阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Steveis interviewing the famous biographer (传记作家)Garen Thomas.

Steve：Thomas, ____ a famous writer, would you please tell ussomething about yourself and your new books?

Garen：Of course.

Steve：Where were you born?

Garen：I was born in Chicago, but I spent most of my childhood inNew York.

Steve：____ was your childhood like?

Garen：I had pretty strict parents. They wished me to be successfulin studies. So I think my childhood was ____(bore)and I was always complainingabout it.

Steve：Do you get along well ____ your parents now?

Garen：Oh sure, I have reached middle age now. So far I ____(understand) their love for me.

Steve：Where did you go to university?

Garen：I graduated ____ Yale University with a degree in EnglishLiterature.

Steve：How did you start writing?

Garen：I like writing from young, ____ it is not easy for me toenter this occupation. You know, I once worked in companies. I started writingfor magazines and eventually ____(ask) to write books, so I was pretty lucky.

Steve：____ did you begin to write the book about the presidentObama?

Garen：From the beginning of 2008, it ____(take) me 6 months toprepare for it, interviewing and finding information about him. Obama told memany stories about his life and family.

Steve：Sounds interesting.