(2020·山西省祁县中学高三月考)From childhood, Moira loved to write. Throughout school she __1__ writing, but pursuing (追求) it __2__ was never a possibility. Her father was a doctor, her mother was a nurse. “Medicine was a fairly __3__ option，” Moira says. “And writing was a career where it wasn't a __4__ that you'd have high income.”
She became a doctor but still wanted to do some writing. However, being a doctor was so __5__ that she didn't take up writing until her thirties. She __6__ a novel—a fictionalized version of her travels in China after university. She got excellent __7__. Moira sent it off to as many agents as she could find and found one who wanted to __8__ her. Suddenly it seemed she was on her __9__ as an author.
“I had one lengthy phone call with the agent where we __10__ all possible areas she thought needed __11__. I worked on those and sent it back to her but didn't hear anything.” It was not long __12__ Moira found another agent who was __13__ if she was willing to rewrite it from the first person to the third person. She did the hard work and sent it off again. “I got back a really brief letter: ‘Thank you. I'm no longer interested.’ It was really __14__.”
A decade went by, and Moira found herself itching to write again, this time __15__ for her own enjoyment. She __16__ herself the challenge of creating a thriller and chose Western Australia as her setting.
As she was writing just for herself, something surprising began to happen. “The characters __17__ a life of their own; they started doing things I hadn't thought about. It just __18__ out.” One day, an agent called from Australia. Three weeks later, Moira had a publication deal. Her novel, Cicada, was published in March.
“__19__ it hadn't been published I still gained so much from the __20__，” says Moira.
篇章导读：本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了Moira虽然作为一名医生，但她爱好写作并坚持写作，在追求的过程中努力尝试的故事。
1．A.learnt B．avoided
C．considered D．enjoyed
答案：D 根据首句“From childhood，Moira loved to write.”可知，从童年开始，Moira就爱好写作；由此推断，在上学期间，她仍然喜欢(enjoyed)写作。故选D。
2．A.actively B．professionally
C．energetically D．permanently
答案：B actively “积极地”；professionally “作为职业地”；energetically “精力充沛地”；permanently “永久地”。根据but转折及该句中的关键词never a possibility可知，尽管Moira喜欢写作，但是把写作当作职业来追求几乎是不可能的。故选B。
3．A.influential B．explicit
C．terrible D．safe
答案：D influential “有影响的”；explicit “明确的”；terrible “可怕的”；safe “安全的”。根据空处前一句“Her father was a doctor, her mother was a nurse.”可知，她的父母会给予她医学方面很多的帮助，所以Moira认为医学是一个十分安全的(safe)选择。故选D。
4．A.dream B．purpose
C．choice D．certainty
答案：D 根据上文提到不会把写作当作职业可知，Moira也认为写作不是一个确定的事，也不一定能带来高收入的职业。故选D。
5．A.promising B．discouraging
C．demanding D．interesting
答案：C promising “有希望的，有前途的”；discouraging “使人泄气的”；demanding “苛刻的，要求高的”；interesting “有趣的”。根据空后的“she didn't take up writing until her thirties”可知，医生是一个要求很高的职业，因此她直到三十多岁才开始写作。故选C。
6．A.produced B．introduced
C．bought D．received
答案：A produce “创作，生产，产生”。根据语境可知，她以大学毕业后在中国的旅游经历为背景创作了一本小说。故选A。
7．A.rewards B．readers
C．reviews D．praises
答案：C 根据下文提到她把她的小说寄给很多代理商，可以判断这部小说写出来后，她得到了极好的评论。故选C。
8．A.employ B．represent
C．trust D．guide
答案：B 根据语境可知，Moira在众多的代理人中找到愿意代理出版这本小说的人。故选B。
9．A.own B．feet
C．way D．business
答案：C 根据语境可知，她似乎突然就要成为作家了。on one's way “即将到达或发生”， 故选C。
10．A.took off B．went through
C．pulled down D．came over
答案：B take off “脱下，起飞”；go through “仔细察看，仔细琢磨”；pull down “拆毁，推翻”；came over “过来，来访”。根据语境可知，Moira在电话中与代理人就小说中需要润色的地方进行了仔细琢磨(went through)。故选B。
11．A.deleting B．adapting
C．polishing D．covering
答案：C polish “修改，润色”。Moira在电话中与代理人就小说中需要润色(polishing)的地方进行了仔细琢磨。故选C。
12．A.before B．after
C．since D．when
答案：A 根据上文中的“sent it back to her but didn't hear anything”可知，Moira重新把小说发给代理人但是没有收到任何回复，不久之后Moira找到了另外一个代理人。句型It wasn't long before ... 意思是“不久之后……”。故选A。
13．A.fascinated B．interested
C．anxious D．amused
答案：B 根据下文中的“I'm no longer interested”可知，此处指这位代理人对她的书感兴趣。故选B。
14．A.common B．absurd
C．terrifying D．disappointing
答案：D common “共同的”；absurd “荒谬的”；terrifying “令人恐惧的”；disappointing “令人失望的”。根据两位代理人的态度可知，Moira这两次都以失败告终，所以这件事情肯定令她感到失望。故选D。
15．A.purely B．wonderfully
C．instantly D．sadly
答案：A 根据该句中的“found herself itching to write again ... own enjoyment”可知，她发现自己渴望再次写作，而这次写作仅仅(purely)是为了个人乐趣。故选A。
16．A.set B．found
C．made D．permitted
答案：A 根据语境可知，Moira向自己提出(set)了一个挑战，写一部惊险小说。set “提出”。故选A。
17．A.put up B．took on
C．went over D．got down
答案：B put up “建造，张贴”；take on “开始具有(某种特征、面貌等)”；go over “仔细检查”；get down “下来，取下”。根据该句“The characters __17__ a life of their own; they started doing things I hadn't thought about.”可知，小说中的人物开始具有(took on)他们自己的生活。故选B。
18．A.flew B．brought
C．broke D．carried
答案：A 根据下文可知，Moira的书得到了一位澳大利亚代理人的关注并顺利出版；据此可以推断，这部小说成功了。fly “成功”。故选A。
19．A.Ever since B．As if
C．If only D．Even if
答案：D ever since “自从”；as if “好像，似乎”；if only “要是……就好了”；even if “即使，尽管”。根据语境可推断出，即使(even if)这部小说没有出版，Moira仍然在这个过程中得到许多。故选D。
20．A.adventure B．practice
C．process D．result
答案：C 根据语境可推断出，Moira在这个过程(process)中得到许多。故选C。
