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, I had no prospects at all: What I did have was a friend who found me my r Tm 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.
11. 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
12. 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.
13. Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career _____. [A] He wasn t able to produce a single book. [B] He hadn t seen a change for the better. [C] He wasn t able to have a rest for a whole year. [D] He found his dream would never come true.
14. "...people who die wondering, What if "(Line 3, 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
15. "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