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.

    Few people would even think of beginning a new job at the age of 76, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} one of America's most famous artists did just that. Anna Mary Robertson, better known as "Grandma Moses"（摩西奶奶）, turned to painting {#blank#}2{#/blank#}she was too old to work on her farm. Grandma Moses was crazy about {#blank#}3{#/blank#} （paint） soon after she picked it up and worked hard at it. She painted {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(care) and her work were nice. She first painted only to please {#blank#}5{#/blank#}（her）, and then began to sell her works {#blank#}6{#/blank#} little money. In 1993, a collector（收藏家）,Louis  Caldor happened to see several of Grandma Moses' works hanging in a shop.

    He liked them, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(buy) them at once, and set out to look for {#blank#}8{#/blank#}（many）.

    Caldor held a show to introduce the works of Grandma Moses to other {#blank#}9{#/blank#}（artist）. Grandma Moses who was world-famous, died {#blank#}10{#/blank#}December 13, 1961, at the age of 101.

    Chinese has overtaken French, Spanish and German to become one of the most popular foreign languages for jobseekers in the UK. Research shows graduates in Chinese earn {#blank#}1{#/blank#}average yearly salary of £31,000 or{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(much).

    "I had a lot of friends on other courses {#blank#}3{#/blank#}didn't do much in first or second year. But for Chinese majors, you have to spend hours and hours{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(write) characters," says Hannah Jackson, who graduated in Chinese Studies from Sheffield University in 2012.

    Hannah describes her course as "majorly intense". "Most of my friends admitted to crying in the first week owing {#blank#}5{#/blank#}the course intensity (强度). I was almost told at one point that I might want to reconsider and drop out."

    "The degree is{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(absolute) worth it. The efforts{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(pay) off so far. I like that I could live, work and operate with relative ease in China. Looking around at people who have studied French or Spanish at university, I find there's no such chance{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(use) what they've learned in the workplace," Hannah says.

    Hannah went to look for a job in Shanghai, where she found more employment{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(opportunity). After working as a project manager for Intralink Group for four years, she set up{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(she) own company earning £5,000 a day. She has now returned to the UK and works in business development for the Body Shop.

    Every year, A large number of people go back home for Christmas. Joe's plane landed on time at Heathrow Airport. He had {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (exact)one hour to get out of the airport and go across the centre of the airport and the centre of London to catch his train to Manchester. He hurried through the airport, and then raced {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the taxi sign.

    Unfortunately, at that moment, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (he)luggage broke and dirty socks, shirts and underwear were all over the airport floor. Joe was so {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (embarrass)that he quickly put everything back into his luggage. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (push)his way through the crowds of people, he finally made it to the taxi rank. He jumped into the nearest taxi, shouting, “Euston Station, quickly, please!” The taxi set off at such {#blank#}6{#/blank#} high speed that Joe was thrown backward, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} made him hit his head against the glass. The taxi sped on and finally arrived in the city centre, and also the middle of a traffic jam! It would be quicker to walk there. Joe offered {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (pay)the driver, got out of the taxi, and ran along the pavement and past all the shop {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (window). At last, he could see the station opposite.

    He reached the station just as his train was leaving. He {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (get)on the train with seconds to spare. He sighed with relief—he would be home in time for Christmas.

    Many of you fail to seek your purpose in life. You dream and then follow it up with a list of reasons {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the dream is unachievable. You fill your life with different {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (excuse) and "I can't", which gradually leave your dreams {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (break).

    Many great companies came from a dream, were nurtured (培育) in a garage or basement and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (grow) to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Why not you? Why not your dream? The only true limits you experience in life are those you create or those you allow others {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (put) on you. If you can dream it, you can do it!

    Dreaming is the easy part while {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (act) on the dream is hard. Recognize that a dream is {#blank#}7{#/blank#} journey. On the simplest level, it takes time, desire, and courage. But rarely is something great {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (easy) realized. Dreaming is recognizing and believing the potential for greatness and seeking it in all areas of your life. Believe in your dreams and your ability to realize {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (they). Keep your dreams {#blank#}10{#/blank#} front of you. Do not be afraid to dream. Never forget, if you can dream it, you can do it!