Take Time To Make Things Better

曲永華

不是因為擁有了才付出，而是因為付出了才擁有！不是因為有了機會才爭取，而是因為爭取了才有機會！

What would you do if you saw rubbis on the floor of your classroom？ Would you walk around it or pick it up yourself？

A long time ago， there was a king who wanted to know what his country was like. He went outside and put a large stone on the road. He then hid behind some tall trees and watched to see if anyone would move the stone out of the way.? Some people came by， but they just walked around it.

Many people complained that the king wasnt keeping the roads clear， but none of them tried to move the stone out of the way.

A farmer then came along with a bag of vegetables on his back. He walked up to the big stone， put down his bag and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and pulling， he finally moved it aside.

Then the farmer went back to pick up his vegetables and saw a bag lying in the road where the stone had been.

There were many gold coins in the bag and a note from the king. He explained that the gold was for the person who moved the stone off the road.

Every difficulty we come across in life gives us a chance to improve ourselves. While the lazy complain， others are taking the time to get things done.

Time may be precious （寶貴的）， but its never a bad thing to help others because a helping hand is good for everyone.

跟蹤練習：

1. Why did the king leave a large stone on the road？

A. To find the strongest person in his country.

B. To see how people in his country behaved.

C. To see how many people passed by it.

D. To find out who liked complaining the most.

2. The farmer tried to move the stone away to .

A. clear the road

B. move his vegetables more easily

C. look for a piece of paper

D. win a bag of gold coins

3. When were the gold coins placed on the road？

A. Long before the king came to the road.

B. After some people passed.

C. After the farmer moved the stone away.

D. Just before the king put the stone on the road.

4. What can we learn from this story？

A. Sometimes you need to get around difficulties.

B. Dont complain about lazy people.

C. Its better to take action than complain.

D. Its not easy to improve ourselves.

Key： 1-4 BADC