I have always been interested in clowns(小丑)．The earliest thing I can remember，as a child of three，is seeing a pair of clowns梠ne is very fat，the other is very 1 ndline．A traveling circus(马戏团) came to our town and my parents took me to see it．When we arrived at the circus，egeryone was laughing at the clowns．I didn't un-derstand why they were laughing，2 ndline　 I laughed,too．

　　While I was 3 ndline，the fat clown came and sat down next to me．“Shall we dance?”he asked，then 4 ndline　 me up and began dancing．I felt frightened and I began to cry．5 ndline　 then I have been interested in clowns．They make me laugh a lot，although they still make me a bit 6 ndline　 too．

　　In life，we sometimes laugh at things that 7 ndline　 us．We often laugh most at people who make us nervous．When we laugh，we relax and 8 ndline　 ourselves．People who never laugh can become worried and ill．

Laughter is like medicine and a clown is like a 9 ndline．

　　There have always been，and there will always be clowns，because people need to laugh．Laughter is the best kind of 10 ndline　 in life．

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任务型阅读

　　Mark Twain as you know，was famous in his days as public speaker．In his public speeches(演讲) he always liked to tell funny stories．

　　He also liked to listen to funny stories and to play jokes on his friends.One day one of his friends lost his wallet and asked Mark Twain to pay his train fare for him．

　　"But I don't have enough money to pay both your fare and my fare．"Mark Twain said．The friend didn't know what to do．

　　"We can do this，"said Mark Twain，"We can get on the train and when the conductor comes to check the ticket，you can hide under my seat"．

　　Later，however，when the conductor come to check the tickets．Mark Twain gave him two tickets梠ne for himself and one for his friend．Then he explained in a loud voice．"My friend here is a strange man．When he travels on a train，he does not like to sit on the train．"People looked at the poor friend under the seat and laughed at him．

　　Notes:

　　1．Mark Twain 马克·吐温(1835～1910) 美国小说家及幽默文学家

　　2．wallet (放钞票用的)皮夹子

　　3．train fare 火车票

　　4．conductor 列车员

　　5．to check the ticket 查票

　　根据短文内容，回答问题。

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