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“Mark Twain” was the name used by Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835～1910) when he wrote books.His father was a lawyer，but a poor one，who lived in Florida，Missouri.The family was so poor that Samuel did not receive much teaching.He had to learn all that he could from the people whom he met.His father died when he was very young，and then there was even less money than before.
Many of the men in this part of America worked in the ships on the great Mississippi River，and he did this himself at one time (1857).
Where did he find the name “Mark Twain”？ It came from the great river itself.It was part of one of the cries used by men who worked in the ships.When a man called “By the mark twain！” he meant that the river was “two marks deep” there，that is to say，six feet deep ( “Twain” is an old form of the word “Two”.) Samuel Clemens often heard these words when he was young，and he used them as a pen name all his life.
During his work on the Mississippi he met travelers of all kinds，and this helped him a great deal when he started to write.But the number of travelers became smaller when war started in America in 1861.Many of the great ships on the river stopped work.Samuel left then and went to Nevada with his brother，who was at that time Governor of Nevada.There，near the town of Carson，Samuel became a gold miner，but he never made much money at the time.He soon saw that life in the gold mines was not for him.He also tried writing for the newspapers in Nevada，and this seemed more hopeful.He found that he could write.
He went to Europe in 1867 and visited France and Italy.In 1870 he married Olivia Langdon，and two years later he was spending nearly all his time writing.Among his books is his own story (1908).
He is now always known as Mark Twain，and many people do not even know that his family name was Clemens.He traveled in America and in England，and went to Oxford in 1907.He was one of the great American writers of the time，and could make his readers laugh—a thing which few writers can do.He died in 1910.
1.“Mark Twain” was ________.
A.a famous American writer
B.name of a book
C.a great river in America
D.a large ship
2.As a child，Samuel did not get much education because ________.
A.his father died too early
B.the family was very poor
C.he disliked school very much
D.he could learn what he liked from the people he met
3.What gave him a great deal when he started writing?
A.His poor childhood.
B.The Mississippi River.
C.All kinds of travelers he met.
D.His brother.
4.We can infer（推断）from the passage that ________.
A.Samuel loved writing from his early age
B.Samuel did not love writing at the beginning
C.his writings to the newspaper were successful
D.his brother encouraged him to write more
5.According to the writer of the passage，a good writer could ________.
A.write a lot for his readers
B.make a lot of money for his family
C.cause his readers to laugh
D.travel everywhere he wanted
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Samuel Langhorne Clemens, more commonly 1. (know) as Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida. Twain is considered 2. greatest author and humorist of the 19th-century American literature (文学).
In 1839 the Clemens family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River where he was brought 3.. Like many authors of his day he had little formal education. His education came from the print shops and newspaper offices 4. he worked as a youth. In 1853 Twain left Hannibal to travel. On a trip to New Orleans he persuaded a riverboat pilot 5. (teach) him his skill. By the spring of 1859 Twain was a licensed riverboat pilot.
After a(n) 6. (success) attempt at gold and silver mining he joined the staff of a newspaper in Virginia City, Nevada. He first wrote under the pen name Mark Twain in 1863.
He continued to travel as a reporter for various newspapers, and in 1869 his travel letters from Europe 7. (collect) into the popular book The Innocents Abroad. Between 1873 and 1889 he wrote seven novels 8. (include) his Mississippi River books.
9. Twain’s life and career progressed he lost much of the humorous style of his earlier years. What was expressed more and more in his later works was 10. human beings are selfish. Even so Twain is best remembered as a great humorist.
高一英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. However, he still became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing.
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected(期望) to live through the first winter. But with his mother’ s care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all his friends and neighbors. He didn’t like to go to school, and he often ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. He was nearly drowned（淹没）nine times.
After his father’s death, Mark Twain began to work for a printer(印刷厂), who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot（引航员）and later joined the army. But soon after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards（后来） he became a full-time writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him great fortune.
Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments(投资) and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and then three of his children passed away.
At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties（领带）. He wore only white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.
1.Which of the following shows the right order about Mark Twain?
a. He became a miner.
b. He worked as a printer.
c. He got into debts.
d. His father died.
e. He became a full-time writer.
f. He joined the army.
