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until l990 that she first
conceived the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls, it was on a long train
journey from London to Manchester that “the idea of Harry Potter simply fell
into my head. To my immense frustration(沮丧), I didn't
have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could
borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply
sat and thought, for four(delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up
in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know
he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”
That same year, her mother passed away after a
ten-year battle with multiple sclerosis, which deeply affected her writing. She
went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly
afterwards.
During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical
depression. Unemployed, she completed her first novel in area cafes, where she
could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being rejected by l2 publishing
houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing
house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million
copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in
history. And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by
the confidence of a friend !
1.Who believed J. K. Rowling was to be a good writer?
A.Her friend
Sean. B.Her mother. C.Her daughter. D.Her husband.
2.Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry
Potter .
A.at the age of
6 B.on a train
journey
C.after her
mother's death D.in her
secondary school
3.She felt frustrated on the train because .
A.her train was
delayed for four hours
B.she didn't
have a pen with her
C.her mind
suddenly went blank
D.no one would
offer her help
4.It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that
Rowling is .
A.open-minded B.warm-hearted C.good-natured D.strong-willed
5.The text mainly tells us .
A.hardship
makes a good novelist
B.the courage
to try is a special ability
C.you can have
a wonderful idea everywhere
D.encouragement
contributes to one's success