原题
I never thought I could be a writer. I didn’t come from a family connected to the 41 world, which I perceived as a major 42 . After my undergraduate degree, convinced that writing wasn’t for me, I 43 to study teaching.
Then came an afternoon that 44 everything. I was teaching poetry, encouraging students to write about their 45 . And then, at the end of the lesson, one child asked me a question: “Have you always wanted to be a 46 , Miss?” I explained that when I was his age, I actually wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t think I quite had what it 47 . The boy replied with a 48 look, “Well, you are telling us to live our dreams when you haven’t even done it yourself. Have you even 49 ?”
I was struck speechless — he was 50 . Who was I to 51 them on bravery and risk when I had never taken myself nor my own 52 seriously?
On the basis of that 53 , I applied to go back to university and study creative writing. There were times when I found myself wondering if I should pack it all in, but the boy’s words kept ringing in my ears. I knew I needed nothing else to succeed but a bit of 54 and hard work. I 55 to find a way out of my shame and into a pattern of work that I loved.
41. A. medicalB. artisticC. scientificD. literary
42. A. subjectB. problemC. eventD. breakthrough
43. A. stepped asideB. got upC. went offD. turned back
44. A. changedB. ruinedC. revealedD. interrupted
45. A. hobbiesB. familiesC. dreamsD. lessons
46. A. writerB. teacherC. reporterD. publisher
47. A. keptB. leftC. heldD. took
48. A. satisfiedB. guiltyC. gratefulD. disapproving
49. A. triedB. noticedC. askedD. waited
50. A. rudeB. rightC. shyD. silent
51. A. examineB. congratulateC. lectureD. consult
52. A. valuesB. imaginationC. inspirationD. desires
53. A. cooperationB. conversationC. administrationD. explanation
54. A. self-beliefB. know-howC. brainstormingD. teamwork
55. A. rememberedB. agreedC. managedD. hesitated
答案及详细解析
41. D。根据空前的I didn’t come from a family connected to the以及后文作者一直想成为作家却认为自己不够格可知,作者认为自己的家庭与“文学”世界无关。literary (文学的)与“作家”直接对应。
42. B。空前的which I perceived as a major指代“家庭与文学世界无联系”这一事实,作者将其视为自己写作道路上的一大“问题”或障碍。problem传达出消极、无奈的自我否定情绪。
43. C。作者在本科毕业后,“确信写作不适合自己”,于是“转而”去学习教学。went off在此处意为“离开(原方向)去做另一件事”,体现职业方向的变化。
44. A。那个下午发生的事彻底“改变”了作者的人生轨迹——从逃避写作到被学生质问并最终重返校园。下文作者申请回大学学习创意写作,说明这是一次积极的转折。
45. C。作者当时在教诗歌,鼓励学生写的内容应与后文学生反问中的live our dreams形成呼应。dreams (梦想)贯穿全文,学生后来质问“你自己都没追逐梦想,凭什么让我们追梦”,证明作者当时让学生写的正是“梦想”。
46. B。因为学生看到老师正在教书,自然而然会好奇老师是否从小就想从事这个职业。而后文作者回答“我小时候其实想当作家”也呼应了孩子的问题,形成了对比与冲突,从而引出了孩子接下来的质问。
47. D。固定习语have what it takes意为“具备成功所需的条件、能力”。作者认为自己不具备成为作家的条件。
48. D。学生在听完作者“我认为自己不够格”的解释后,用反问句尖锐地批评作者言行不一,其表情应是“不赞同的”。disapproving准确传递出质疑、批评的态度。
49. A。学生的核心质问是:你自己连“尝试”都没有尝试过,凭什么让我们追逐梦想? tried呼应前文作者只是“认为”自己不行,却没有付出实际行动。
50. B。作者被质问得哑口无言,内心承认学生说得“对”。
51. C。固定搭配lecture sb. on sth.意为“就某事教训/说教某人”。作者反问自己有何资格对学生“说教”勇敢和冒险。
52. D。作者从未认真对待的是自己内心的“渴望”——成为作家的梦想。desires 直接对应前文的dreams和wanted to be a writer。
53. B。推动作者改变人生的是那次师生之间的“对话”。
54. A。作者领悟到:成功所需的不是天赋或外部资源,而是一点“自信”。self-belief与全文“缺乏自信”的自我否定形成直接对比。
55. C。作者最终“设法”找到了摆脱羞愧、投入热爱工作的途径。managed to do强调克服困难后的成功,与前文作者下定决心、付诸行动的过程一致。