A. a—d—b—c—e—f B. d—b—f—a—e—c
C. d—a—f—e—b—c D. c—b—d—f—e—a
2.In order to make a living, Mark Twain _______.
A. always worked as a printer
B. did many kinds of work
C. wrote stories in the beginning
D. joined the army after he worked in a mine
3.From the passage we can see that Mark Twain _______.
A. had a happy childhood
B. was a good boy and always did what he was asked
C. was very naughty（淘气的）when he was young
D. lived a pleasant life
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Samuel Clemens，______ Mark Twain, wrote many popular stories.
A．was known as
B．known as
C．was known for
D．known for
高一英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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Samuel Clemens, _____ Mark Twain, because a famous American writer.
A. was known as B. known as C. was known for D. known for
高一英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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C
When talking about humor, people often refer to famous humorists such as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pen-name Mark Twain.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, America's famous writer, journalist and humorist, was born in Florida on November 30, 1835．He was the sixth of the seven children in the family．As a child, Samuel was often kept indoors because of his poor health.
When Samuel was 12, his father died of a deadly disease and at the age of 13, Samuel had to leave school to make a living．He became a printer's apprentice（学徒）．A year later, he became skilled at printing by working and studying hard．Samuel was then employed as a printer with pay．After two years, he became an editorial assistant．It was then that young Samuel became aware of his fondness for writing.
When he was 17 years old, Samuel left Hannibal for a printer's job in St．Louis．While staying in St．Louis, Samuel became a river pilot in 1858．His pen-name, Mark Twain, came from his days as a river pilot．It is a river term meaning “safe to sail”.
Because the river trade was brought to a stop by the Civil War in 1861, Samuel began working as a newspaper reporter for several newspapers all over the United States．Samuel's career took off and he became famous when his story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country appeared in the New York Saturday Press on November 18, 1865．Samuel's first book, The Innocents Abroad was published in 1896．The two novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (in 1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (in 1885) brought him worldwide popularity．He wrote 28 books and numerous humor stories, letters and plays.
Mark Twain passed away on April 21, 1910．To remember him, his childhood home was open to the public as a museum in Hannibal.
1.What do we know about Samuel Langhorne Clemens?
A．He was an unknown American writer
B．He had 7 sisters and brothers altogether
C．He was weak when he was young
D．He lived a rich life in his childhood.
2.When did Samuel Langhorne Clemens realize his interest in writing?
A．When he studied at school
B．When he went to St．Louis
C．When he worked on a ship
D．When he was sixteen years old
3.Samuel got his pen-name from the job as a(n) _________.
A．printer
B．editorial assistant
C．river pilot
D．newspaper reporter
4.Which made Mark Twain become famous?
A．The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country
B．The Innocents Abroad
C．The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
D．The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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The play “The Million Pound Bank Note” is based on a short story 1.(write) by Mark Twain, who was brought up in Hannibal, Missouri, and is best known 2. his novels, such as The Adventure of Tom Sawyer and The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. The story happened in 3. summer of 1903, and Henry Adams, an 4. (America) businessman had some bad luck to be carried out to sea by a strong wind. However, he was 5. (spot) and rescued at sea luckily by a Bri
tain ship and landed in London, where he found himself without money, friends 6. a job. But he had to earn his living, which could account for (解释...的原因) his 7. (appear). One day when he was wandering on the pavement and didn’t know 8. to do, he heard somebody 9. (call) him. Then he was led to two brothers 10. made a bet and gave him an envelope with a large sum of money in it .高一英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The play “The Million Pound Bank Note” is based on a short story 1.(write) by Mark Twain, who was brought up in Hannibal, Missouri, and is best known 2. his novels, such as The Adventure of Tom Sawyer and The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. The story happened in 3. summer of 1903, and Henry Adams, an 4. (America) businessman had some bad luck to be carried out to sea by a strong wind. However, he was 5. (spot) and rescued at sea luckily by a Bri
tain ship and landed in London, where he found himself without money, friends 6. a job. But he had to earn his living, which could account for (解释...的原因) his 7. (appear). One day when he was wandering on the pavement and didn’t know 8. to do, he heard somebody 9. (call) him. Then he was led to two brothers 10. made a bet and gave him an envelope with a large sum of money in it .高一英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Mark Twain (1835-1910) – we’ve all heard the name, but what makes him “the father of American literature” as classic US author William Faulkner once called him?
