Hans Christian Andersen, a great Danish (丹麦的) writer, is very famous for his fairy tales (童话). He wrote a lot of best-known stories such as The Emperor's New Clothes and The UglyDuckling. His fairy tales have brought happiness to children across the world. The tales have versions (版本) of over a hundred languages.

    Andersen was born in Denmark in 1805. When he was still a young boy, he was already very clever and imaginative (富于想象力的). He created a small toy theatre and made clothes for his puppets (木偶). He also loved reading.

    In 1816, his father died and he learned to be a tailor (裁缝). Later he worked in a factory. At the age of fourteen, Andersen moved to the capital of Denmark to become an actor and gave performances (演出) in the Royal Danish Theatre. However, his voice changed when he grew older, so the job had to stop. Then he began to write poems and fairy tales.

    In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed and didn't get well again. He lived until 1875 and died peacefully at the home of his close friends.

    Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh, and do things with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We don't always want people around. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We will feel lonely if we never have a friend.

    Friends sometimes don't get on well. Most of the time they will make up and become friends again. When friends move away, we feel very sad. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Then we call them or write to them. We can even see them again someday. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It's surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them.

    There's more good news for people who have friends. They live longer than people who don't. Why? It could be that they are happier. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or it could be just knowing that someone cares. If someone cares about you, you'll take better care of yourself.

    I did not grow up in a family with books.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}My process of being a reader seemed amazing. I got lost in one book that opened up my world and changed my life. My primary school teacher always gave her pupils time to read for pleasure in school. She believed it would improve reading greatly. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It was a biography(传记) of actress Greta Garbo. I picked it up and began to read from cover to cover. The words I read attracted(吸引) me and I was excited. I realized that there were other women like Greta who had made great efforts and changed their lives. I recognized(认识) myself in her. 

    From then on, my teacher had a hard time keeping me supplied(提供) with books. She dug up all the biographies of women that she could find.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It has been a long road. I am now a physics professor in a university. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Recently, someone gave me Justice Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography. Once again, I am encouraged and am imagining new possibilities for my life. 

    Everyone wants to be successful. But failure is a common (普通的) thing for us to meet with.

   1, sometimes we2 the exams, sometimes in the sports meet, others3 but we fail. So4 everybody meets with the failure in his life.

    However, different people have different5 to deal6 the failure. Some people lose hope when they fail. They seem to think that it is the7 of the world. Others,8, don't take failure9. They seem to think that failure is the first step to success. They will keep up and try their best10 the final success.

    Now let's imagine the ends of the two ways. If we are11 of the failure and always feel12, and don't try our best to change ourselves, we may meet with more and more failures. But as long as we are hopeful and brave to face them, and never give up, we will13 successful and our dreams will come true some day.

    So, please remember: Life doesn't give us the pleasure we want. But14 we never give up and15 do little by little, it will make a big difference.