Module 3 Adventure in Literature and the Cinema

1. pour? ?vi. （雨）傾盆而下;涌流，傾瀉

vt.? ?傾倒;使（液體）連續(xù)流出

Its pouring outside.

外面下著瓢潑大雨。

Although I poured the milk carefully， I still spilled some.

盡管我倒牛奶倒得很小心，但還是灑了一些。

（1）pour... into...? ?向……投入大量……

The government has poured millions of pounds into education system.

政府已經(jīng)投入了數(shù)百萬(wàn)英鎊到教育系統(tǒng)。

（2）pour out? ?傾訴;傾吐

She poured out her troubles over me.

她向我傾訴她的煩惱。

（3）pour cold water on...? ?給……澆冷水

Dont pour cold water on my new idea.

不要給我的新想法澆冷水。

2. lie? ?vi.? ?說謊，撒謊;躺，平躺

n.? ?謊言（可數(shù)）

You could see from her face that she was lying.

從她的表情上你可以看出她在撒謊。

The whole account is nothing but a pack of lies.

整個(gè)敘述只不過是一派胡言。

（1）lie to sb? ?對(duì)某人撒謊

Dont lie to me.

別對(duì)我撒謊。

（2）lie about sth? ?在某事上撒謊

She lied about her age.

她謊報(bào)自己的年齡。

（3）give the lie to...? ?證明……是虛假的

These new figures give the lie to the thought that employment is going down.

這些新的數(shù)據(jù)表明就業(yè)率在下降的看法是不真實(shí)的。

（4）tell （sb） a lie/lies? （向某人）說謊

Dont believe him！ He always tells lies.

別相信他！他總是說謊。

（5）a white lie? ?善意的謊言

I dont think it is wrong to use a white lie to comfort others.

我認(rèn)為用善意的謊言來(lái)安慰他人沒有錯(cuò)。

比較：

詞 義 原形 過去式 過去分詞 現(xiàn)在分詞

說謊 lie lied lied lying

躺;位于 lie lay lain lying

放置;

下（蛋） lay laid laid laying

3. curious? ?adj.? ?好奇的

（1）be curious about...? ?對(duì)……感到好奇

They were very curious about the people who lived upstairs.

他們對(duì)住在樓上的人感到很好奇。

（2）be curious to do...? ?想做……

I was curious to find out what she had said.

我真想弄清楚她說了些什么。

4. tie? ?vt.? （用線、繩索等）系，拴，扎，捆

They tied him to a chair with the rope.

他們用繩子把他綁在一把椅子上。

I tied a knot in the rope.

我在繩子上打了個(gè)結(jié)。

5. disturb? ?vt.? ?打擾;擾亂

I am sorry to disturb you， but can I talk to you for a moment？

對(duì)不起打擾你一下，我能跟你談一會(huì)兒?jiǎn)幔?/p>

Dont disturb the papers on my desk.

別把我書桌上的文件弄亂了。

disturbance? ?n.? （受）打擾;騷亂

disturbing? ?adj.? ?引起煩惱的，令人不安的

6. warn? ?vt.? ?警告（說）

（1）warn后接從句

She was warned that if she did it again she would lose her job.

她被警告說如果她再這樣做就會(huì)丟掉工作。

（2）warn sb of/about sth? ?警告或提醒某人某事

I warned you of the risk， didnt I？

我事先警告過你有危險(xiǎn)，是不是？

Government notice on each packet warns the public about the dangers of cigarette smoking.

每個(gè)包裝盒上都印有政府部門提醒公眾注意吸煙危害健康的告誡。

（3）warn （sb） against doing sth? ?告誡（某人）不要做某事

The guidebook warns us against walking alone at night.

這本指南告誡我們夜間不要單獨(dú)行走。

（4）warn sb to do sth? ?警告某人做某事

He warned Billy to keep away from his daughter.

他警告比利離他女兒遠(yuǎn)點(diǎn)。

（5）warn... off...（尤指以威脅的方式）叫……離開……，告誡……不要靠近……

The farmer warned us off his land when we tried to camp there.

我們想在農(nóng)場(chǎng)主的農(nóng)場(chǎng)露營(yíng)時(shí)，他警告我們不得靠近那里。

7. force? ?vt.? ?強(qiáng)迫;迫使

（1）force sb to do sth? ?強(qiáng)迫某人做某事

She forced herself to be polite to them.

