Question

Dear Reader,

I receive many letters from children and can’t answer them all—there wouldn’t be time enough in a day．That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter．I’ll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.

Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte’s Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse．That’s how the story of Stuart Little got started.

As for Charlotte’s Web, I like animals and my barn（谷仓）is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours．One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die．This made me sad．So I started thinking of ways to save a pig’s life．I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving．Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation（拯救）on a farm．Three years after I started writing it, it was published．（I am not a fast worker, as you can see.）

Sometimes I’m asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write．I started early—as soon as I could spell．In fact, I can’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t busy writing．I don’t know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures．I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead．As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.

Some of my readers want me to visit their school．Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book．And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets．Much as I’d like to, I can’t go visiting．I can’t send books, either—you can find them in a bookstore or a library．Many children assume that a writer owns （or even makes） his own books．This is not true—books are made by the publisher．If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it．That’s why I can’t send books．And I do not send signatures—I leave that to the movie stars．I live most of the year in the country, in New England．From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains．I live near my married son and three grandchildren.

Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events．In real life, a family doesn’t have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn’t spin words in her web．In real life, a swan doesn’t blow a trumpet．But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination．And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too—truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.

Yours sincerely：E.B．White

1.The author wrote the letter because _________.

A．he is not a fast worker

B．he was invited to answer the questions

C．he didn’t have enough time to answer all the letters

D．he felt sorry for not being able to send books to his readers

2.What probably caused the writer to get interested in writing children’s book?

A．Writing can be a way to earn his living．

B．The fact that he was not good at drawing．

C．His mother influence on his childhood.

D．The instinct of children.

3.From Para.5, we can learn that ＿＿＿＿.

A．many famous people like to visit schools

B．movie stars will send autographs to readers

C．many people think authors have copies of their own books

D．the author lives with his married son and three grandchildren

4.In the last paragraph, the author is trying to tell us    ____   .

A．we only have one kind of life

B．there is no truth in imaginary tales

C．imaginary tales are based on our true life

D．fantastic characters and events only exist in imaginary tales

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述作者给读者的一封信，信中阐述了作者的小说《精灵鼠小弟》以及《夏洛特的网》的来源，作者写童话故事的原因以及告诉读者想象出来的故事都是基于真实的生活。

1.I receive many letters from children and can’t answer them all—there wouldn’t be time enough in a day．That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter．我收到许多孩子们的来信不能全部回复，因为没有足够的时间，那就是我为什么用打印的回复来回复你的信，可知作者写着这封信是因为没有足够的时间回复所有的信，故选C

2.I don’t know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper,我不知道是什么使我写书，或为什么我喜欢写书，但我认为孩子们经常在尝试把他们的想法呈现在纸上时发现愉悦和满足，可知是因为孩子的本能使作者写童话书，故选D

3.Many children assume that a writer owns （or even makes） his own books．This is not true—books are made by the publisher．许多孩子认为作者拥有他自己的书。那不是真的，书是出版商制作的，可知许多人认为作者拥有自己的书的复制版本，可知选C

4.And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too—truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.尽管我的的故事都是想象的，这其中也有事实，事实就是人与动物感觉思考以及行为的方式，可知最后一段作者告诉我们想象的故事基于真实生活，故选C

考点：考查书信阅读