A-Young-Boy’s-Ambition.ppt

A Young Boys AmbitionMark TwainI.To be a steamboatman was my permanent ambition.II.The arrival of a steamboat was a very important thing in our life.III.It describes the steamboat,its arrival and departure in detail.IV.It tells us about a boy who became an apprentice engineer on a steamboat.V.Many young men in the town managed to get on the river.VI.It tells about my yearnings and unsuccessful attempts to become a pilot.Then such a scramble as there is to get abroad,and to get ashore,and to take in freight and to discharge freight,all at one and the same time;and such a yelling and cursing as the mates facilitate it all with!Then comes a scramble as there used to be to get into the steamboat,to get off the steamboat,to load the goods and to unload the goods;and the mates tried to make these activities go smoothly with yelling and cursing.This was distinction enough for me as a general thing;but the desire to be a steamboatman kept intruding.Generally speaking,my fathers occupation made me distinctive in the village and I was content with it.However,I was constantly struck by the desire to be a steamboatman.This thing shook the bottom out of all my Sunday-school teachings.This thing made me disbelieve the religious teachings I received in Sundays school.Lapse into:sink into by degreesThe hysterical patient lapsed in silence after he was given an injection of tranquilizer.These young boys lapsed into bad habits of smoking and gambling after they dropped out of school.It seemed to us that the partiality of Providence for an undeserving reptile had reached a point where it was open to criticism.It seemed to us that God should be criticized for being partial to this bad boy and the boy didnt deserve the favor from God.The pilot,even in those days of trivial wages,had a princely salaryfrom a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a month,and no board to pay.In those days when people had small wages,the pilot could get a handsome salary ranging from 150 to 250 dollars a month and he also enjoyed the free meals on board.But only got a cold shoulder and short words from mates and clerks.I was treated with great indifference and with rude and angry words.Make the best of:use sth.as profitably as possibleShe has certainly made the best use of her opportunities to practise her English.Solar power can be made the best of because it is a kind of clean energy.1His dream of becoming a football star faded out as time went by.2.A Boeing 747 aircraft didnt gain enough height to clear the mountain.In a twinkling,it crashed into the mountain and blew up.No one survived the accident.3.Students have easy access to the resources in the library,so they are supposed to make the best of it.4.Titanic,the most luxurious ship in the world at that time,hit an iceberg when she was under way to the US.Consequently,the ship sank into the Atlantic Ocean and thousands of People died in this shipwreck.5.Every summer,all the tourists pour into this famous beach.They lie packed like sardines on the beach to enjoy the sunbathing.6.They have been to St.Louis once and have a vague general knowledge of its wonders,but the day of their glory is over now.They lapse into a humble silence and learn to disappear when the ruthless engineer approaches.