她對(duì)他們強(qiáng)裝客氣。

（2）force sb into sth/doing sth? ?強(qiáng)迫或迫使某人做某事

Ill health forced him into early retirement.

由于他身體狀況不佳，他不得不提前退休。

The president was forced into resigning.

總統(tǒng)被迫辭職。

（1）force back...? ?強(qiáng)忍……（不表露情感）

She swallowed hard and forced back her tears.

她使勁咽了一下口水，強(qiáng)忍住了眼淚。

（2）force... on/upon sb? ?把……強(qiáng)加給某人

They always force their will on me.

他們總是將他們的意愿強(qiáng)加給我。

8. run away（秘密地）逃跑

They ran away together to get married.

他們私奔結(jié)了婚。

Someone has run away with all my jewels.

有人偷了我所有的珠寶逃跑了。

9. make up編造（說法、解釋等）;形成，構(gòu)成;化妝，打扮

Are you telling the truth， or making it up？

你說的是真話還是在編故事？

Girls make up 30% of the number of students.

女生占學(xué)生人數(shù)的30%。

She never goes out without making herself up first.

她是從不會(huì)不先化妝就出門的。

make up for? ?補(bǔ)償;賠償

make up to? ?接近;奉承

10. set （a play， novel， etc.） in設(shè)置（戲劇、小說等的）背景

This writer set his story in China.

這位作家把故事背景設(shè)定在中國(guó)。

The movie is set in the countryside in the 19th century.

這部電影是以19世紀(jì)的農(nóng)村為背景的。

幽默小故事

Catching a Thief

Witty Hare can run very fast. One day when he gets home， he sees a rat. The rat is jumping down his window. “Oh. A thief！” Witty Hare shouts and runs after the rat. “You cant run faster than me.” Soon Witty Hare catches up with the rat， and the rat is left behind. “I must run away，” the rat says and laughs. “He is so silly.”

Witty Hare goes on running. A sheep sees him and asks him， “What are you doing？” “Im catching the thief，” Witty Hare says. “Thief？ Wheres the thief？” the sheep feels surprised. “Hes behind me，” Witty Hare says proudly.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（一）

閱讀理解

Author of three books—her latest， The House that Spoke was published by Penguin this January…16-year-old Zuni Chopras childhood fantasy involved her combing through dense forests or crossing the Antarctic， looking for a great， big adventure. But， “being an explorer meant being frequent close with bugs and that didnt quite work for me， so then I decided to be a writer. How else could I explore the whole world sitting in my bedroom？”

The House that Spoke is a fantasy novel set in Kashmir. “I wanted to bring out the truth about Kashmir as that is where I originally come from， to show that it is a beautiful place where a fantasy could be set. Of course， you need to take into account its political history， but I am not making a political statement. I dont think I have gained enough knowledge to make one，” she adds thoughtfully.

Writers Lewis Carroll， Neil Gaiman and J. K. Rowling are Zunis heroes—also her guides. She turns to her father， film producer and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra for honest opinions， “He judges me objectively （客觀地）， which I appreciate， because sugarcoating doesnt make sense， particularly when you are trying to grow.”

Sharing her joy of reading and the wonder that her craft inspires in her， she says， “You can create whole worlds out of words. They are often deeper and memorable， over films， for example.”

This 11th grader is now working on a book of short stories and teaching English—writing and storytelling—to kids at the Maharashtra Mitra Mandal Library， down the road from her Bandra home. “Its really fun， Ive made some good friends， and we have a great time.”

1. Why did Zuni Chopra choose writing？

A. She had a fear for adventure. B. It was her childhood dream.

C. She can hardly live out of her bedroom. D. She wanted to explore the world somehow.

2. What did Zuni Chopra take into account when writing The House that Spoke？

A. Kashmirs political history. B. A fantasy that happened in Kashmir.

C. The happy stories of her childhood. D. Making some commercial comments.

3. What does the underlined word “sugarcoating” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A. Getting rid of harm.

B. Trying the new and challenging.

C. Making the unpleasant seem attractive.

D. Judging by ones look.

4. What words can best describe Zuni Chopra？

A. Brave and generous. B. Inspiring and helpful.

C. Humorous and energetic. D. Demanding and hopeful.

閱讀七選五

Jane Eyre was published in 1847. It is not just a romance novel， but an educational story. Women can learn so much from this great Victorian heroine. This is not to suggest that Jane didnt have shortcomings. 1

You can overcome your past， however bad it is. Jane Eyre is made miserable （痛苦的） as a child by her horrible relatives. 2 He constantly reminds her that shes an orphan （孤兒）. But she learns a lot about letting go when she is sent to a boarding school and makes friends with Helen.

