WhenIwasgrowingup，Idreamedaboutbecomingacowgirl，aspyoragreatactress．Notadentist，likemyfather，orahomemaker，likemymother-certainlynotawriter，althoughIalwayslovedtoread．Ididn'tknowanythingabutwriters，

　　When I was growing up，I dreamed about becoming a cowgirl，a spy or a great actress．Not a dentist，like my father，or a homemaker，like my mother-certainly not a writer，although I always loved to read．I didn't know anything abut writers，even though I loved to make up stories inside my head．

　　I made up stories while I bounced （反弹） a ball against the side of our house．I made up stories playing with paper dolls．And I made them up while I practiced the piano，by pretending to give piano lessons．I always had an active imagination．But I never wrote down any of my stories．

　　When I grew up，my need for story telling didn't go away．So when my own two children started pre-school I began to write and I've been writing ever since!My characters live inside my head for a long time before I actually start to write a book about them．Then，they become so real to me that I talk about them at the dinner table as if they were real．Some people consider this weird．But my family understand．

　　Many of my books are set in New Jersey because that's where I was born and raised．I lived there until my kids finished elementary school．Then we moved to New Mexico，the setting for Tiger Eyes．I also spent two years in Connecticut，where Just As Long As We're Together and Here's To You，Rachel Robinson are set．I don't think I could set a book in a place without knowing it really well．

　　Now I live in New York City with my husband，George Cooper．Between us we have three grown children and one grandchild．Our lives are busy，sometimes too much so，but never dull．And yes，I'm still writing．

　　25．When the writer was young she___．

　　A．heard many love stories

　　B．enjoyed writing story books

　　C．never thought of becoming a writer

　　D．could make up stories of different people

　　26．The writer always had a gift for___．

　　A．playing at home alone

　　B．creating all kinds of stories

　　C．attracting other's attention

　　D．solving