I hope that you can　____ a better idea than his.

A. come up to   B. come up  C. come up with  D. come with

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 people 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. Coat Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no hope at all．What I did have was a friend who found me a 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 typewriter and felt like a real 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 I hardly made enough to eat．But I knew I wanted to write，l 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 shadow land of hope，and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．

1.The purpose of the passage is 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 seek wealth and fame

D．encourage young people to be a writer over a long period of time

2.What can be concluded from the passage?

A．Real 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．

D．The chances for a writer to become successful are little．

3.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．

4.“…people who die wondering，what if?” 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

D．who are full of imagination even upon death

5.“shadow land” in the last sentence means          ．

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

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 people 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. Coat Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no hope at all．What I did have was a friend who found me a 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 typewriter and felt like a real 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 I hardly made enough to eat．But I knew I wanted to write，l 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 shadow land of hope，and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．

1. 1.

   The purpose of the passage is to         ．

   1. A.
      warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience
   2. B.
      advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer
   3. C.
      show young people it's unrealistic for a writer to seek wealth and fame
   4. D.
      encourage young people to be a writer over a long period of time
2. 2.

   What can be concluded from the passage?

   1. A.
      Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding．
   2. B.
      A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort．
   3. C.
      Famous writers usually live in poverty．
   4. D.
      The chances for a writer to become successful are little．
3. 3.

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

   1. A.
      He wasn't able to produce a single book．
   2. B.
      He hadn't seen a change for the better．
   3. C.
      He wasn't able to have a rest for a whole year．
   4. D.
      He found his dream would never come true．
4. 4.

   “…people who die wondering，what if?” refers to “those         ”．

   1. A.
      who think too much of the dark side of life
   2. B.
      who regret giving up their career halfway
   3. C.
      who think a lot without making a decision
   4. D.
      who are full of imagination even upon death
5. 5.

   “shadow land” in the last sentence means         ．

   1. A.
      the wonderland one often dreams about
   2. B.
      the bright future that one is looking forward to
   3. C.
      the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reached
   4. D.
      a world that exists only in one's imagination

CHICAGO --Bill Clinton's eagerly awaited memoir(自传), My Life, will be published this June, and is sure to ignite（点燃）a firestorm of interest in an already politically charged election year. Bill Clinton said that most presidential memoirs are thought to be "dull and self-serving, but I hope mine is interesting and self-serving.”

My Life, which is being published by Knopf and will sell for $ 35, is expected by many industry watchers to rise to the top of the best-seller lists.

Clinton said the book tells the story of his life from his birth and childhood in Arkansas to his years in the White House. From the book readers can have a look at his successes and setbacks.

He tells the story “as it happens to me, so you see what it's like to be president ... to see how everything happens at once.”

Without offering specifics or mentioning Monica Lewinsky, Clinton said, "I don't spare myself" in the book.

"I have no idea if this is a great book," he said, "but it's a pretty good story. "

Clinton was reportedly paid an advance of $10 million for the book, which was supposed to be done a year ago.

"The minute that book goes on sale, people will be lined up buying the book," said Bob Wietrak, a vice-president（副总统）and chief merchant for Barnes & Noble.

Some predict the 957-page book will be one of the few presidential memoirs to fly off shelves.

Booksellers have already taken pre-orders. The 1.5 million-copy first printing is bigger than the first run for Hillary Clinton's memoir Living History, which sold 1.8 million copies.

56. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the book My Life?

A. It will come out in June.  B. It has 957 pages in all.

C. It is priced at $ 35.  D. It will be published by Barnes & Noble

57. Readers will not find much information about        in the book.

A. Clinton's childhood  B. Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky

C. Clinton's political life   D. Clinton’s presidential election

58. The underlined word "setback" means              .

A. a change from worse to better   B. a change from better to worse

C. a change from worse to worst          D. a change better to best

59. What can we learn about the sale of book?

A. The whole printing will be bigger than that of Hillary Clinton's Living History

B. Some booksellers have placed orders beforehand.

C. The book will be taken off the shelves after it meets failure.

D. People have to place an order for the book before it comes out.