Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that theres a big difference between being a writer and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at typewriter. Youve 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.Coast Guard to become a freelance writer , I had no prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didnt even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadnt gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasnt 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.
55. By saying that an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince , the writer means _______.
A) different people have different styles of clothes
B) ready-made clothes may need alterations
C) statuses come ready made just like clothes
D) our choice of statuses is limited
[答案及分析]:[D]句意理解题,问文章中说一个美国人不能选择中国农民或印度王子的服装,作者说这句话是什么意思。文章说得很明白:身份如同已有的服装一样,我们在选择时会受到一定限制。所以[D]项正确。
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