3 Jane notes， “The world was a varied field of hopes and excitement waiting for those who had the courage to go forth.” If Jane hadnt been brave， she might have returned to the cruel woman who raised her.

Dont be afraid to speak your mind. She is not scared to voice her opinions when necessary. It is much better to talk about things than to hide unspoken anger. 4

Be positive. When Jane was younger， she had a tendency to feel sorry for herself. 5 But as she gets older， she learns to be happy despite her past.

A. Her life was miserable.

B. You can decide your life.

C. Her cousin， John， is the worst.

D. Talking also helps heal relationships as well.

E. The possibilities for life are endless for those who take risks.

F. It is silly to say you cant bear what your fortune requires to bear.

G. Still， theres much to be learned from the way she chooses to live.

1. ___________ ? 2. ___________? 3. ___________ ? 4. ___________ ? 5.___________

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（二）

完形填空

Tracy Wong is a well-known Chinese-American writer. But her writing1was something she picked up by herself. After her first2 ， teaching disabled children， she became a part-time writer for IBM.3 ， writing stories was simply a4interest. Tracy sent three of her stories to a publisher.5 ， they immediately suggested that she put them together to make a single long

6and paid Tracy $15，000 in advance. “A pretty money，” said the publisher， “for a（n）7writer at that time.”

Even though Tracys8are interesting， her stories sometimes9readers uneasy： those about the supernatural.? “My mother believed I could10with the afterlife world，” she told a close friend. “She used to have me speak with my grandmother， who died many years ago.”

“Can I？ I dont think I can，” Tracy said with a laugh. “But I do have11when things come to me for no reason.” Once， she was12how to complete a13set in ancient China.14 ， the doorbell rang. It was a FedEx deliveryman （送貨人）， with a copy of a book on Chinese15 . It came without her having16it.

Though she has1745 books， Tracy has remained18by her fame. She lives in the same19she lived 27 years ago—although in a more comfortable home. Theres more room for20in her life—and it wasnt just writing.

1. A. skill B. experience C. practice D. idea

2. A. duty B. effort C. job D. task

3. A. Instead B. Normally C. Certainly D. Then

4. A. general B. deep C. personal D. great

5. A. Interested B. Anxious C. Serious D. Encouraged

6. A. account B. story C. program D. article

7. A. foreign B. popular C. unusual D. unknown

8. A. imaginations B. characters C. spirits D. backgrounds

9. A. find B. turn C. leave D. hold

10. A. compare B. connect C. deal D. meet

11. A. events B. chances C. feelings D. moments

12. A. wondering B. figuring C. telling D. asking

13. A. description B. point C. scene D. talk

14. A. Surprisingly B. Suddenly C. Expectedly D. Fortunately

15. A. cooking B. history C. play D. medicine

16. A. written B. sent C. realized D. ordered

17. A. published B. sold C. read D. remembered

18. A. unchanged B. excited C. determined D. unmoved

19. A. life B. city C. house D. way

20. A. joy B. success C. variety D. work

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（三）

閱讀理解

A

Its the most wonderful time of the year！ The winter holidays are the perfect chance to get comfortable with a good book， and luckily we have some best sellers right now. Were sure youll find what youre looking for.

Sunday Funday by Katherine Hallgan

Hardback， $20 （10 percent off with membership）

A great book full of seasonal activities that families and friends can enjoy together. From gardening projects to creative hand-made things and warming winter recipes （食譜）， theres something for everyone， whatever the weather.

The History of the World in 100 Animals by Simon Barnes

Hardback， $16.99

This beautifully pictured book explores the good relationship between humans and animals， from bees to chimpanzees （黑猩猩） who share more than 90% of our DNA. If you are crazy about animals， this is the book for you.

Accidentally Famous by David Baddiel

Paperback， $12.99

Nothing amazing ever happens to Billy Smith but when TV workers visit his school he becomes popular， but as everyone knows， being famous comes with a price. David Baddiels laugh-out-loud book asks what life would be like if everyone suddenly knew your name.

