Maupassant（居·莫泊桑）was born in 1850 in northern France. His early life was not happy. His parents separated when he was 11. Most of his education came informally from Gustave Flaubert—his mother’s friend and his godfather, a journalist and novelist. Often Flaubert would let him take a walk and then ask him to write 100 lines about what he saw. This type of training developed in Maupassant a sense of observation, which he later put to use in his writing. Flaubert also allowed Maupassant to attend his Sunday gatherings with others in his literary circle
For a few years, Maupassant was connected with the Ministry of Public Instruction. It is interesting to note that Monsieur Loisel, a poor man character in The Necklace, worked there. He also served in the French army during the Franco-Prussian War. His favorite writing subjects were peasants, servants, in the city, and the Francd-Prussian War.
At an early age, Maupassant started writing short stories. In 1880, some of his works were published and he received a wide reputation for Boule de Suif (Ball of Tallow). With this success, he began to work full-time on writing. During the next ten years, he wrote over 300 stories, including six novels, three travel books, and a book of verse. Through them, he earn a lot of money.
His writing was classical and simple, avoiding social comments and dirty details. His works often showed a real world and an accurate knowledge of the subject. Although Maupassant wrote in many forms, he received widest recognition for his short stories. By 1890, Maupassant was suffering from the latter staged of syphilis（梅毒）. He died in 1893 in Paris.
小题1: Which of the following is TRUE about Gustave Flaubert?
A．He often went out for a walk with Maupassant.
B．He was a journalist and novelist working for church.
C．He had a great influence on Maupassant’s writing..
D．He often helped Maupassant with his writing homework.小题2: From text we know Monsieur Loisel is _______.
A．a man selling necklaces
B．a character in one of Maupassant’s works.
C．a short story 
written by Maupassant
D．a friend of Maupassant the Ministry of Public Instruction小题3: What are the characteristics of Maupassant’s stories?
A．They have few social comments.
B．They are simple and humorous.
C．They only focus on the lives of peasants.
D．They are full of imagination.小题4:What can we learn about Maupassant from the text?
A．Only in his 30s did he begin to write stories.
B．He did not received any formal education.
C．He spent his last years happily.
D．Boule de Suif was his first success.
