A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? But he discovered that it was a rattrap (捕鼠夹）.

Going back to the farmyard, the rat started to give a warning.

The rat turned to the pig and told him：“There is a rattrap in the house, a rattrap in the house!”

‘Tm sorry，Mr. Rat，” said the pig，“I can only say this is something terrible to you, but it is of no influence to me. I cannot be bothered with it.”

The rat turned to the cow. But the cow said，“Like wow，Mr. Rat? A rattrap? I am in danger, Huh?”

The rat returned to the house, head down and dejected. So the rat had to face the farmer's rattrap alone.

That very night, a sound was heard throughout the house，like the sound of a rattrap catching its prey (猎物）The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness，she did not notice that it was a poisonous snake whose tail had been caught by the trap. The snake bit her.

The farmer rushed her to hospital. She returned home with a fever. Everyone knows that a fever could be treated with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his knife to the farmyard for the soup. However, his wife's sickness continued.

The farmer's friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer killed the pig. But she didn't get well. Finally, she diedand so many people came for the last sight that the farmer had the cow killed to provide meat for all of them.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that the whole farmyard is at risk when there is a rattrap in the house.

1.From the passage we know that______.

A．the pig helped the rat get rid of the trap

B．the cow strongly believed in what the rat said

C．no animals showed concern over the rat's warning

D．the snake was killed immediately after being caught

2.The underlined word ‘‘dejected” is the closest in meaning to______.

A．disappointed       B．surprised          C．determined        D．excited

3.We can learn from the article that_____.

A．the farmer had planned to kill the rat

B．the rat was very wise in avoiding the trap

C．the farmer's wife got good treatment in hospital

D．the rat had expected what would happen to the pig and cow

4.What message does the story intend to pass?

A．We should mind our own business.

B．Everything is related to something else.

C．We'd better treat animals in a friendly way.

D．The farmer couple and their friends are all foolish.

A student and his teacher were walking through the forest. The student was disturbed(扰乱) by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest（不安）. He asked his teacher, “Why most people’s minds are restless, and only a few have a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind ?”
The teacher looked at him, smiled and said, “I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away denovo”. This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly, “Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?" The fly answered, "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?" The elephant stopped eating and said, “My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed(沉湎于) in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew（咀嚼）it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."
The student's eyes opened wide and smile rose on his face. "I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".
"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, "The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind".
【小题1】 How did the elephant drive the fly away?

Even when I am able to get in touch with the manager and tell him your request, I cannot __ he will reply.

A. stress              B. appeal            C. inform            D. guarantee

 Once a man came to a wise man’s house and said, “I have many bad habits. Which of them should I __46___first?” The wise man said, “Never tell lies __47___always speak the truth.” The man___48__ to do so and went home.

At night the man was about to go out to steal. Before setting out, he __49__for a moment about the promise he made to the wise man. “If he asks me where I have been, what shall I say? Shall I say that I went out__50__?” No, I cannot say that, but nor can I __51__. If I tell the truth, everyone will start __52__me and call me a thief. I would be __53__ for stealing.” So the man __54__ not to steal that night, and gave up this __55__ habit.

Next day, he __56__ to drink wine. When he was about to do so, he said to himself, “What shall I say to the wise man __57__he asks me what I did during the day? I cannot tell a lie.” And so he gave up the __58__ of drinking wine.

In this __59__, whenever the man thought of doing something bad, he __60___ his promise to tell the truth at all times. __61___, he gave up all his bad habits and became a very __62__ person.

Telling the truth is a very good __63___. If you always speak the truth, you can save yourself from a lot of __64___ and become a person whom everyone __65__ and favors.

Make a promise: I shall always speak the truth.