First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Taras. I'm seventeen years old. I'm at 11-th grade. There are two more kids in the family besides me my elder brother Oleg and my younger sister Marija

Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne, an American writer born in Salem,
grew up with his widowed mother and his books. He attended
college and returned to Salem with intentions to be a writer.
He published his first novel in 1828, and was disappointed by
its failure. Undeterred, he continued his writing career,
submitting stories to New England magazines. Several of
his stories were compiled into "Twice-Told Tales", whose success
established him as a writer in 1837.
Hawthorne was heavily influenced by his Puritan heritage.
One of Hawthorne's forefathers was Judge Hathorne, who
presided over the Salem witch trials in 1692. Hawthorne
carried so much guilt for his ancestor's participation in the
infamous trials that he felt compelled to change his last name.
Hawthorne's sensitivity to guilt is clearly present in the "Scarlet
Letter", as well as some of his other works. Other personal
influences reflected in Hawthorne's writing include his love
of reading and nature. As a child, Hawthorne was injured in
a game of ball and spent several years mostly indoors, owing
to the temporary lameness resulting from the injury. It was
during this period that he learned to love Shakespeare and
the Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, as well as other
important pieces of English literature. Later, Hawthorne and
his family moved to another city to live on some family property
in the country. For several years, which he later referred to as
the happiest period of his life, Hawthorne spent all his time
roaming the forest, hunting and fishing. The freedom he felt
in nature is often represented in the Scarlet Letter.
Later Hawthorne married a woman named Sophia, but
didn't seem to have a high opinion of women writers of the
time. However, Hawthorne's literary style was so highly stylized
and romanticized that he sometimes received the same brand
of criticism. Still, Hawthorne was hailed as an insightful
writer, who was able to craft novels revolving around such
sensitive topics as adultery because of his established reputation
as an important author of his time.
Questions:
1. Was Nathaniel Hawthorne an English or an American
writer?
2. When did he begin to work?
3. What was name of his first novel?
4. Why did Hawthorne change the spelling of his surname?
5. What did he do in the last years of his life?


O'Henry
O'Henry was born in Greensboro, a little town in North
Carolina in 1862. His real name was William Sydney Porter
The works of this writer reflect a specific period in American
literature — the turn of the century. His credo was — art
should be true, democratic and it should address contemporary
life and embrace all aspects of life.
O'Henry was an outstanding humourist. He worked out
and enriched all the types of the short story: the anecdote, the
adventure story, tales and sketches. The best of his works
were published in books: "Cabbages and Kings", "The Four
Million", "Heart of the West", "The Voice of the City" and
others. He was most famous for his stories of city Me. O'Henry
wrote nearly 150 stories with a New York background. His
works have considerable influence on American literature. His
love for humanity, for the common people, his critical attitude
towards injustice attract readers to this day. O'Henry could
work out a plot that would keep the reader in suspense up to
the surprising end.
He was a born writer of great talent. The conversation is
witty, humorous and often exact and precise. O'Henry is one
of the most widely published American authors. His works
have been translated into nearly every language. He has been
called "The American Maupassant" and is ranked among the
world's outstanding short-story writers.
Questions:
1. When was O'Henry born?
2. What was his real name?
3. What was O'Henry's credo?
4. Was O'Henry a born writer of great talent?
5. Name the best of his published books.