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 individuals 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. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer (自由撰稿者), I had not prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my 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 manual typewriter and felt like a genuine 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 barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I 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
Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
16. The passage is meant 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 pursue wealth and fame |
D.encourage young people to pursue a writing career |
17. What can be concluded from the passage?
A.Genuine 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 and isolation. |
D.The chances for a writer to become successful are small. |
18. “people who die wondering. What if?” ( Line 5, Para. 3) 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 |
19. “Shadowland” in the last sentence refers to ________.
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 |