Samuel Langhorne Clemens, more commonly {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (know) as Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida. Twain is considered{#blank#}2{#/blank#} greatest author and humorist of the 19th-century American literature (文学).

    In 1839 the Clemens family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River where he was brought {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Like many authors of his day he had little formal education. His education came from the print shops and newspaper offices {#blank#}4{#/blank#} he worked as a youth. In 1853 Twain left Hannibal to travel. On a trip to New Orleans he persuaded a riverboat pilot {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (teach) him his skill. By the spring of 1859 Twain was a licensed riverboat pilot.

    After a(n) {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (success) attempt at gold and silver mining he joined the staff of a newspaper in Virginia City, Nevada. He first wrote under the pen name Mark Twain in 1863. 

    He continued to travel as a reporter for various newspapers, and in 1869 his travel letters from Europe {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (collect) into the popular book The Innocents Abroad. Between 1873 and 1889 he wrote seven novels {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (include) his Mississippi River books.

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#} Twain's life and career progressed he lost much of the humorous style of his earlier years. What was expressed more and more in his later works was {#blank#}10{#/blank#} human beings are selfish. Even so Twain is best remembered as a great humorist.

    Keeping a diary in English is one of the most {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (effect) ways to improve our English writing ability. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many {#blank#}5{#/blank#} （difficult）.In the first place, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly. As far as I {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (concern), my {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (suggest) is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is {#blank#}9{#/blank#}great use to keep a diary in English for {#blank#}10{#/blank#} development of our writing skills.

    China has splendid culture with a long history. Chinese opera is one of the{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(old) dramatic art forms in the world. During the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor Taizong established an opera school {#blank#}2{#/blank#}the poetic name Liyuan (Pear Garden).Since the Yuan Dynasty, encouraged by court officials and emperors, it{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(become)a traditional art form. During the Qing Dynasty, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}became fashionable among ordinary people. Performances{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(watch) in tearooms, restaurants, and even on temporary stages.

    It developed from folk songs, dance, talking, antimasque（滑稽戏）and especially distinctive dialectical music. Gradually it combined music, art and literature into one performance on the stage.{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(accompany) by traditional musical instruments, actors present unique melodies which may sound strange to{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(foreign)as well as beautifully written dialogues, which are of high literary{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(valuable).These dialogues also promoted the development of distinct literary styles, such as Zaju in the Yuan Dynasty. For Chinese, especially older folks,{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(listen) to this kind of opera occasionally is {#blank#}10{#/blank#}real pleasure.

    Why do many of us find {#blank#}1{#/blank#} difficult or impossible to fall asleep in a bed other than our own? Is it because the bed is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (comfort)? According to a new study published in Current Biology, a significant reason is {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the scientists call "first night effect". They believe that one side of the brain acts as a "night watch" to warn us about potential dangers. It forces us {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (stay) awake on the first night in a new environment.

    For the study, 35 young volunteers {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (ask) to sleep in a sleep lab for several days. Meanwhile, researchers watched their brain activities.

    According to the researchers, on their first night, the left brains were {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (active) than the right brains and people had a hard time sleeping. However, left-brain activity decreased as days went by, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (fall) even to the point of complete calm. In this process, the participants got an increasingly better sleep experience.

    The {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (finding) suggest that the different rhythms of the sides of the brain affect our sleep. When the two sides work {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (different), the balance between them is broken. Thus, the brain can't relax and is sensitive to anything strange in the surroundings, just {#blank#}10{#/blank#} it is in the daytime.

    Environment-friendly ideas have been created to supply people with helpful {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(tip) on how they can help the environment {#blank#}2{#/blank#} well as save money. I honestly believe that everyone wants to help the environment, even if they do or do not believe in global warming.

    With power bills, water bills and all other expenses{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(continue)to rise, it's very hard for the average worker. No matter what your {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(finance) position is , there is always something everyone can do {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(help) save our environment.

    We are not the only ones that live on this {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(amaze) planet. We also share it {#blank#}7{#/blank#}a wide range of strange and wonderful animals. It would be a great tragedy if they {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (be) not around for our future generations to enjoy. Every little bit helps, so please do all {#blank#}9{#/blank#} you can to protect our environment and the environment of these surprising animals.

    I hope these environment-friendly ideas can help everyone to do {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(they) bit for the environment and to make this world a better place.