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

How Can I Fight Laziness?

Lazy people will never amount to anything in life.However,laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.

1. Many people lack sleep constantly,since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work.These people have little motivation once they arrive home.Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency to put off things.By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest,you can fight laziness throughout the day.

Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active.Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task.Others take a more proactive approach,viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone.2.

Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations that surround them.A television in the living room may provide entertainment,but watching too much TV often contributes to laziness.3. Complete a few tasks and reward yourself with what you enjoy,such as a good dinner or a film.

Laziness can also be a lasting problem at home.Couples and children may all have different energy levels,but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately.4. Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal.Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task.It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.

5. Enough exercise and a balanced diet can help you to develop a healthy lifestyle,thus enabling you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.

A.To fight family laziness,set an example.

B.Knowing how to fight laziness is important.

C.One way to fight laziness is to get enough sleep.

D.Finally,taking exercise regularly can help you fight laziness.

E.With strong determination,you will be able to achieve your goal.

F.Laziness sets in when you no longer feel in charge of your own life.

G.Create a reward system for yourself,just as parents do for the children.

WHAT can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you’ll earn later.

The idea that popularity could have a serious influence on one’s earning potential shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work.

“If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations,” said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding. “Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you are occasionally in low spirits,” said Xu. She believed that all this helps you “earn a higher salary.”

Maybe that’s why some people think the younger generations are in the age of Friendalholism (交友狂症). A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook’s 5,000-friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts.

But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?

“Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition of friend”, said Meghan Daum, who works with The Los Angeles Times in the US.

Daum dislikes the idea that quantity trumps quality in the age of Friendaholism. She thought the idea of friendship, at least among the growing population of Internet social networkers, was to get as many of not-really-friends as possible. For example, a friend might be someone you might know personally but who could just as easily be the friend of a friend of some other Facebook friend you don’t actually know. Although she agreed that social ties grease (润滑) the wheels of life, she also warned. “Too bad one thing money can’t buy is a real friend.”

1.What will be needed if you are to achieve success according to the researchers?

A. Social skills, friends, good mood and fortune.

B. Social skills, networking, talent and hard work.

C. Social skills, networking, potential and fortune.

D. Social skills, talent, hard work and the facebook.

2.What can friends do in the eyes of Xu Yanchun?

A. They can help you with your schoolwork.

B. They teach you how to make more money.

C. They help you get rid of sadness and cheer up.

D. They always get on well with you.

3.We learn that Meghan Daum’s attitude towards friends is somewhat _______.

A. up-to-date B. optimistic

C. confused D. traditional

4.What does the word “trumps” in the last paragraph mean?

A. is better than B. is equal to

C. is worse than D. is similar to

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