| "Your first home," Laurence Yep wrote in his autobiography, The Lost Garden (1991), "will always be the one that you remember best." For Yep, whose father and maternal grandparents emigrated from China, that home was an apartment, and the family grocery store it came with , in an African-American neighborhood of San Francisco. As young people, both he and his older brother, Thomas, helped out at the store. It was there that young Laurence taught himself to juggle while unpacking endless cartons of soup cans. And it was there that he learned about patience, hard work, and getting along with neighbors. A high school English teacher who set high goals for his students was the first person to encourage Yep to write. The experience of that class changed the direction of his life. Yep was eighteen when he published his first short story, a sci-fi fantasy. He has since written many books and many kinds of books, including picture books, mysteries, historical novels, science fiction, fantasy, and realistic stories set in the present day. He has retold Chinese folk stories and written for the theater. In nearly all these varied works, Yep, who is married to the children's book author Joanne Ryder, has returned to questions he has been asking himself since childhood: What does it mean to be Chinese and American? What is it like to live the life of an outsider in an alien world or culture? Can one who belongs to two cultures ever feel at home anywhere? |
Laurence Yep was asked this question: How has being of Chinese heritage been important to you? Laurence Yep replied, “The answer to that question has changed dramatically more than once. As a child I hated Chinese school. I wanted to be as American as possible. Then, in my early twenties, I became very interested in my Chinese roots. ” “For years after that, I thought that my function as a Chinese American writer was to act as a bridge between two cultures. Now, though, I am not so sure that it is possible to blend two cultures together. Asian cultures are family-and cooperation- oriented. American culture on the other hand emphasizes the individual and competition. The two cultures pull in opposite directions. So I see myself now as someone who will always be on the border between two cultures. That works to my benefit as a writer because not quite fitting in helps me be a better observer. ” |
1．Based on the information in the passage, knowledge Laurence Yep gained at his family's store is .
A．being competitive B．setting high goals
C．living life as an outsider D．getting along with neighbors
2．Which sequence best expresses the change in Laurel Yep's view of his own heritage?
A．wanted to keep Chinese heritage →wanted to be of American culture only→became disconnected both cultures
B．was interested in American culture→became interested in Chinese culture→chose to keep Chinese culture only
C．Felt connected to two cultures→became interested in American culture→ chose to keep American culture only
D．wanted to be part of American culture only→became interested in Chinese culture →became a part to both cultures
3．How is the information in the interview different from the information in the passage?
A．It describes the author’s varied writing styles.
B．It discusses the author’s relationship with his family .
C．It provides details about the author’s childhood and family .
D．It explains the link between the author's heritage and his writing .
4．Which saying best describes Laurence Yep’s attitude as it is revealed in the interview?
A．Learn to embrace your own differences .
B．Put the needs of others ahead of your own.
C．Work hard and you will receive many benefits.
D．Challenge others as you would wish to be challenged .
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1．This passage most probably is a (n) _____.
A．advertisement B．news story
C．lab report D．letter of thanks
2．From the passage we learn that Mindle is a device which _____.
A．has neither wires nor weight B．is operated by a computer
C．disappears while you read D．can find a book within one minute
3．With the device, the reader is able to _____.
A．enjoy reading when driving a car B．improve reading skills
C．gain access to free software D．get rid of heavy books made of paper
4．Different from mobile phones, Mindle _____.
A．has a much more friendly screen
B．can work in the absence of electricity
C．doesn’t involve regular fees
D．is wireless and can be used anywhere
