dollars of debts in a scheme to find gold in Mexico. Revealing how his life was often stranger than fiction, he said in a recent interview: \in a drug haze, on a rampage of cocaine, heroin, any shit I could get. I am not proud of what I have done and I now want to put it right.\
A publishing deal: for Se book was sealed just one hour before the first plane hit New York's World Trade Centre on 11 September, 2001. \feel like there's some dark destiny swirling around the book,\financial problems are likely to become a thing of the past. A filmmaker has bought an option to make a movie of the book and as well as the ￡50,000 prize cheque, the writer, who currently lives in Ireland, is guaranteed a significant increase in sales. Sales of last year's winner, Yann Martel's Life Of Pi, have exceeded 1 million copies. Martin Higgs, literary editor of Waterstone's, said: \on the six o'clock news as read in a novel and has for this reason struck a chord with book lovers.\http://tr.hjenglish.com/
Finlay was second favourite to win, behind Monica Ali, 35, who created a flurry of interest even before her debut novel was published when she was named one of Granta's best young Bristish novelists. The other shortlisted books were The Good Doctor, by Damon Galgut, Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall, and Notes on a Scandal by the former Independent on Sunday journalist Zoe Heller, 38.
6. The novelist Peter Finlay said that, when accepting the prize, he \just like to apologise for taking it literally.\idea of _______.
(A) selling his friend’s home and using up the money
(B) publishing the novel Vernon God Little (C) owing huge amounts of debts to others (D) doing whatever he liked
7. We can learn from the shortlisted books of this year's Man Booker prize that _______.
(A) most of them are from established authors (B) some of them are from first-time novelists (C) all of them are biggest sellers in the shops (D) half of them were written by former journalists
8. According to the passage, the director of the Man Booker prize was \
(A) the debate over the prize winner was so hot and fierce (B) the plot of Vernon God Little was so fascinating
(C) the Booker judges were almost unanimous in their decision (D) the fifth member of the jury refused to change his mind
9. The author mentions in the passage the sales of last year's winner Yann Martel's Life Of Pi to imply that _______.
(A) the success of Vernon God Little will bring the author a lot of money (B) Peter Finlay will become as rich as a world famous movie star (C) the sales of Vernon God Little will exceed that of Life Of Pi (D) the Booker prize winning novels will become world classics
10. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage about the novelist Peter Finlay?
(A) He had once been a drug addict and gambler.
(B) He almost lost everything because of the nationalization of banks in
Mexico.
(C) He was quite worded before the publication of his first novel. (D) He knew his bestselling book would win the national literary prize. Questions 11-15
American companies are giving their people a good talking to. For qualified talkers, that can make for a career opportunity. The same workaday challenges that are the bane of the modem corporation - issues such as struggling sales forces, spotty leadership, intense global competition, and flagging morale - are a boon for thousands of professional speakers nationwide. Using their gift of gab, they impart knowledge, hope, motivation, big-picture thinking and, occasionally, a few laughs to audiences at conventions, company powwows, trade shows, and association meetings.
Eric Wahl is one such beneficiary of corporate America's hand-wringing. For the past three years, the San Diego-based lecturer and artist has toted paints and an easel around the country for a presentation titled \each stop, he literally draws parallels between the creativity that drives great artists and that which fuels the world's most successful entrepreneurs, underscoring his most memorable points and examples by painting quick portraits of visionaries such as Einstein or Lincoln.
Mr. Wahl's \brought him a steady stream of lucrative appearances. He says that by year's end, he'll have logged 100 speaking appearances at his going rate of between $6,500 and $9,500 apiece. Wahl's success story, by his own admission, is something of an aberration. Still in his late 20s, he hasn't published a best-selling management book. He isn't a household name or a comer-office
veteran with a trove of great war stories. And he hasn't rebounded from personal tragedy to lead a last-place team to a world championship.
Wahl, who majored in art and business at the University of San Diego, took a job at Speak Inc., a San Diego company that books speaking talent for corporate clients. What Wahl does have, says Rich Gibbons, the firm's president, are the three elements a successful speaker needs in today's marketplace: relevance, uniqueness, and, most of all, passion. \speaker is truly committed, versus someone who's doing something by rote and reciting professional platitudes,\. Gibbons says.
It's virtually impossible to pinpoint the exact number of speakers working the lecture circuit in the United States today, and it's equally difficult to generalize about the fees those speakers command. While the National Speakers Association includes roughly 3,500 speaking professionals, the NSA's membership doesn't include most of the celebrities, high-profile pundits, athletes, authors, CEOs, politicians and ex-politicians who often make the scene as keynote speakers at major social and business functions.
And while more than 60 percent of respondents who participated in a recent NSA member survey reported earning from $2,000 to $5,000 for a major engagement, it costs a great deal more to bag a big name, even for only a short while. Charles Moose, the former Montgomery County, Md., police chief who headed last fall's Washington, D.C., sniper manhunt, now asks up to $30,000 per appearance. Frank Abagnale, the con man who was the subject of last year's Steven Spielberg hit \addresses from the likes of former President Clinton or former New York City Mayor Giuliani have been reported to fetch $100,000 or more.
John Truran, director of marketing for Keppler Associates, which
represents Mr. Moose, says the former chief's defection to the greener pastures of the lecture circuit was a logical byproduct of the case's drama and Moose's instant-hero status. \investigation: he's African-American. which makes him a great diversity speaker; and he was a memorable figure in the media,\possible for people who lack Moose's track record to make it big in public speaking, but those whose reputation doesn't precede them have to be able to wow prospective clients with a dynamic demonstration tape that does the talking for them.
Of course, putting that video together demands that the speaker get caught during a terrific performance at the podium, and therein lies the Catch-22, says Mark Sanborn, NSA's president and a speaker who addresses corporate audiences on topics such as leadership, team-building, and customer service. A speaker can't be heard until he or she is hired, Mr. Sanborn notes, but \misconception about public speaking is that it's easy. Well, if I'm doing my job right, it should look easy. \charges for a business card, but it's much harder than it looks to make a living at it.\
11. The author cites the example of Eric Wahl to show _______. (A) how fast the career opportunity is growing for qualified talkers (B) what kind of challenges American companies are facing
(C) how much a talker can benefit from corporate America's dilemma (D) what skills are essential for a successful public speaker
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