Writing being largely a self-taught occupation, texts on how to get about it -though great in number- seldom are of much use. .www.7caiedu.cn

You try, and fail. Then try again. Until at last, if you have some gift for it, the failures become less frequent, or at any rate less apparantly.

It is this ability to cover up one’s defects that is finally regarded as accomplishment or achievement.

Along the way there are the discouragements of unkind criticism, outright rejection, troublesome insecurity and irregular inability to meet debts.

It is uncommon, therefore, to come across a book containing advice of much practical value for anyone toying（漫不经心地考虑） with the dangerous idea of staring on a writing life.

A friend recently lent me such a book, however - one I wish I’d had the luck to read years ago, and which I would recommend to any young person devoted to making a career of words. It is the autobiography （自传） of the English novelist Anthony Trollope, first published in 1883, the year after his death.

Needing some means to support himself, Trollope at age 19 worked as a junior clerk in the British postal service. He was at his desk at 5:30 each morning to write for three hours. And he remained in the mail service 33 years, long after reputation and prosperity had come to him.

Now, what of his advice in his works?

1. For safety’s sake, arm yourself with some other skills, some other line of work to fall back on（求助）。 That way, failure at writing, though the disappointment may appear, will not mean ruin.

2. Do not depend too much on inspiration. Writing is a craft, which Trollope compared to the craft of shoemaking. The shoemaker who has just turned out one pair of his work sets to work immediately on the next pair.

3. Have a story to tell, but, more important than that, people with characters who will speak and move as living creatures in the reader’s mind. Without memorable characters, story alone is nothing.

4. Meet your deadlines. Life is endlessly “painful and troublesome” for writers who can’t finish their work on time.

5. Do not be carried away by praise. And, above all, do not be injured by criticism.

6. Understand the risks of writing for a living. “The career, when successful, is pleasant enough certainly; but when unsuccessful, it is of all careers the most painful.”

1.This passage mainly discusses__________.

2. From the context we can figure out that the underlined word “defect” in Paragraph 3 means__.

3.According to the author, writing _______.

4.From the passage we may infer that the author is most probably        

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

     阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16-35各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

The Price of a Dream

　　I grew up poor—living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was 　16　 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 　17　 a dream.

My dream was 　18　. By the time I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and 　19　 anything that moved on the football field.

I was also  20　. My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me 　21　 to believe in myself. He 　22　 me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular 　23　 with Coach John changed my life forever.

　　A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike, new clothes and the 　24　 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　25　 up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.

　　When I told John, he was 　26　 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” He shouted. “Your 　27　 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head 　28　, trying to think of the right　29　 　that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　30　 in me.

　　“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” He asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied.

　　“Well,” he asked, “is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?”

　　That simple question made  31    for me the difference between  32 　something at once and having a 　33　. I decided myself to play sports that summer and the ___34    year after I finished high school, I was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　35　 a $ 20,000 contract. Finally, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

