Better Known As Mark Twain

　　The remarkable man went to a log-cabin schooluntil he was twelve years old. That was the end ofhis formal education. In spite of this, he became themost famous literary figure of his generation .

　　Mark Twain was born in a small Missouri village nearthe Mississippi River2 in 1835. At that time, AndrewJackson3 was the president of the country. AbrahamLincoln was still a young farm laborer in Illinois. The first railroad had been built seven yearsbefore. The Industrial Revolution was at hand. 4 The economic collapse of Americanprosperity, called the Panic of 1837, still lay ahead. This was also the literary period later calledthe“New England Renaissance ”

　　Mark Twain was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the firstwinter. But with his mother’s tender care , he managed to survive. He had been born in a tinytwo-room cabin. Eight people lived together there . He had four brothers and sisters. A slavegirl lived with them too.

　　As a boy, Mark Twain caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play practical jokes on allof his friends and neighbors. The nature of his jokes often led to violence . He hated to go toschool, and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearbyMississippi. He was fascinated by that mighty river. He liked to sit on the bank of the river forhours at a time and just gaze at the mysterious islands and the passing boats and rafts. Hewas nearly drowned nine different times. He learned many things about the river during thosedays. He learned all about its history and the unusual people who rode up and down5 it. Henever forgot those scenes and those people. He later made them part of the history of Americain his books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn6.

　　閱讀自測

　　Ⅰ. This is the summary of the passage. Try to fill in the blanks with proper words :

　　Mark Twain was born in a small village near the __________River in 1835. He was not a healthybaby, so he was not expected to live __________ the first winter. Thanks to his mother’s__________care, he managed to survive . He has been born in a tiny two-room __________ . __________people lived together there. He had __________brothers and sisters and a girl livewith them too. When he was a boy, he used to play __________jokes on his friends andneighbors. He hated to go to school but was __________ by the mighty river. He learned allabout its history and __________the unusual people who rode __________ and __________it. Later in his works Tom Sawyer and he made them part of American history.

　�、�. Quizzes:

　　1. What has four eyes ( Ⅰ) but cannot see?

　　2. It is said that river is richer than any other things. Why?

　　參考答案:

　�、�. Mississippi / through / tender / cabin / Eight / four/ slave / practical / fascinated up / down /Huckleberry Finn

　　Ⅱ. 1. Mississippi. 2. Because on each side of the river,there is one bank.