Question

A Letter that Changed My Life

I was about 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the South Bronx’s Engine Co. 82. It was a restful Sunday and between alarms I rushed to the office to read a copy of the New York Times. I read an article on the Book Review section which openly stated what I took to be a calumny – that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.

There were few things I was more proud of than my Irish heritage, and ever since I first picked up a book of his poems from a shelf when I was in the military, Yeats had been my favorite Irish writer, followed by Sean O’Casey and James Joyce.

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor. Throughout Yeats’ poetry, his view of the world and the people in it was basically Irish. He had lived his life and written his poetry through the very essence of his Irish sensibility. It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be transcended(超越).

I don’t know why I felt it my duty to safeguard the reputation of the world’s greatest poet. I just knew that I had to write that letter.

After my letter got published, I received a letter from The New Yorker, asking for an interview. When my article Fireman Smith appeared in that magazine, the editor of a large publishing firm called me, asking if I was interested in writing a book about my life. I had little confidence to write a whole book, though the subject was worthy. I wrote Report From Engine Co. 82 in six months, and it sold really well. In the years that followed, I wrote three more best-sellers.

Being a writer had been far from my expectations. How had it happened? I often found myself thinking about it, and my thoughts always came back to that letter to the New York Times. For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion I felt and the subjects represented the great values burning within me as I wrote.

Over the years, my five children have come to me with one dilemma or another. My answer is always the same. Think about what you’re feeling and measure the heat of the fire in your heart, for that is your passion. Your education and your experience will guide you toward making a right decision, but your passion will enable you to make a difference in whatever you do. That’s what I learned the day I stood up for Ireland’s greatest poet.

1.Why did the author write to New York Times?

A. To present his love for literature.

B. To spread Irish culture to the world.

C. To prove he has brilliant writing skills.

D. To defend the reputation of an Irish poet.

2.According to the author, what is the key to his success in writing?

A. His skills in arguing. B. His experience as a firefighter.

C. His passion in writing. D. His educational background.

3.The underlined word “calumny” in Paragraph 1 shows ______.

A. a positive feeling

B. a negative feeling

4.Write down the evidence (at least two) from the passage to support your idea.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.1) As I read it, my blood began to boil.

2) I wrote out a letter of anger to the editor.

3) It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be gone beyond.

亦可以自己总结；围绕作者对文章和Irishness的情感态度入手，证据充分、表意正确即可。

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文，讲述了作者给《纽约时报》写信捍卫爱尔兰诗人叶芝的名誉，没想到这封信改变了作者的一生，从此走上了写作的道路。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段中的“He had lived his life and written his poetry through the very essence of his Irish sensibility. It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be transcended”可知，叶芝的一生和他的诗歌是通过他的爱尔兰情感的精髓来完成的，《纽约时报》的书评认为他的爱尔兰身份可以被超越是无理的，由此可知，作者给《纽约时报》写信是为了捍卫爱尔兰诗人叶芝的名誉，故D项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的“For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion I felt”可知，对作者来说，写作是他所感受到的激情的自然结果，由此可知，作者认为写作成功的关键是激情，故C项正确。

3.词义猜测题。根据画线词后的“that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.”可知，我读的那篇文章公开说叶芝超越了他的爱尔兰身份，我认为这种说法是一种诽谤，我读的时候热血沸腾，由此可知画线词指的是“一种负面的感觉”，故B项正确。

4.细节理解题。根据第一段中的“As I read it, my blood began to boil.”可知，读的时候，我热血沸腾；根据第三段中的“I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor.”可知，我抓起一张纸，给《纽约时报》的编辑写了一封愤怒的信；根据第三段中的“It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be transcended”可知，认为叶芝的爱尔兰身份可以被超越是无理的，故填1) As I read it, my blood began to boil；2) I wrote out a letter of anger to the editor.；3) It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be gone beyond.。