16. A. happy                       B. polite　                    C. shy　                                 D. honest

17. A. live                            B. have　　　           C. make　　　              D. need

18. A. athletics                      B. music　　　      C. business　　                   D. money

19. A. kick                            B. play                            C. pass　　　　                 D. hit

20. A. right                          B. popular　　            C. lucky　　　                   D. honest

21. A. how                           B. why　　　            C. when　　　              D. whether

22. A. gave                          B. taught　　　      C. brought　　　              D. asked

23. A. accident                       B. matter　　                 C. problem　　                  D. experience

24. A. aim　　　　        B. idea　　　         C. start　　　　              D. purpose

25. A. keep　　　         B. end　　　          C. give　　　　               D. pick

26. A. mad　　　　        B. mournful　         C. frightened　                D. shameful

27. A. living　　　          B. playing　　              C. working　　                 D. dreaming

28. A. moving　　          B. nodding　　            C. shaking　　                 D. hanging

29. A. answers　　        B. excuses　　            C. words　　　                D. ways

30. A. sadness　　     B. regret　                 C. hopelessness              D. disappointment

31. A. direct　　　　    B. clear　　                C. straight　　　       D. bare

32. A. wanting　　　     B. changing　　           C. dreaming　　              D. enjoying

33. A. wish　　　　　   B. goal　　　              C. score　　　　       D. desire

34. A. following　　　    B. same　　               C. previous　　                D. very

35. A. charged　　　　B. got　　　　             C. offered　　           D. presented

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）中，选出可以填入空白处的最

佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Little Chad was a shy,   21   young man. One day he came home and told his mother that he’d like to make a Valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, “I wish he  22   do that！” because she had   23   the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always   24   them. They laughed and   25  on to each other. But Chad was never   26  . However, she decided she would   27   with her son. So she bought the paper and glue and crayons(蜡笔). For three weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made 35 valentines.

Valentine’s Day   28  , and Chad was   29   himself with excitement. He carefully put them in a bag and walked out of the door. His mother decided to bake him his favorite cookies and   30   them nice and warm with a cool glass of milk when he came home. She just knew he would be   31   and maybe that would ease(减轻) the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn’t get many valentines-maybe   32  at all.

That afternoon she had the cookies and milk on the table. When she heard the children outside, she looked out of the window. Sure enough,   33  they came, laughing and having the   34   time. And, as   35  , there was Chad at the back. He walked a little faster than usual. She   36   expected him to burst into   37   as soon as he got inside. His arms were   38  , she noticed, and when the door opened she choked back the tears.

“Mommy has some cookies and milk for you,” she said.

But he hardly heard her words, he just   39   right on by, his face aglow(满面红光), and all he could say was, “Not a one. Not a one.”

Her heart sank.

And then he added, “I didn’t forget a one, not a   40   one!”

21．A．excited       B．quiet  C．cold    D．calm

22．A．shouldn’t   B．might          C．wouldn’t    D．could

23．A．watched    B．noticed       C．found D．stared

24．A．behind        B．among        C．with   D．beside

25．A．dropped     B．hung  C．fell      D．turned

26．A．contained  B．included     C．received     D．favored

27．A．go on B．go off C．go in  D．go along

28．A．reached     B．followed     C．passed       D．dawned

29．A．in        B．of        C．beside        D．for

30．A．provide       B．offer  C．serve D．supply

31．A．disappointed      B．worried      C．high   D．anxious

32．A．some B．none  C．any     D．nothing

33．A．there B．where         C．nowhere    D．anywhere

34．A．best   B．good  C．great D．happy

35．A．never B．always        C．still     D．seldom

36．A．hardly         B．badly C．fully    D．seriously

37．A．laughter     B．laughing     C．crying         D．tears

38．A．full      B．straight      C．empty         D．bent

39．A．traveled     B．marched    C．moved        D．rolled

40．A．single          B．only    C．very   D．just

It’s only after three weeks into a new job that I made a serious mistake. My boss called it “extremely embarrassing” in a company-wide e-mail — which,    31  , he wrote because he felt he needed to explain that what I did was something    32  in the company should ever do.
I wish I   33   give a good excuse for what I did. At the very least, I wish I could explain it somehow —    34  it on youth, inexperience or ignorance. Unfortunately, I’m    35  , experienced and I know better.
   36  I work with some very kind and compassionate(富于同情心的) people. For the past couple of days many of them have taken time to   37  by my desk and offer comfort, encouragement and support. Some have shared with me similar    38  they have made. Evidently I’m not the only “    39   ” person here.
One of the exchanges I had this week was with Lois, the much-honored, much-respected professional who    40  the desk right next to mine. Lois was completely    41  about her work, and to be honest I was a little nervous about how she would   42  to such an extremely embarrassing incident.
As I expected, Lois didn’t pass over the   43   when she saw me the next day. She mentioned it directly,   44  with empathetic consideration. She listened to my   45  . Just as I was ready to express my regrets, she brought my self-pity partly to a(n)   46  .
“It happened”, she said, “There’s nothing you can do to    47  that. It happened. But it’s over now. It’s   48  . It’s in the past. You need to let it go, and move on.” And with that she returned her   49  to her work, as if to say, “We’re done here.”
I beat myself up for weeks. At such times I need to remember those   50  words: It’s over. It’s done. Let it go. And mostly, move on.