Eddie Albert and the Animal Gang by Paul OGrady

Paperback， $15

This action-filled adventure from TV favorite Paul OGrady follows a young boy with a very special gift—he can talk to animals！ On a trip to Amsterdam， Eddie meets a monkey in danger and rescues the young creature with the help of his animal friends.

1. What is the member price for Sunday Funday？

A. $20. B. $19. C. $18. D. $10.

2. Which book is about the price of being famous？

A. Sunday Funday. B. Eddie Albert and the Animal Gang.

C. Accidentally Famous. D. The History of the World in 100 Animals.

3. What do the books by Simon Barnes and Paul OGrady have in common？

A. They are published in hardback. B. They stress harmony with animals.

C. They are full of beautiful pictures. D. They speak of famous TV persons.

B

I first met Paul Newman in 1968， when George Roy Hill， the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid， introduced us in New York City. When the studio didnt want me for the film—it wanted somebody as well-known as Paul—he stood up for me. I dont know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.

The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference， we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft （技藝） and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues （美德） that are typical of American actors： humorous， aggressive， and making fun of each other—but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core （核心） of our relationship off the screen.

We shared the belief that if youre fortunate enough to have success， you should put something back—he with his Newmans Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill， and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didnt see each other all that regularly， but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.

I last saw him a few months ago. Hed been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was， and we didnt talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didnt need a lot of words.

4. Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to the author at first？

A. Paul wanted the role. B. He wasnt famous enough.

C. The director had found someone else. D. The studio powers didnt like his agent.

5. Why did Paul and the author have a lasting friendship？

A. They were of the same age. B. They were both good actors.

C. They worked in the same theater. D. They have similar characteristics.

6. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 3 refer to？

A. Their belief. B. Their care for children.

C. Their success. D. Their support for each other.

7. What is the authors purpose in writing the text？

A. To remember a friend. B. To show his love of films.

C. To introduce a new movie. D. To share his acting experience.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（四）

完形填空

Six people gather in a bar after receiving an anonymous （匿名的） message. Suddenly， the door closes. They1when hearing a hidden woman say， “All of you are2 ！ You should be punished！”

Dont be scared. This is just a3from Under Mask， a drama performed by Senior 2 students to4their schools House Theater Festival.

The drama tells the story of a girl， who suffers from campus bullying， cyber violence and emotional abuse from her family while in senior high school.5 ， she plans revenge （復(fù)仇） secretly on those who harmed her by setting fire to a bar. In the end， she chooses to6them， sets aside her hate and carries on with her life.

“We want to7those problems because they are8related to our daily life，” said playwright Lu Chen.

To stage the show， the cast encountered many difficulties. “The9script had so many logical problems that we revised it at least 10 times，” the director Qiu Tian said. “To some extent， we just10a new one.”

Also， for these inexperienced students， their body movements and facial expressions looked rigid （僵硬的） and11 . For example， Liu Xi， who plays the girls boyfriend， had no12about drama and performance. He couldnt play the role13in the beginning. Lu Jia was14by playing a character who is totally different from herself. “I dont know how to present her15and pain when she was bullied and ignored by her family. She is timid （膽怯的） and16 .” But they gradually made17with the help of their tutor.

“At first， those children18many issues. But they figured out the problems through heated19 . They know the meaning of20as a team，” the tutor said.

1. A. fail B. panic C. survive D. resign

2. A. lonely B. generous C. careless D. guilty

3. A. scene B. comment C. dialogue D. poster

4. A. delay B. appreciate C. celebrate D. remember

5. A. However B. Otherwise C. Besides D. Therefore

6. A. ignore B. forgive C. forget D. love

7. A. focus on B. come across C. clear up D. put away

8. A. instantly B. randomly C. rarely D. closely

9. A. valuable B. final C. original D. reasonable

10. A. borrowed B. wrote C. reviewed D. ignored

11. A. unnatural B. unusual C. uncertain D. unconditional

12. A. sign B. rule C. idea D. proof

13. A. freely B. correctly C. carefully D. confidently

14. A. challenged B. reminded C. affected D. accused

15. A. sympathy B. strength C. sorrow D. regret

16. A. positive B. weak C. relaxed D. delighted

17. A. struggle B. efforts C. fortune D. progress

18. A. disagreed on B. let out C. escaped from D. bargained over

19. A. complaints B. warnings C. discussions D. fightings

20. A. study B. work C. share D. play

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（五）

閱讀理解

Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.

