When talking about humor, people often refer to famous humorists such as Samuel Langhorne

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.

41. 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.

42. 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

43. Samuel got his pen-name from the job as a(n) _________.

   A. printer     B. editorial assistant    C. river pilot   D. newspaper reporter

44. 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 

CDCA