Mark Twain, who wrote the story we’re going to read, traveled quite a lot often because circumstamces, usually (36) circumstances, forced him to. He was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835 and moved to Hannibal, Missouri with his family when he was about 4 years old. Most people think he was born in Hannibal but that isn’t true. After his father died when he was about 12, Twain worked in Hannibal for a while and then left, so he could (37) more money. He worked for a while as a typesetter on (38) newspapers and then got a job as a river (39) on the Mississippi. Twain loved this job and many of his books show it. The river job didn’t last, however, because of the (40) of the Civil War. Twain, was in the (41) Army for just 2 weeks and then he and his whole (42) went west to get away from the war and the army. In Nevada and California Twain (43) for silver and gold without much luck, but did succeed as a writer. (44) . (45) . (46)

AOL’s (TWX) Tmveo.com is one of my favorite video search engines. I use it to retrieve clips of business speakers to study their body language. Symantec’s (SYMC) John Thompson, Oracle’s (ORCL) Larry Ellison, Cisco’s (CSCO) John Chambers, and eBay’s (EBAY) Meg Whitman are excellent examples of people with confident, energetic body language.
4. Study TV and radio personalities.
Stars of television and radio who score high on the likability scale have high-energy personalities. I bad a conversation with Suze Orman over the phone a couple of years ago and remember it to this day. Her energy comes right through the speaker. What you see on her CNBC show is what you get behind the scenes. High. energy. The other day I watched Food Network (SSP) star Rachael Ray sign books at a mall where I happened to be shopping. Sometimes critics poke fun at her "perky" personality and phrases like "yum-o," but the fact is she has energy and millions of viewers enjoy it. The network morning-show hosts are typically chosen for their energetic personalities. Today’s Matt Lauer on NBC (GE) and The Early Show’s Julie Chen on CBS (CBS) are excellent examples, but there are many others on morning television.
Remember, maintaining an energetic presence is very difficult to do unless you’re involved with something you enjoy. If you are truly passionate about your company, product, or service, then show it. Speak with energy and vitality. Your listeners will love you for it.