"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. 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
B
Humor is very important in any relationship. It is truly a unique gift when someone has the ability to make another laugh. Humor allows a person to forget his troubles and focus on positive aspects of his life. Personally speaking, making another laugh, whether it is a family member, a close friend, or even a stranger, has always given me a good feeling! Humor plays an important role in our family lives. The interaction , between husband and wife and between a parent and a child, is very important, just thinking how much better our relationships would be if we would take the time to laugh. Humor and laughter are especially important during difficult times. No matter how bad a person may feel, a family member or a friend can make him feel good by laughing with him. I once had a co-worker, for whom there was no humor in her daily life. She seldom smiled and seemed to focus on only the negative or the dark side. One day I was told she was very unhappy, had few friends, and had poor relations with family members. Later, I learnt that she couldn't remember laughing or enjoying life. In order to enjoy her life, she was advised to have humor and laughter each day of her life. In the end, it seemed to make a huge difference. We do live in a difficult world. "Stress" seems to be a major factor contributing to health problems of our society. So, in order to live easily, we should put humor into our daily lives. I have a plaque hanging on the wall, which reads "Live, Love and Laugh"! Which of the following statements is TRUE about the author's co-worker? A) She lived in a happy family though she seldom smiled. B) It was humor that she benefited a lot from. C) There was something wrong with the woman's mind. D) She performed very poorly in her work1 for lack of humor.
B
*Question*
Can you imagine traveling to work in a one-man submarine? Scientists believe that someday one-man submarines will be as numerous as automobiles today. One says," One day soon, men will walk on the ocean floor as they do on the street. " Perhaps during your life time, people will travel, work and live under the sea. Ships carrying oil and articles of trade will move beneath the ocean. Passenger ships will be built to travel underwater, where storms cannot delay them or make people seasick. Special underwater ships will be designed for mining, fishing, and exploring unknown areas. For military use, there may be submarines that can fly and then dive underwater to approach the battle area without being seen. First, however, the human problems associated with living in the ocean will need to be studied in detail. Many of these problems are the same as the problems of living in outer space: pressure, lack of oxygen, and weightlessness. Already scientists have begun to study these problems. In 1963 and 1964 scientists and Navy divers lived and worked underwater for several days in two projects which were called Sealab I and Sealab II. The Sealab II experiment kept the scientists and divers 215 feet below the surface for thirty days, studying marine biology, temperature, pressure, currents, and ocean bottom geology. Many puzzling questions remain unanswered, however. Man's warm blood makes it difficult for him to live long in the sea without some kind of warmth. Can our blood be changed to fit new water surroundings? What will happen to our muscles if we live in the water very long? Will they become soft away from our usual land existence? Will bones become weak and our blood pressure change? Scientists are searching for answers. By studying plants and animals deep in the ocean, scientists may find a cure for some of our most serious human diseases. We may learn to use plants to increase our world food supply. Engineers may learn to use the power of the sea by building huge walls to catch the force of... According to the author,in future,passenger ships might be the ones that can _ A) be used for mining, fishing and exploring unknown areas B) carry oil and articles of trade C) travel underwater, not affected by storm D) fly and then dive underwater
**Answer**
C