SamuelLanghorneClemensbetterknownbyhispennameMarkTwainwasanAmericanauthorandhumorist.Heismostnotedforhisnovels.TheAdventuresofTomSawyer(1876)anditssequel(续集)TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn(1885)thelatteroftencalled"theGreatAmericanNovel."

TwaingrewupinHannibalMissouriwhichwouldlaterprovidethesettingforHuckleberryFinnandTomSawyer.Heactedasaprinter.HealsoworkedasatypesetterandcontributedarticlestohisolderbrotherOrion’snewspaper.AfterservingasaprinterinvariouscitieshebecameamasterriverboatpilotontheMississippiRiverbeforeheadingwesttojoinOrion.Hewasafailureatgoldminingsohenextturnedtojournalism.WhileareporterhewroteahumorousstoryTheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty whichbecameverypopularandbroughtnationwideattention.Histraveloguesincluding ATrampAbroad werealsowell-received.Twainhadfoundhiscalling.

Heachievedgreatsuccessasawriterandpublicspeaker.His witandsatire(讽刺)earnedpraisefromcriticsandpeersandhewasafriendtopresidentsartistsindustrialistsandEuropeanroyalty.

HelackedfinancialsenseandthoughhemadeagreatdealofmoneyfromhiswritingsandlectureshewasteditonvariousventuresinparticularthePaigeCompositorandwasforcedtodeclarebankruptcy(破产).WiththehelpofHenryHuttlestonRogersheeventuallyovercamehisfinancialtroubles.Twainworkedhardtoensurethatallofhisloanerswerepaidinfulleventhoughhisbankruptcyhadrelievedhimofthelegalresponsibility.

TwainwasbornduringavisitbyHalley'sComet(彗星)andhepredictedthathewould"gooutwithit”aswell.Hediedthedayfollowingthecomet’snextreturn.Hewasknownasthe"greatestAmericanhumoristofhisage”andWilliamFaulknercalledTwain"thefatherofAmericanliterature."

53.thetextiswrittento .

A.introducetheAmericanliteraturebriefly

B.giveusabriefintroductionofMarkTwain

C.explainwhyMarkTwainissooutstanding

D.convinceushowMarkTwainwaswell-informed

54.WhichofhisworksisaturningpointforMarkTwain?

A.TheAdventuresofTomSawyer

B.TheAdventure