He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of the first directors to do this. Between the middle 1930s and the 1980s， Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations （提名） from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards （獎(jiǎng)）. His movies have been seen by people around the world.

In 1944， Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity. Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945. Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life， yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.

In 1950， Wilder made Sunset Boulevard. This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies though facing many problems. In 1954， Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year， Wilders first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was The Seven Year Itch. In this movie， a married mailman wants to cheat on his wife with some of his friends. In 1959， Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. It was Some Like It Hot. It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. They decide to wear womens clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.

Wilder died in March， 2002. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said， “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”

1. What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2？

A. The awards he received. B. The movies produced by himself.

C. The special style of making movies. D. The sharp remarks on society in his movies.

2. What movie made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors？

A. Double Indemnity. B. Sunset Boulevard. C. The Lost Weekend. D. Some Like It Hot.

3. How does the author develop the text？

A. By following time order. B. By making comparisons.

C. By analyzing data. D. By giving instructions.

4. What is the text mainly about？

A. Wilders attitude to American movies. B. The background of American movies.

C. The development of American movies. D. Wilders achievements in American movies.

選詞填空

用方框里單詞的正確形式填空，使其句意完整。

lie comedy create determine fiction

review romance set panic trunk

1. Every one of us ___________when we saw smoke coming out of the engine.

2. Dont believe him. Clearly， he___________ .

3. The natives make excellent boats out of tree ___________.

4. The actor likes working on ___________because he loves to make people laugh.

5. A ___________story is one about love or adventure.

6. Their___________world has been replaced by a fantastic real one in the end.

7. I have read one of the___________of his latest novel.

8. In addition to the impressiveness of the ___________ ， there is a use of the camera which at times seems magical.

9. Its made me ___________ never to give up.

10. The new-media industry attracts young and ___________people.

語(yǔ)法填空

The Chinese Garden of Friendship was built as a beautiful symbol of friendship1Sydney and Guangzhou to mark Australias bicentenary in 1988.

The garden2（design） and built by Chinese landscape architects and gardeners3（follow） the Taoist principles of “Yin-Yang” and the five opposite elements—earth， fire， water， metal and wood. These principles also stress the4（important） of Qi， the central force of life and energy.

Yin-Yang5（play） such a vital role that just one missing element would disrupt （破壞） the gardens harmony and balance. However， when6（combine） perfectly， the five elements form a fluid and nurturing environment. Everything you encounter in the garden has been hand-picked and very7（careful） placed to capture the five elements and the energy of Qi.

Unlike western-style gardens， there are no planted flowerbeds8neatly-cut lawns （草坪）. Instead， wild9（aspect） of nature are recreated in landscapes10feature waterfalls， mountains， lakes and forests.

The art of Chinese Garden design began in imperial parks （皇家園林） during the Shang Dynasty 3，000 years ago. Darling Harbors Chinese Garden of Friendship is a small-scale version of a typical private garden from this time.

1.___________ 2. ___________3. ___________4.___________ 5. ___________

6. ___________ 7. ___________ 8.___________9.___________ 10. ___________

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（六）

短文改錯(cuò)

When I was the boy， the most exciting thing was when to celebrate the Spring Festival. My grandma was the best cook in the world but could make the most delicious dishes. One time， I just couldnt wait to the Spring Festival dinner. As I was about take a piece from a cooked duck， I see Grandma in the kitchen looking at me. Shake her head， she said， “It isnt a good time to do that， dear.” At once I apologized and controlled me at my best till the dinner started. You know， the dinner was that we had waited for several month.

書面表達(dá)

假如你是高二學(xué)生李華，近期你加入了學(xué)校的電影倶樂部，作為新成員，請(qǐng)你用英文向其他成員介紹一部你最喜歡的電影。要點(diǎn)如下：

1.電影的名稱;

2.主要故事情節(jié);

3.喜歡的原因。

注意：

1.詞數(shù)100左右;

2.可適當(dāng)增加細(xì)節(jié)，以使行文連貫。

My Favorite Film

背景大鏈接

Mark Twain in Hannibal

馬克·吐溫在漢尼堡

When he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn， Mark Twain turned Hannibal， Missouri—which he later described as a “white town bathing in the sunshine of a summers morning”—into an American literary Mecca. No other town in the country has stronger associations with an author， and Twain readily acknowledged its role in his success.

