O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer for short stories. His 36 name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, 37 he managed to 38 himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry 39 to Texas, where he tried different 40 . He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was believed to have 41 it. Because of that, he was sent to 42 . During the three years in prison, he learned to 43 short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and 44 writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. Most of O. Henry's 45 are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century. Many take place in New York City, and deal for the most part with ordinary 46 : clerks, policemen, waitresses. O. Henry's short stories are well known 47 their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. And his stories were 48 more playful and optimistic. People like his stories, 49 simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the 50 , to the reader's surprise. 小题1: A．real B．middle C．first D．last 小题2: A．or B．and C．for D．but 小题3: A．learn B．teach C．allow D．turn 小题4: A．went B．lived C．stayed D．left 小题5: A．stories B．books C．banks D．jobs 小题6: A．defended B．stolen C．preserved D．reacted 小题7: A．prison B．homeland C．neighbourhood D．jungle 小题8: A．read B．write C．tell D．take 小题9: A．liked B．believed C．continued D．stopped 小题10: A．families B．stories C．fantasies D．deeds 小题11: A．things B．writers C．people D．readers 小题12: A．like B．as C．to D．for 小题13: A．very B．less C．so D．much 小题14: A．when B．how C．because D．so 小题15: A．end B．last C．first D．beginning