Anthony was sad. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Anthony was sent away to a boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded with（恳求）his parents year after year not to send
him. “The thought was ,it would be good for me,” he recalled.
It was not. Anthony did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel. The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was the desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at 55, Anthony is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies，and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, has come out.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.
Anthony says he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way.“ I have a feeling that it has something to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
The style has also made Anthony a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Anthony couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success:“…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”
1.Which of the following is true of Anthony?
A. He was the beloved child of his family.
B. Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.
C. He places more emphasis on the characters’ behavior in his stories.
D. Studying in a boarding school proved a good choice for him.
2.At boarding school , Anthony’s teachers_____________.
A. often criticized him. B. showed great concern for him.
C. encouraged him to be a writer. D. thought little of his ability.
3.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Anthony’s popular books—Alex Rider series
B. Alex Rider, a popular character
C. Anthony, a successful children’s book author
D. Special writing style
4.What advice does Anthony give to readers?
A. Confidence is the key to success. B. Hardship teaches valuable lessons.
C. Internet is the best teacher. D. Failure is the mother of success.
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
About ten years ago, I was on a plane going west, and a young woman 1 and sat across the aisle (过道) from me. I noticed her for two reasons. She was very attractive, and she was holding a teddy bear about half her 2 . I teased her by asking if she had a 3 for the bear.She laughed and said no.
About halfway through the flight she 4 over and told me she was going to Tucson to enter rehab（康复治疗）. She 5 to share her life story with me. She had been working as a dancer in a nightclub. That 6 had led her down a dark 7 to drugs and alcohol. As I listened to her story, I was 8 at all she had gone through. I listened to all she shared and told her I was sure she was going to 9 it. At the end of the 10 , she thanked me for listening to her.
A few years later, I got a 11 in the mail saying, “Wow, it’s been five years since we met on that plane. It is 12 how you touched my life.” She went on to tell me that she had 13 to stay away from drugs, and had been working for a radio station. She felt she had achieved things she could not have 14 that
day on the plane. We agreed to set up a time to get 15 .
When I saw her, she was 16 _ the attractive young woman I remembered. She told me that that little 17 we had had turned her life around. She had got on the plane 18 anything would work in her life, and my affirmation of her as a person and of her 19 had given her the last bit of 20 she needed to work through her problems.
The young woman taught me it’s never too late to make a new start in life.
1.A. turned B. boarded C. bent D. slipped
2.A. shape B. weight C. size D. leg
3.A. ticket B. friend C. name D. cloth
4.A. moved B. pulled C. looked D. leaned
5.A. agreed B. learned C. continued D. refused
6.A. manner B. lifestyle C. event D. feeling
7.A. path B. door C. key D. point
8.A. disappointed B. worriedC. blamed D. surprised
9.A. own B. make C. leave D. reach
10. A. journeyB. flight C. speech D. conversation
11. A. case B. word C. note D. text
12. A. effectiveB. amazing C. easy D. clear
13.A. worked B. tried C. decided D. managed
14. A. realizedB. imagined C. required D. produced
15.A. through B. along C. together D. off
16.A. still B. once C. never D. even
17.A. expectationB. conversationC. information D. explanation
18.A. doubtingB. promising C. believing D. admitting
19.A. conditionB. Possibilities C. criticism D. discoveries
20. A. delight B. interest C. strength D. character
— I'm going to apply for Fudan University．
—_____ You've been dreaming to study in Beijing．
A．Congratulations! B．Good luck!
C．Why not Tsinghua? D．Good idea!
______, a small advertisement held my attention, which read “Easy job. Good wages. No experience necessary.”
A. Looking through the newspaper
B. While I was looking through the newspaper
C. To look through the newspaper
D. Looked through the newspaper
On the chairs , who had come here for this job interview.
A. did three graduates sit B. sat three graduates
C. three graduates sat D. sitting three graduates
The most important thing for Lucy is to find a proper job, ______ in which she can bring her ability and potential into full play．
A．this B．that C．one D．the one
