Short and simple as they are, fables teach people important life lessons and reveal the truths hidden in ordinary events. In fact, many parents find
2 . Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir Tree. It was the sun shining on him and the fresh air surrounding him that made him gorgeous. In summer, children often came and sat down near him and said, “What a nice little fir!” In winter, when the snow lay glittering on the ground, a hare hopped over the little tree. But he never felt any pleasure. What the little Fir wanted so much was to grow into a big tree as his neighbors.
“Oh! Were I but such a high tree as the others are,” thought he. “Then I should be able to spread out my branches, and with the tops to look into the wide world!”
When Christmas came, quite young trees with the finest looking were cut down. And so was the Fir Tree. He found himself, in the middle of the living-room, stuck upright in a bucket that was filled with sand and decorated with the most splendid things-apples, colorful lights and at the very top a large golden star, which made him incomparably beautiful.
“What a splendor!” thought the Fir Tree, believing he would take root here and forever stand covered with decorations!
However, the splendor never came back again. After the Christmas, the servant dragged him out of the room, and up the stairs into the loft in a dark corner, where no daylight could enter.
“If it only were not so dark here, and so terribly lonely. Not even a hare!” he sighed. “They surely stored me here for the next Christmas.”
One day, the tree was pulled out and a man drew him towards the stairs, where the daylight shone. Feeling the fresh air and the first sunbeam, now he was out in the courtyard. Seeing all the beauty of the flowers and the freshness in the garden, he firmly believed he would be replanted there.
“Now a merry life will begin again,” thought the tree, spreading out his branches only to find they were all withered and yellow！When seeing the gardener getting close with an axe (斧头), he recalled his first youth in the wood and sighed so deeply! Each sigh was like a shot.
1. What can we know about the Fir Tree?| A．He was willing to be a small tree. |
| B．He was satisfied to be a Christmas tree. |
| C．He was mad at the hare jumping over him. |
| D．He was eager to be the tallest tree in the woods. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Lonely. | C．Free. | D．Anxious. |
| A．He would be treated as firewood. |
| B．He would be replanted in the garden. |
| C．He would be taken back to the forest. |
| D．He would be stored for the next Christmas. |
| A．If you’re failing to plan, then you’re planning to fail. |
| B．Live for today because tomorrow is not promised. |
| C．Life is not about falling down but getting back up. |
| D．If you dream and believe it, then you can achieve it. |
An impossible peace
Once upon a time, on a piece of land there lived giants and dragons, who had been enemies for years on end. However, after years of bloody fights, they had learned a lot. They were no longer so foolish as to wage wars with terrible battles in which thousands died. Now, every year they held bowling matches instead. A giant competed against a dragon. Whoever lost would become the winner’s slave. If a dragon won, he could use the giant’s muscles for all that heavy lifting. If a giant won, he would have free flights and fire for the whole year.
That was how they prevented their deaths and yet with the match going round and round, they hated each other more and more. Every year the winners were so cruel to the losers, in revenge (报复) for the time they had lost. The losers would be at the mercy of the winners, giants tired from lifting loads while dragons worn out from constant flying and breathing fire. There came a time when what mattered most was not winning the bowling match, but not losing.
Yonk the Giant was the best bowler, and the most afraid. He had never lost. Many dragons had been his slaves and they were dying to see him lose so they could get their revenge. This was why Yonk was terrified of losing. Especially since last year’s match, when he missed his first ever strike, he had decided that something had to change.
The following year he won again. When he arrived home, his slave dragon feared the worst but Yonk did nothing bad to him, for he had a different idea in mind.
“This year you will not be my slave. We will go bowling and I will teach you all of my techniques and secrets. But you must promise me one thing: when you win your match next year, you will not be cruel to your giant. Do the same as I am doing with you.”
注意:
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The dragon gladly accepted.
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Much later Yonk lost his first bowling match but he was no longer afraid of losing.
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4 . On a wild mountain, two goats met on a road just over a high cliff(悬崖). The road was so narrow that there was neither room for them to pass each other nor to turn round and go back. What do you think the two goats did?
One of them with great care laid himself down on the narrow road, pressing as close to the rock as he could. Then the other goat softly walked on his friend, till, safely past him,he could lightly jump away.
The goat that had lain down then stood up slowly from his place, safe and sound, free to jump again from rock to rock, and enjoyed the sweet grass on the hills happily.
However,two other goats met on the banks of a rushing river. A tree had fallen across the river, and became a bridge from the one side to the other.
The two goats looked at each other, and each wished to pass over first.
They stood for a while one foot on the tree, each thinking that the other would turn back. But neither of them would give way, and they met at last on the middle of the narrow bridge!
They then began to push and fight with their horns, till at last their feet missed, and both the goats fell into the running river, and were lost in the water!
Both might have been saved, if either of them had known how to give way at the right time.
1. Where did the first two goats meet?| A．On the hills. | B．On a bridge. |
| C．On a narrow road. | D．At the bank of a river. |
| A．By lying down. | B．By working together. |
| C．By jumping away. | D．By pressing to the rock. |
| A．A tree. | B．A stone. |
| C．Some stones. | D．Some trees. |
| A．They pushed and fought. | B．They lay on the bridge. |
| C．They looked at each other | D．They stood on the-bridge. |
| A．we should face the challenge in life |
| B．we should be careful to cross the bridge |
| C．we should give way to others at right time |
| D．we should be brave to climb the mountains |
