【正文】 o them, “not want to be a writer.” The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poorpaying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20year career in the . Coast Guard to bee a freelance writer, I had no prospects at all: what I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and left like a genuine writer. After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering, what if? I would keep putting my dream to the testeven though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. 25. The passage is meant to ______. A. warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience B. advise young people to give up their idea of being a professional writer C. show young people it’s unrealistic for a writer to pursue wealth and fame D. encourage young people to pursue a writing career 26. “…people who die wondering, what if?” () refers to “those ________”. A. who think too much of the dark side of life B. who regret giving up their career halfway C. who think a lot without making a decision D. who are full of imagination even upon death 27. “shadowland” in the last sentence refers to _______. A. the wonderland one often dreams about B. the bright future that one is looking forward to C. the state of uncertainty before one’s final goal is reached D. a world that exists only in one’s imagination C Priscilla Ouchida’s “energyefficient” house turned out to be a horrible dream. When she and her engineer husband married a few years ago, they built a $100,000, threebedroom home in California. Tightly sealed to prevent air leaks, the house was equipped with small doublepaned windows and several other energysaving features. Problems began as soon as the couple moved in, however. Priscilla’s eyes burned. Her throat was constantly dry. She suffered from headaches and could hardly sleep. It was as though she had suddenly developed a strange illness. Experts finally traced the cause of her illness. The level of formaldehyde（甲醛） gas in her kitchen was twice the maximum allowed by federal standards for chemical workers. The source of the gas? Her new kitchen cupboards and walltowall carpeting. The Ouchidas are victims of indoor air pollution, which is not given sufficient attention partly because of the nation’s drive to save energy. The problem itself isn’t new. “The indoor environment was dirty long before energy conservation came along,” says Moschandreas, a pollution scientist at Geomet Technologies in Maryland. “Energy conservation has tended to accentuate the situation in some cases.” The problem appears to be more troublesome in newly constructed homes rather than old ones. Back in the days when energy was cheap, home builders didn’t worry much about unsealed cracks. Because of such leaks, the air in an average home was replaced by fresh outdoor air about once an hour. As a result, the pollutants generated in most households seldom build up to dangerous levels. 28. It can be learned from the passage that the Ouchidas’ house _______. A. is well worth the money spent on its construction B. is almost perfect from the point of energy conservation C. failed to meet energy conservation standards D. was designed and constructed in a scientific way 29. What made the Ouchidas’ new house a horrible dream? A. Lack of fresh air. B. Poor quality of building materials. C. Gas leakage in the kitchen. D. The newly painted walls 30. Why were cracks in old houses not a big concern? A. Because indoor cleanness was not emphasized. B. Because they were technically unavoidable. C. Because environmental protection was more important. D. Because energy used to be inexpensive. 31. This passage is most probably taken from an article entitled “_______”. A. Energy Conservation B. Houses Building Crisis C. Air Pollution Indoors D. Traps in Building Construction D Millions of people visit Yosemite National Park every year to see the tall w