Exercises
A. Determining the main idea.
Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.
The main idea of the essay is that ________.( C )
(a) Haley didn't accept a job with a high pay and finally became a successful writer
(b) Haley recalled how his past experiences helped him to produce his masterpiece
(c) Haley recalled how he kept writing in spite of setbacks and poverty and succeeded in becoming a writer at last
(d) Haley showed that some dreams could come true while others couldn't
B. Comprehending the text.
Choose the best answer.
1. According to Haley, there is a difference between "being a writer" and writing and the latter means ________.( B )
(a) a dream you cherish
(b) spending hours at the typewriter writing
(c) expecting the fame and wealth of a writer
(d) mistaking "writing" for wealth and fame
2. Haley thinks that ________.( A )
(a) writing is in fact a lonely, private and poor-paying affair
(b) only those who succeed in writing know neglect and poverty
(c) as long as you work hard at writing your work will achieve recognition
(d) only those whose longing is never requited know long periods of neglect and poverty
3. Which of the following is true about Haley? ( C )
(a) When Haley decided to work as a freelance writer, he was 20 years old.
(b) When Haley began writing full time, he lived in a room with modern facilities.
(c) A year after Haley began writing full time, he found that he could hardly support himself by writing.
(d) When Haley began writing, he thought that he was a great writer.
4. The call that changed Haley's life was from ________.( C )
(a) an agent who offered to make a big contract with him
(b) an editor who was quite interested in one of the books Haley was writing
(c) an old acquaintance who made an offer tempting him to give up his dream
(d) a friend who demanded him to pay back some debt
5. Haley didn't accept the job with $6 000 a year because ________.( D )
(a) he wanted a nice apartment and a used car
(b) the money was too easy
(c) he couldn't have any time for writing
(d) he wanted to be a full time writer
6. Haley cited the examples of Joe Delaney and Harry Belafonte to show that ________.( C )
(a) some people never succeed despite their hard work
(b) people who have dreams have to suffer
(c) people have to make sacrifices to live creatively
(d) successful artists always have dreams
7. What project put Haley in the spotlight of fame? ( D )
(a) He wrote articles that began to sell.
(b) He wrote essays about civil rights.
(c) He went south and wrote about his childhood.
(d) He researched and traced his family's history in his book, Roots.
8. When Haley rediscovered his sardine cans and eighteen cents years later, ________.( D )
(a) he could hardly believe that they once belonged to him
(b) he felt sad and cold, thinking of his past years as a lonely writer
(c) he had them framed because they won him a lot of awards
(d) he thought that they were part of his roots and important to him
C. Understanding vocabulary.
Choose the correct definition according to the context.
1. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never requited. ( D )
(a) reconsidered
(b) realized
(c) required
(d) rewarded 2. When I left a 20-year-career in the Coast Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no prospects at all. ( A )
(a) chances of future success
(b) financial support
(c) social connections
(d) permanent job
3. On the phone was an old acquaintance from the Coast Guard, now stationed in San Francisco. ( A )
(a) working
(b) found
(c) busy
(d) resting
4. What's more, I could write on the side. ( B )
(a) full time
(b) as a secondary occupation
(c) with more concentration
(d) with enough time
5. From deep inside a bull-headed resolution welled up. ( A )
(a) rose like water
(b) took shape
(c) came into sight
(d) overwhelmed
6. Through him I met other struggling artists like Joe Delaney, a veteran painter from Knoxville, Tenn. ( D )
(a) poorly paid
(b) practical
(c) senior
(d) experienced
7. Often Joe lacked food money, so he'd visit a neighborhood butcher who would give him big bones with morsels of meat and a grocer who would hand him some wilted vegetables. ( A )
(a) less than fresh
(b) cheap
(c) edible
(d) less nutritious
8. The shadows had turned into dazzling limelight. ( D )
(a) substantial success
(b) center of public attention
(c) places without shadow
(d) full daylight
9. It was a confusing, exhilarating time, and in a sense I was blinded by the light of my success. ( C )
(a) entertaining and interesting
(b) urgent and decisive
(c) delighting and exciting
(d) critical and rare
10. I opened it, and there were two corroded sardine cans, a nickel, a dime and three pennies. ( A )
(a) rusted
(b) used
(c) corrupted
(d) salted
D. Discussing the following topics.
1.Why did the phone call change Haley's life? If you were in the same situation, would you accept the offer?
答案
That call drove Alex Haley to make up his mind to become a full-time writer. He had decided to choose writing as his life-long profession no matter how hard it would be. Although his acquaintance was trying to tempt Alex to give up his writing, he rejected his offer and chose to live in poverty. It was just his spirit of persistence that led him to success.
2. What lesson did Haley learn in the end?
Roots made Alex Haley famous and wealthy. He was very excited about what was brought to him by fame. He nearly forgot his hardships in the past until he saw the brown paper bag which contained the things of the past. Now Alex Haley realized that these things were also part of his roots. It was telling him that only courage and persistence may bring success and when one had gained fame one should not forget the past,be proud and self-complacent.
