O.Henry,born in
Greensboro,North Carolina,was
the pen name of William Sydney Porter.His father,Algernon
Sidney Porter,was a physician.When William was three
years old,his mother died,and
he was raised by his grandmother and aunt.William was a good reader,but at the age of fifteen he left school,and
worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm.After that,he moved to Houston,where he had a number of
jobs,including that of bank clerk.After moving to
Austin,Texas,in 1882,he married.
In 1884 he
started a humorous weekly The Rolling Stone.When the weekly failed,he joined The Houston Post as a
reporter and columnist(专栏作家).In
1897 he was put into prison over some financial(财务的)dealings.While
in prison,William started to write short stories to
earn money to support his daughter Margaret.His first work,Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking(1899),appeared in McClure’s Magazine.After serving three years of the five years’ sentence,he changed his name to O.Henry,hoping to forget his bitter past.
O.Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and
from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York
World,and also published the stories in other
magazines.His first collection,Cabbages and Kings,appeared in 1904.Many other works quickly followed,such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room.O.Henry’s best known work is The Ransom of Red Chief.His
stories always have surprising endings.He published 10 collections and over 600
short stories during his lifetime.
O.Henry’s last years were shadowed by drinking,ill health,and
financial problems.In 1907,he experienced a failed
marriage.In 1910,O.Henry died after an illness.
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A.A brief introduction to O.Henry.
B.O.Henry’s career and marriage.
C.How O.Henry
became a wellknown writer.
D.O.Henry’s best known works.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that O.Henry ________.
A.didn’t like to study during his childhood
B.had little parental love as a child
C.was very interested in medicine and
farming
D.took up only one job after he moved to
Houston
3.Which is the right time order for the following
events in O.Henry’s life?
①He moved to New York City.
②He joined The Houston Post.
③Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking came out.
④The Furnished Room came out.
⑤Cabbages and Kings appeared.
A.①②③④⑤ B.②①③⑤④ C.③②①④⑤ D.②③①⑤④
4.Which of the following works of O. Henry’s is the most popular according to the passage?
A.Cabbages and Kings.
B.The Gift of the Magi.
C.The Furnished Room.
D.The Ransom of Red Chief.