Jack London, one of America's famous writers, was born in California in 1876. During his life, London worked at many jobs. His broad life experiences would become the background for his writing.
London loved to read. As a teenager, he spent many hours educating himself at the Oakland, California, public library. He studied in the University of California at Berkeley, but he stayed for only six months. He thought Berkeley was "not lively enough" and wanted to do something more exciting.
London wrote stories about working people and the hard times they had making a living. He worked as a sailor, farmer, factory employee, railroad worker, and gold prospector, to name just a few of his many jobs.
London grew up near the waterfront in Oakland. He loved the water. When he was fifteen years old, he bought a small sailboat. Later he sailed to Japan. Like many people of the time, London caught the Klondike Gold Rush. In 1897, he headed for Alaska. He didn't find gold, but he discovered something even more valuable. He discovered that people enjoyed listening to the stories he made up with his imagination. London made the miners laugh with story after story. Later, using his experiences during the Gold Rush, he created many more colorful stories.
London decided to live a full, exciting life. He once said, "I would rather be a superb meteor(流星) than a sleepy and permanent(永恒的) planet.”Each day, he pushed himself. Once London decided that he was going to be a writer, nothing could stop him. His goal was to write at least one thousand words every day. He refused to stop even when he was sick. In eighteen years, the writer published fifty-one books and hundreds of articles. He was the best-selling and highest-paid author of his day. Many people also considered him to be the best writer. White Fang and The Call of the Wild are his most famous stories and are about surviving in the Alaskan wilderness. Readers can enjoy Jack London's energy and his talent for telling wonderful stories each time they open one of his novels.
【小题1】Why was Jack London able to write on many topics?| A．He pushed himself to reach goals. |
| B．He had a great number of experiences and jobs. |
| C．He was drawn to the Klondike Gold Rush. |
| D．He was the best-selling and highest-paid author. |
| A．That he sailed to Japan. |
| B．That he traveled to Alaska in 1897. |
| C．That he spent much of his time writing. |
| D．That he was not interested in college life enough. |
| A．was expert at the stars | B．aimed high and wanted to succeed |
| C．was interested in life | D．faced a choice between life and death |
| A．To tell London was the "best writer". |
| B．To describe life during the Klondike Gold Rush. |
| C．To provide information on Jack's life. |
| D．To introduce books written by Jack London. |
