Ques: Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table, reading his book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you, but I don't understand it, and I forget what I understand as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the book do?" The grandpa quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandpa laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned. Out of breath, he told his grandpa that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, so he went to get a bucket instead. The grandpa said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough." The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandpa the basket was empty again. Out of breath, he said, "Grandpa, it's useless!" "So, you think it is useless?" the grandpa said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean. "Grandson, that's what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you'll be changed, inside and out." Why did Grandpa ask his grandson to fetch a basket of water? A) To train him to run faster. B) To clean the dirty basket in the river. C) To punish him for not reading carefully. D) To get him to realize the use of reading books.
Ans: D

Ques: When I looked at the grade on my math paper my jaw almost dropped to the ground: a big "65" in bright red ink. I had never received such a terrible grade before. I was so ashamed that when I got home that afternoon I lied to my dad. I told him I got 85 and that the report wouldn't come until the end of the month. Dad smiled. His daughter would never lie about her grade, so he didn't doubt the unusual delay of my report. A month later, Dad casually asked me again about the report at the dinner table. He looked right into my eyes and asked for an answer. Having no choice, I told him that I had in fact got just 65 in my math final. I had lied because I didn't want to let him down. For a moment, he just looked at me. I would have preferred a telling off than that silence. Finally, Dad said, in a hurt voice, "You have already let me down, with your lie. I am not disappointed at your math score. That is no big deal - no one can be perfect all the time. But I am very disappointed in you. If you can't be honest with your dad, who can you be honest with? It's much easier to achieve a better grade than rebuild someone else's trust in you." Dad's words touched my heart. I couldn't forgive myself for having hurt his feelings. I took out the report that I had been hiding for weeks, handed to him and apologized, sincerely. I realized that my honesty is not only important to me personally, but to those around me that truly care about my well-being. In one of Shakespeare's plays a character says: "No legacy is so rich as honesty." After the crisis between Dad and me, I began to understand those words. . The purpose of the article is to tell us that   _  . A) dishonesty may work sometimes, but there is a price to pay B) sometimes a lie can make things easier C) we should study hard to make our parents happy D) we should accept the fact that we are not perfect
Ans: A

Ques: The drug store was closing for the night. Young Alfred Higgins, the shop-assistant, was ready to go home. Mr. Carr, the boss, stared at him and said: "Stop! Alfred. Maybe you'd be good enough to take the things out of your pockets and leave them here before you go." Alfred's face got red. After a little hesitation , he took out what he had stolen. Mr. Carr said, "Maybe I should call you mother and let her know I'm going to have to put you in prison." Alfred thought his mother would come rushing in, eyes burning with anger. But, to his surprise, she arrived wearing a smile. "Hello, I'm Alfred's mother. Is he in trouble?" she said. Mr. Carr was surprised, too. He had expected Alfred's mother to come in nervously, shaking with fear, asking with wet eyes for a mercy   for her son. Yet, she was most calm, quiet, and pleasant, which made Mr. Carr feel guilty  . Soon Mr. Carr was shaking his head in agreement with what she was saying. "Of course", he said, "I don't want to be cruel. You are right. Sometimes, a little good advice is the best thing for a boy at certain times in his life and it often takes the youth a long time to grow up." And he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins's hand.  Back home, without even looking at Alfred, she said, "You are a burden. Your trouble came one after another, always! Why do you stand there so stupidly? Go to bed." In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. Getting to the kitchen, he saw his mother drinking a cup of tea. His mother's face was a frightened, broken one, totally different from the earlier cool, bright face. She lifted the tea cup, her hands shaking, the lips moving nervously.  He watched his mother quietly, without making a sound. The picture of his mother nearly made him cry. Realizing all the troubles he brought his mother in her shaking hands and the deep lines of worry in her grey face, he felt he shouldn't have done such a shameful theft to hurt his mother so deeply. He determined to grow up like a true man and protect his mother rather than hurt her again. After the incident, young Alfred would probably   _  . A) feel frightened at her mother B) change his attitudes towards life C) hate Mr. Carr for hurting her mother D) have an argument with his mother
Ans:
B