The relationship between Hannibal and Twain began in November 1839， when Twains father， John Clemens， decided to leave the hamlet of Florida， Missouri， and move to Hannibal， on the banks of the Mississippi River. Twain， then known as Samuel Clemens， marked his fourth birthday about a week after the family settled there. However， he showed little promise of becoming a long-term resident， because his health was so poor that his parents probably feared he would not survive childhood.

About the time the family moved into their new home， Twains health improved dramatically. Instead of having to lead a quiet indoor life， he could roam the streets of Hannibal， climb the surrounding hills， explore the areas caves and splash about in local swimming holes.

Twains carefree days did not last long. His father used their house as collateral for a friends loan， and the creditor took possession when the loan failed. A physician who lived diagonally across the street from the family offered to let them live in his home. The Clemens family moved into that house sometime in late 1846. On March 24， 1847， John Clemens died. His wife， Jane Lampton Clemens， and their oldest son， Orion， managed to regain possession of the little house on Hill Street， and the family moved back into it that summer.

Within a year of his fathers death， he quit school and became an apprentice printer， and when his brother Orion bought the Hannibal Journal in 1851， Twain went to work for him as a printer and editorial assistant. The stories he wrote for Orions paper， his first publications， taught him that he much preferred writing to typesetting. Thus， when he decided to leave Hannibal in May 1853， he already had an inkling of his future career.

當(dāng)馬克·吐溫撰寫《湯姆·索亞歷險(xiǎn)記》和《哈克貝里·費(fèi)恩歷險(xiǎn)記》時(shí)，他把密蘇里州的漢尼堡變成了美國(guó)文學(xué)的圣地（后來(lái)他描寫它如同一座“沐浴在夏日清晨陽(yáng)光下的安寧小鎮(zhèn)”）。在這個(gè)國(guó)家沒有哪一座城鎮(zhèn)會(huì)比這里與作家的關(guān)系更緊密的了，而且吐溫樂于承認(rèn)它在他取得成功中的作用。

漢尼堡與吐溫的關(guān)系始于1839年11月，當(dāng)時(shí)吐溫的父親約翰·克萊門斯，決定離開密蘇里州佛羅里達(dá)的小村子，遷到位于密西西比河岸的城市漢尼堡。當(dāng)一家人在那里定居大約一個(gè)星期后，吐溫（當(dāng)時(shí)叫塞繆爾·克萊門斯）度過了他四歲的生日。然而，他一點(diǎn)兒也不像要在這里長(zhǎng)住的人，因?yàn)樗纳眢w很差，以至于他的父母擔(dān)心他可能會(huì)夭折。

后來(lái)在全家喬遷新居時(shí)，吐溫的身體戲劇性地好轉(zhuǎn)了。他不再被迫過著平靜的室內(nèi)生活，而是可以在漢尼堡的街道上隨處閑逛，攀爬周圍的小山，探尋那里的洞穴以及在當(dāng)?shù)氐乃独镦覒颉?/p>

吐溫?zé)o憂無(wú)慮的日子沒過多久。父親將他們的房子做了抵押，以便向一個(gè)朋友貸款，而當(dāng)貸款還不上時(shí)，這個(gè)債主占有了抵押物。一位住在他家斜對(duì)面的醫(yī)生主動(dòng)提出讓他們住在他家。在1846年末的一天，克萊門斯一家搬進(jìn)了那棟房子。1847年3月24日，約翰·克萊門斯去世。其妻簡(jiǎn)·蘭普頓·克萊門斯和長(zhǎng)子奧利翁，設(shè)法重新得到了希爾街那棟小屋的產(chǎn)權(quán)，并在那年夏天舉家搬了回去。

父親去世后的這一年，吐溫輟了學(xué)并在印刷廠當(dāng)起了學(xué)徒。1851年吐溫的哥哥奧利翁買下《漢尼堡日?qǐng)?bào)》后，吐溫去哥哥那里干活，成為一名印刷工兼編輯助理。他為奧利翁的報(bào)紙寫的故事，也是他的處女作，使他明白與排字工作相比自己更喜歡寫作。于是，當(dāng)他在1853年5月決定離開漢尼堡時(shí)，他對(duì)自己將來(lái)的事業(yè)已有了初步的勾畫。