A daughter thought life was unpromising(无前途的) to her and complained to her father about it. She did not know how she was going toand wanted to give up. She wasof fighting and struggling. It seemed as if one problem was just solved before a new one.
Her father, a cook, took her to the. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high
. Soon the pots came to the. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter ed her teeth andwaited, asking repeatedly what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off theHe fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he spooned the coffee out and placed it in another. Turning to her he asked, “Darling, what do you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to
the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the, she observed the hard-boiled egg! Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiledshe tasted its rich flavor. She humbly asked, “What does it mean, Father?”
He explained that each of them had faced the same, boiling water, but eachdiffer-
ently. The carrot went inand hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, itand became weak. The egg had been. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sittingthe boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique,. After they were in the boiling water, they hadthe water.
“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity(逆境) knocks on your door,do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
小题1:A．make outB．make it C．make upD．make through小题2:A．typicalB．conscious C．tiredD．warned小题3:A．raisedB．arose C．disappearedD．faded小题4:A．roomB．market C．kitchenD．grocery小题5:A．shelfB．temperature C．fireD．table小题6:A．boilB．cool C．hotD．smoke小题7:A．happilyB．calmly C．casuallyD．impatiently小题8:A．lightsB．burners C．tapD．water小题9:A．seeB．carryC．feelD．fetch小题10:A．shellB．packC．bagD．cover小题11:A．sinceB．asC．beforeD．if小题12:A．occasionB．point C．varietyD．adversity小题13:A．reflectedB．answered C．abandonedD．reacted小题14:A．stableB．weakC．strongD．sensitive小题15:A．softenedB．widened C．shortenedD．sharpened小题16:A．half-doneB．easily-brokenC．easily-gotD．hard-boiled小题17:A．overB．forC．throughD．on小题18:A．howeverB．otherwise C．besidesD．moreover小题19:A．meltedB．absorbed C．pollutedD．changed小题20:A．whatB．howC．whenD．why