An old man had been working for many years for a town. His job was to clear away natural waste from the pool water in the hills, which made up the lovely river flowing through the town nearby. Quietly and   36 , the old man guarded the hills,  37   the leaves and branches, and cleaned up the dirt that would have   38  and polluted the fresh flow of water . The town soon became a popular attraction for tourists. Elegant swans (天鹅) floated along the clear river and the view was so beautiful   39     words.

Years passed. One evening the town    40   met. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s  41____caught sight of the salary   42   being paid to the seldom seen keeper of the river. He asked , “Who is the old man? Why do we    43  to employ him? No one in town ever  44 him. For all we know, the strange keeper of the hills isn’t doing his job. His position isn’t   45   any longer.” Then they voted to   46  the man.

For several weeks, nothing changed….

By early autumn, the trees began to  47 their leaves. Small branches broke off and fell into the pools of the hills,  48   the flow of the shining water. One afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown   49  in the river. A few days later, the water was much   50  . Within another week, an oily something covered some sections of the water along the banks, and a terrible   51   was soon sensed. Swans left and so did the 52   . The only thing that was now visiting the village was disease and sickness.

Quickly, the   53   town committee called a special meeting. Realizing their huge error in  54  , they rehired the old keeper of the river again, and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up. Swans and tourists came back again and new life returned to the small town in the Alps.

Never ignore the seeming smallness of a task, job or life. They may all make a  55   .