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 as 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 wish 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 no hope 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 typewriter and felt like a real writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t got 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 shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
小题1:The writer wrote the passage to ________.
A．warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience
B．advise young people to give up their ideas of becoming a professional writer
C．show young people it’s unrealistic for a writer to dream of wealth and fame
D．encourage young people to gain a writing career小题2:What can be concluded from the passage?
A．Real writers often find their works interesting and rewarding.
B．A writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort.
C．Famous writers usually live in poverty and loneliness.
D．The chances for a writer to become successful are small.小题3:The underlined part “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 careers halfway
C．who think a lot without making a decision
D．who are full of imaginations even upon death小题4:What is the best title of the passage?
A．how to be a writer
B．how to earn fame
C．how to write well
D．how to keep dreaming
小题1:A
小题2:D
小题3:B
小题4:A
题目分析：本文主要讲述的就是从事写作行业的艰难，告诉我们要想以写作为生，要耐得住寂寞，能够坚持自己的理想等。
小题1:A 推理题。根据文章1,2段，尤其是第二段内容The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose wish is never rewarded.可知写作是一种很艰难的，很寂寞的工作，不是很多人能够做到的。故A正确。
小题2:D 细节题。根据第二段The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose wish is never rewarded可知很多从事写作的人都没有成功，成功的人是少数。故D正确。
小题3:B 推理题。根据本句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.其中的第二句我会继续坚持梦想，尽管意味着生活艰难。说明他不愿意放弃自己的理想。故B正确。
小题4:A 主旨大意题。本文主要讲述的就是从事写作行业的艰难，告诉我们要想以写作为生，要耐得住寂寞，能够坚持自己的理想等。故A正确。
点评：。本文主要讲述的就是从事写作行业的艰难，告诉我们要想以写作为生，要耐得住寂寞，能够坚持自己的理想等。从题目设置的角度看，本题侧重对学生把握文章中心段落和各段落的中心句的能力的考查，所以遇到这类题后，要注意把握好文章结构，了解文章中心意思，找到各段落中心句。不要让文中的一些生词影响了注意力。