There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care .To water his flowers, he used two buckets(水桶) .One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one,which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.

Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled (溢出). The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked (漏出) along the path.

Sometimes the new bucket would say,“ See how capable I am ! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don't know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are!”

And all that the old bucket could say was. “ I know I am not very useful, but I can only do my best. I am happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least.”

One day, the gardener heard that kind of conversation .After watering the flowers as usual, he said , “You both have done your work very well .Now I am going to carry you back .I want you to look carefully along the path.”

Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare(光秃秃的)earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.

1.What was the old bucket ashamed of?

A. His past. B. His aging.

C. His manner. D. His leaking.

2.What does the underlined word “dilapidated” probably mean?

A. dirty B. dark

C. worn-out D. ordinary-looking.

3.The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to _________.

A. take pity on the old one

B. laugh at the old one

C. show off its beautiful looks

D. praise the gardener’s kindness

4.Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?

A. Because it was used to keep a balance

B. Because it stayed in its best condition

C. Because it had its own function

D. Because it was taken as a treasure

The old man walked with a cane (拐杖) slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁的) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd.

He walked toward a table by the window. A young waitress watched him and ran over to him, saying, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.”

Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Supporting him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it.

In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss.”

“You’re welcome, Sir.” She replied. “My name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me.”

After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!”

He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, “You are very kind!”

When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin, under which was a $ 100 bill.

The note on the napkin read, “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”

The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees, had seen him in person.

1.Mary ran over to the old man because _____.

A.the old man was the boss of the restaurant

B.she was worried that the old man might cause trouble to the restaurant

C.she saw the old man had some difficulty moving and taking a seat

D.the old man had asked her to wait on him

2.The man came to the restaurant ______.

A.to have breakfast

B.to see his employees

C.to find out how his restaurant was working

D.to see how Mary served customers

3.The words the man left on the napkin suggested that _____.

A.respecting others means respecting oneself

B.serving others is a respectable job

C.Mary would get a rise as a result of her kindness

D.Mary’s kind service would bring in more money for her

4.Which of the following titles goes best with the story?

A.A kind- hearted Girl

B.Shining Kindness

C.Kindness Means Opportunities

D.A Special Customer

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