It was midday when I got the call that my grandfather was not well and he was quickly getting worse. My family did not know how long he would stay in the world. I knew I had to get to the hospital to tell him how much I loved him. As I drove to the hospital, I pictured him before I got to tell him how much he meant to me. Trying to fight back the tears, I wanted to stay calm when I saw him.
When I got to the hospital, I hurriedly looked for his hospital room. I found him in a semi-conscious state (半清醒状态). On my knees, I said softly, “Hello, Grandpa.”
Still feeling shy, I decided not to leave his bedside without letting him know. While I asked about how he was, he told me, “I’ll be fine, Henry.” although we both knew that wasn't true. Then he asked me with a smile how I was doing.
Hearing what my grandpa said, I was much moved. I made the decision that I had to show my gratitude for him. As I found all the courage (勇气) I had, I hold his hand tightly. I cried out, “Grandpa. I just want to let you know how much I love you. I hope you already know that yet I just want to make sure.” By this time, tears were rolling down my face. All those years of love that I had shut and not let him know, became free.
Smilingly, he said, “I know. Thank you for telling me that. All I have on this planet is my family and my love for them. If there is anything I could ask of you, I want you to be good to your family, your mother, your father, and your brother. That’s all I want of you.”
What I learned that day changed my whole life. From then on, I began telling people how much I love them, care for them, and respect them. I get in touch with, for example, my babysitter, my barber, to show my appreciation. I go down into the city once a week and serve pizza to the homeless. I wake up every morning and list everything I’m thankful to in my life.
【小题1】The author got the news of Grandpa’s illness________.

    When I was a child, my mother often told me, “Don’t run around, or bad uncles will grad（抓住） you. And you know what? You will never see Mum and Dad again.”

    “Why, Mama? Why would these uncles grab me?” I would ask. “The city is a dangerous place and we don’t trust any strangers, ”she would reply.

  Well, that might answer the question of why my second brother never picks up calls from an unknown person either on his mobile or his home phone. It seems that he doesn’t care if he misses an important call. because he thinks that all unknown calls are from bad persons.

    So, have we given too much protection to our young kids? Perhaps it is so. But the adults’ thoughts are indeed easy to understand. The kids meet swindlers sometimes as we adults tell them. Also they get some news about cheating（欺骗） in newspapers or on TV every day. That makes the kids believe that they just cannot trust strangers.

    Let’s look at an example from everyday life. Say, if someone carrying a wooden stick（棍子） comes nearer to you, will you try to run away at once even before he or she starts talking to you? Will you guess this person’s intentions（意图） and think that he or she wants to rob（抢劫） you of something? Think of the answer for yourself.

    Of course, the kids should look after themselves, but overprotection can sometimes stop them from making new friends. Sometimes it’s not good for their new friendships.

    Trust is like a mirror. When we offer trust to people, they might just show you trust in return.

1 What do “swindlers” probably do?

  A. They cheat other people.

  B. They often call other people.

  C. They rob people of something.

  D. They teach children to protect themselves.

2 Which of the following is NOT the reason why children don’t trust strangers?

  A. Their parents tell them not to trust strangers.

  B. They get to know some news about cheating in newspapers or on TV every day.

  C. Strangers always have bad intentions.

  D. They sometimes have experiences of being cheated.

3 What does the writer want to tell us?

  A. Children should always follow their parents’ advice.

  B. We should never talk to strangers.

  C. Parents should learn to protect their children.

  D. People should try to trust each other.