I remember vividly the call that changed my life. It was Tuesday, February 18, when the _ 41_ rang in the kitchen of my Los Angeles home. On the   42   was Marty Bandera, a literary 41. A. phone            B. bell            C. clock             D. alarm

42. A. step              B. line            C. side             D. doorway

43. A. novels            B. things         C. questions       D. problems

44. A. wealth           B. condition       C. care             D. order

45. A. to                B. in              C. on               D. for

46. A. need              B. joy              C. delight          D. astonishment

47. A. refused          B. received        C. judged         D. lost

48. A. worried          B. angry            C. discouraged   D. excited

49. A. couldn’t help            B. got down to        C. got used to               D. went for

50. A. shut down                B. find out           C. give up                       D. set aside

51. A. sold             B. published         C. printed          D. passed

52. A. books            B. shops            C. record           D. list

53. A. writing         B. organizing        C. telling          D. reading

54. A. use              B. love               C. meaning         D. respect

55. A. hope             B. efforts           C. novels             D. imagination

56. A. lasting          B. normal           C. careful           D. general

57. A. mind            B. book              C. voice             D. work

58. A. pulled          B. write              C. broke              D. looked

59. A. thinking         B. reading          C. developing        D. translating

60. A. friend           B. age               C. success           D. failure

I remember vividly the call that changed my life. It was Tuesday, February 18, when the 31  rang in the kitchen of my Los Angeles home. On the  32  was Marty Bandera, a literary agent to whom I had sent a draft(草稿) of my novel three weeks earlier. “ I have a couple of 33 ,” Bandera said.

“First, how old are you?” “I’m 48,” I replied.

“Are you in good 34 ?” “Yes, excellent. What’s this about?”

“I’ve sold your novels 35 one and a half million dollars.”

I sat down in 36 . I had written over fourteen novels in twenty years, but each one had been 37 by the publishers. I suppose many people would have been 38 , but not me. Each time, I just 39 writing another one. My husband advised me to find something else to do, but I refused to 40 . Seeing this book 41 was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s a mystery story (like all the others) and it was on the best-seller 42 two weeks after publication!

I got my first lesson in story 43 from my grandmother. She used to read me stories. She was the one who gave me a 44 of words. She sparked(激发) my 45  and she has been a 46  influence on me. I always had stories running through my 47  and as soon as I could write I 48  them down on paper.

I married young and I have three children, but I never stopped writing, 49  novels between doing the diapers(婴儿的尿布) and dishes. I am writing another novel now. Yes, my 50 has changed my life。