A Lesson from the Elder

Grandfather was an elder Cherokee Native American who had a wrinkled, nut brown face and kind dark eyes. His grandson often came in the evening to sit on his knee and asked the many questions that children would ask.

One day the grandson came to his grandfather with a look of anger on his face and the following story. “Father and I went to the store today and because I helped him, he bought me a present---a jack-knife. I went outside to wait for father and to admire my new knife in the sunlight. Some town boys came by and saw me. They surrounded me and started saying bad things. They called me dirty and stupid and said that I should not have such a fine knife. The largest of these boys pushed me back and I fell over one of the other boys. I dropped my knife and one of them picked it up and they all ran away laughing. I hate them. I hate them all."

The elder Cherokee, with eyes that had seen too much, lifted his grandson's face so his eyes looked into the boy's face. Grandfather said, "Let me tell you a story. I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like drinking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if two wolves are inside me.... It is a terrible fight.

One wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. It will only fight when it is right to do so and in the right way. This wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, modesty, kindness, friendship, sympathy, generosity, truth, and faith.

The other wolf is full of anger. The least thing will set off his fiercest temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so much. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. This wolf represents fear, envy, greed, self-pity, guilt, lies, false pride and superiority.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me for both of them try to control my spirit. This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person too.”

The boy looked into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied.... "The one you feed."

1.The boy was angry because __________.

A. he was not satisfied with his present

his back was badly injured in a fight

he had waited for his father for too long

his jack-knife had been taken away by some boys

2.How does the good wolf do things in the story?

A. He never fights against others.

B. He tries to get on well with others.

C. It is hard for him to live with other wolves.

D. Sometimes he had a terrible fight because some one hit him.

3.We can learn from the third paragraph that _________.

A.  “hate” is healthy

B.  “hate” hurts oneself

C.  “hate” is complicated

D.  “hate” harms one’s enemies

4.What did Grandfather mean by saying "The one you feed" in the last paragraph?

A. We should feed the two wolves equally.

B. Living in harmony with others is important.

C. Our feelings should be expressed at the right time.

D. The choices we make determine who we will become.

 

Many years ago, there was an old man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge(判断) things too quickly. So he told them to go and look at a pear tree. It was far away from his home. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in autumn.
When the sons came back, the old man asked them to say what they had seen.
The first son complained the tree was ugly. The second son said the tree was covered with buds and full of hope. The third son said the tree was full of green leaves. They looked so beautiful, and it was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. The youngest son said that the tree was bowed down with heavy fruits. It was full of life and fulfillment(收获).
The man explained that all of his sons were right, but each of them had seen just one season of the tree. He told them that they couldn't judge a tree or a person by only one season. "If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the hope of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your autumn." said the old man
It is true that we shouldn't let the hard season break the happiness of the other seasons. Never give up during the difficult days and better times are sure to come some day.
【小题1】Why did the old man ask his sons to look at the pear tree?         

A．Because he liked. eating pears.

B．Because the tree was important to his family.

C．Because he wanted to teach them not to judge things too quickly.

D．Because his sons didn't judge things quickly.

【小题2】The fourth son went to see the tree in          .                     

A．Spring

B．Summer

C．Autumn

D．Winter

【小题3】The underlined word "buds" probably means        in Chinese.        

A．叶子

B．枝条

C．果实

D．花蕾

【小题4】Which of the following is true?                                     

A．The pear tree was near his home.

B．The third son said the tree was beautiful.

C．The four sons all liked the tree.

D．Even you give up in winter, you can still get hope in other seasons

【小题5】What's the main idea of this passage?                              

A．Don't judge a life by one difficult season.

B．Father's love is great.

C．Every tree has four seasons.

D．Life is different for everyone.

Many years ago, there was an old man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge(判断) things too quickly. So he told them to go and look at a pear tree. It was far away from his home. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in autumn.
When the sons came back, the old man asked them to say what they had seen.
The first son complained the tree was ugly. The second son said the tree was covered with buds and full of hope. The third son said the tree was full of green leaves. They looked so beautiful, and it was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. The youngest son said that the tree was bowed down with heavy fruits. It was full of life and fulfillment(收获).
The man explained that all of his sons were right, but each of them had seen just one season of the tree. He told them that they couldn’t judge a tree or a person by only one season. "If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the hope of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your autumn." said the old man
It is true that we shouldn’t let the hard season break the happiness of the other seasons. Never give up during the difficult days and better times are sure to come some day.
【小题1】Why did the old man ask his sons to look at the pear tree?         

A．Because he liked. eating pears.

B．Because the tree was important to his family.

C．Because he wanted to teach them not to judge things too quickly.

D．Because his sons didn’t judge things quickly.

【小题2】The fourth son went to see the tree in          .                     

A．Spring

B．Summer

C．Autumn

D．Winter

【小题3】The underlined word "buds" probably means        in Chinese.        

A．叶子

B．枝条

C．果实

D．花蕾

【小题4】Which of the following is true?                                     

A．The pear tree was near his home.

B．The third son said the tree was beautiful.

C．The four sons all liked the tree.

D．Even you give up in winter, you can still get hope in other seasons

【小题5】What’s the main idea of this passage?                              

A．Don’t judge a life by one difficult season.

B．Father’s love is great.

C．Every tree has four seasons.

D．Life is different for everyone.