Mark Twain is someone Americans are taught to love. Older relatives, English teachers and the media always praise him. But when you actually take the time to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you find that his work is more wonderful than you could’ve ever imagined.
The novel describes a young boy named Tom Sawyer growing up in a small town along the Mississippi River. He explores the countryside on a riverboat with his friends, falls in love with girls, starts secret clubs and searches for treasure. Twain’s idea of childhood is magical – a time of imagination, wonder and, of course, adventure.
More importantly, through the eyes of Tom Sawyer, Twain cleverly makes fun of US culture. For example, Tom hates going to church, and Twain uses scenes of Tom there to mock religion (宗教) and its old traditions. “Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it,” he writes in one chapter.
Twain’s writing is full of these kinds of critical (批判的) points about culture and politics. That’s why he is so loved in the US – he wasn’t afraid to state his opinions, and he did so clearly. For instance, Twain didn’t like US wars abroad. In 1900, after the US invaded (入侵) the Philippines, Twain wrote in a newspaper article: “We do not intend to free, but to subjugate (征服) the people of the Philippines… We have gone there to conquer.” He also believed strongly in women’s right to vote in elections and gave a famous speech on the subject, called “Votes for Women”, in 1901.
“Tom was a glittering hero once more – the pet of the old, the envy of the young,” Twain writes in Tom Sawyer. But he could just as well be describing himself.
1.According to the author, after reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you are likely to think _____.
A. it’s even better than you expected
B. it’s as wonderful as you expected
C. it’s better to read it with teachers
D. it’s not worth all the praise
2.What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A. A brief description of the novel.
B. Where Twain’s idea of childhood comes from.
C. How naughty and adventurous Tom Sawyer is.
D. What makes Tom Sawyer’s adventures so wonderful.
3.What does the underlined word “mock” mean?
A. make changes to B. make fun of
C. give reasons for D. give examples of
4.Why is Twain so loved in the US according to the article?
A. He wrote bad things about US wars abroad.
B. He supported women’s right to vote.
C. He criticized American culture and society clearly and cleverly.
D. He showed readers a magical childhood that everyone would love.
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My favourite book is The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Tom lives with his aunt Polly in a quiet street of St. Petersburg, Missouri. He's a lively and clever young boy, and he finds himself in many exciting adventures. He runs away with his two friends, Huck Finn and Joe, to an island in the middle of the Mississippi River for several days. With Huck he goes looking for treasure, with Becky he gets lost in a cave. And finally, they find a box of gold.
My favourite scene in the book is when everyone thinks Tom is dead. He decides to go to his own funeral. He hides and watches for a time and then suddenly he appears. Everyone is astonished to see him but they're also pleased to see him alive.
Tom is the hero of the story, but there are other important characters. Huck is an outsider and everyone is afraid of him. Becky is pretty with fair hair, Joe is Tom's best friend. And Injun Joe is the bad man of the story.
The theme of the story is about children growing up. It describes how strangers are seen in small towns of America. Finally, it talks about freedom, social rules and how people are punished for bad behaviour.
Why do I think The Adventure of Tom Sawyer is a great book? Mark Twain wrote the story in 1876, but it's still read and loved by people all over the world today. And although it's only a story, Twain wrote it in the everyday English of the southern states of America in the 19th century, so it sounds very real. Today it's thought to be one of the greatest books in American literature. Go on—read it! I know you'll enjoy it, too.
1.Where does Tom run away with his two friends?
A. To a quiet street. B. To a small town.
C. To an island. D. To a forest.
2.Who is the bad man in the story?
A. Huck Finn. B. Injun Joe.
C. Becky. D. Polly.
3.How did people feel when Tom appeared at his own funeral?
A. They were surprised and happy.
B. They were surprised and sad.
C. They were worried and excited.
D. They were frightened and happy.
4.The writer writes the article to ________.
A. ask us to read the book
B. tell us how popular the book is today
C. tell us when Mark Twain wrote the story
D. tell us why the story sounds very real
5.The whole book is mainly about ________.
A. freedom and social rules
B. children's bad behaviour
C. the growth of young children
D. strangers in American small towns
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
tain ship and landed in London, where he found himself without money, friends