Steven Spielberg was not a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than read, the kid really preferred running around with an 8mm camera, shooting homemade movies, which he showed to friends for a small fee.
In his first year of high school, he dropped out. But when his parents persuaded him to return, he was mistakenly placed in a learningdisabled class, which lasted one month. Only when the family moved to another town did he land up in a more suitable high school, where he eventually graduated.
After being denied entrance into a traditional filmmaking school, Steven Spielherg enrolled in English at California State University at Long Beach. Then in 1965, he recalls, in one of those serendipitous moments, his life took a complete turn. Visiting Universal Studios, he met Chuck Silvers, an executive in the editorial department. Silvers liked the kid who made 8mm films and invited him back sometime to visit.
He appeared the next day. Spielberg, dressed in a dark suit, carrying his father's briefcase with nothing inside but a sandwich and candy bars walked confidently up to the guard at the gate of Universal and gave him a casual wave. The guard waved back. He was in.
“For the entire summer，” Spielberg remembers, “I dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and writers, including Silvers, who knew the kid wasn't a studio employee, but winked at him. I even found an office that wasn't being used, and became a squatter (擅自占用他人房子的人). I bought some plastic tiles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C.”
It paid off for everyone. Ten years later, the 28yearold Spielberg directed Jaws, which took in $470 million, then the biggest grossing movie of all time. Dozens of films and awards have followed because Steven Spielberg knew what his teachers didn't—talent is in the eyes of the filmmaker.
小题1:Why was Steven Spielberg laughed at by his classmates?
A．He was the youngest boy.
B．He was too short for his age.
C．He liked to fight with other boys.
D．He didn't care much about his lessons.小题2:Why did Steven's friends pay him some money?
A．To see his movies.
B．To use his camera.
C．To look at his photos.
D．To include them in the movie.小题3:What did Steven Spielberg intend to do after graduating from high school?
A．Study English at a college.
B．Become a newspaper editor.
C．Work for Universal Studios.
D．Go to a traditional filmmaking school.小题4:What could have changed Steven Spielberg's life?
A．Being dressed in a suit.
B．Meeting Chuck Silvers.
C．Missing a filmmaking school.
D．Working for Universal Studios.小题5:What can we learn from the story?
A．Always follow our dream and we can make it.
B．We need someone to help us realize our dreams.
C．Anyone can become a film director if he wants to.
D．We should grasp the opportunity that comes our way.
