All of us have read trilling stories. In many of     1    (they) the hero had only a     2    (limit) and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year; sometimes as short     3     twenty-four hours, but we were always interested in     4    (discover) just how the dying man chose to spend his last days or his last hours.

Such stories set up thinking, wondering     5     we should do under similar circumstances. What     6    (happy) should we find in reviewing the past, and what regrets? Sometimes, I have thought     7    would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would stress    8    (sharp) the values of life.

I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being     9    (be) stricken blind and deaf for a few of days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him     10    (much) appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.

For thousands of years, people have told fables (寓言)     1     (teach) a lesson or to pass on wisdom. Fables were part of the oral tradition of many early cultures, and the well-known Aesop’s fables date to the     2     (six) century, B. C. Yet, the form of the fable still has values today, as Rachel Carson says in “A Fable for Tomorrow”

Carson uses a simple, direct style common to fable. In fact, her style and tone (口吻) are     3     (seeming) directed at children. “There was once a town in the heart of America,     4     all life seemed to enjoy peaceful existence with is surroundings,” her fable begins, borrowing some familiar words from many age-old fables. Behind the simple style, however, is a serious message     5     (intend) for everyone. Different from traditional fables, Carson’s story ends with     6     accusation instead of a moral. She warns of the environmental dangers facing society, and she teaches that people must take responsibility for     7     (save) their environment.

The themes of traditional fables often deal with simple truths about everyday life. However, Cason’s theme is a more weighty warning about environmental     8    (destruct). Carson proves that a simple lyric form that has been passed down through the ages can still     9     (employ) today to draw attention     10     important truths.