Man of Few Words
Everyone chases success,but not all of US want to befamous.
South African writer John Maxwell Coetzee is _l_ for keepinghimself to himself.
When the 63-year—old was named the 2003 Nobel Prizewinner for literature earlier this month, reporters were warned that they wouldfind him “particularly difficult to _2_ ”
Coetzee lives in Australia butspends part of the year teaching at the University of Chicago. He seemed _3_ bythe news he won the US$1.3 million prize.“It came as a complete surprise.Iwasn’t even aware they were due to make the announcement.”he said.
His _4_pf privacy led to doubts as to whether Coetzee will attend the prize.giving inStockholm,Sweden,on December 10.
But despite being described as _5_ totrack down,the critics agree that his writing is easy to get to know.
Bornin Cape Town,South Africa,to all English-speaking family, Coetzee _6_ hisbreakthrough in 1980 with the novel “Waiting for the Barbarians”.He _7_ hisplace among the world’s leading writers with two Booker prizevictories,Britain’S highest honour for novels.He first _8_ in 1983 for the“Lifeand Times of Michael K”.and his second title came in 1999 for“Disgrace”.
Amajor theme in his work iS South Africa’s former apartheid system.which dividedwhites from blacks. _9_ with the problems of violence,crime and racial divisionthat still exist in the country, his books have enabled ordinary people tounderstand apartheid _10_ within.
“I have always been more interested inthe past than the future。”he said in a rare interview.“The past _11_ its shadowover the present.I hope I have made one or two people think _12_ about whetherthey want to forget the past completely.”
In fact this purity in hiswriting seems to be _13_ in his personal life.Coetzee is a vegetarian,a cyclistrather than a motorist and doesn’t drink alcohol.
But what he has _14_ to1iterature,culture and the people of South Africa is far greater than the thingshe has given up.“In looking at weakness and failure in 1ife,”the Nobel prizejudging panel said,“Coetzee’s work _15_ the divine spark in man.”
词汇:
privacy/n.独居;不受干扰的自由
barbarian/n.&adj.野蛮人(的),残暴的人(的)
apartheid/n.种族隔离;种族隔离制
divine/adj.神圣的
panel/n.评审小组
1.A)unhappy B)well known C)busy D)worried
2.A)catch B)come acrossC)run into D)bump into
3.A)influenced B)affected C)moved D)shocked
4.A)1ike B)devote C)love D)attract
5.A)difficult B)easy C)readyD)eager
6.A)forced B)caused C)made D)did
7.A)kept B)listed C)tookD)arranged
8.A)received B)obtained C)won D)had
9.A)DealingB)Handling C)Solving D)Removing
10.A)in B)out C)of D)from
11.A)covers B)puts C)spreads D)casts
12.A)once B)twice C)thriceD)four times
13.A)written B)hidden C)mirrored D)stricken
14.A)contributed B)added C)attributed D)created
15.A)tells B)saysC)informs D)expresses