Once upon a time, there lived a young boy named Hans Christian Andersen. He was very poor and had a long, ugly nose. All the other children t    1     him. But when little Hans grew up, he became an internationally recognized writer. All over the world people of v    2     ages and backgrounds know his classic fairy tales.

Nearly 200 years ago, Hans was born in Odense, Denmark. His father was poor but he loved literature and the theater. He often took Hans to the theater with him.

When Hans was only 11 years old, his father died. Hans had to q    3     school and work in a tailor’s shop to support his family.

Hans was a very lonely child. He did not play with the other children. When he wasn’t working, he stayed at home, reading books and writing his own stories and plays.

When he was 14 years old, Hans moved to Copenhagen to try to begin a c    4     as a singer or actor. The next three years p    5     to be very painful and unbearable. He nearly starved to death trying to make a living.

At age 17, he met Jonas Collin, director of the Royal Theater. Collin read one of Hans’ plays and recognized his talent in s    6     of Hans’ poor spelling. He helped Hans by getting a scholarship from the king to continue the boy’s schooling.

When he was 23 years old, Hans began his university studies. In 1835, he began writing his famous fairy tales. A    7     from the “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, there were still a lot more. His stories are often surprisingly clever and contain deep moral teachings, therefore making him a s    8    storyteller all over the world.