This is the letter that Mr. White wrote before his death about his three books for children: 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 is 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 autographs(亲笔签名,手稿) -- 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(喇叭,小号) . 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 小题1:What does the author do?A. a writer | B.a reporter | C.a doctor | D.a teacher | 小题2:What caused the author start to write? A.His parents’ encuoragement | B.His talent in writing | C.Not mentioned in the passage | D.A writer in the early time | 小题3:Why does the author think he can’t seng his autographs?A.Because he thinks it should be dong by movie stars. | B.Because he thinks his writing is not good enough | C.Because he has no much time | D.Because he hates writing | 小题4:How long had the author been writing the story of Chariotte’s web?A.3 minths | B.2 years | C.3 years | D.5 years |
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