A daughter thought life was unpromising to her and complained to her father about it. She did not know how she was going to 21 and wanted to give up. She was 22 of fighting and struggling. It seemed as if one problem was just solved before a new one 23 .
Her father, a cook, took her to the 24 . He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high 25 . Soon the pots came to a 26 . 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 sucked her teeth and 27 waited, asking repeatedly what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the 28 . He 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 29 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 30 , she observed the hard-boiled egg! Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiled 31 she tasted its rich flavor. She humbly asked, “What does it mean, Father?”
He explained that each of them had faced the same 32 , boiling water, but each 33 differently. The carrot went in 34 and hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it 35 and became weak. The egg had been 36 . Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting 37 the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, 38 . After they were in the boiling water, they had 39 the water.
“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, 40 do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
1.A. make out B. make it C. make up D. make through
2.A. typical B. conscious C. tired D. warned
3.A. raised B. arose C. disappeared D. faded
4.A. room B. market C. kitchen D. grocery
5.A. shelf B. temperature C. fire D. table
6.A. boil B. cool C. hot D. smoke
7.A. happily B. calmly C. casually D. impatiently
8.A. lights B. burners C. tap D. water
9.A. see B. carry C. feel D. fetch
10.A. shell B. pack C. bag D. cover
11.A. since B. as C. before D. if
12.A. occasion B. point C. variety D. adversity
13.A. reflected B. answered C. abandoned D. reacted
14.A. stable B. weak C. strong D. sensitive
15.A. softened B. widened C. shortened D. sharpened
16.A. half-done B. easily-broken C. easily-got D. hard-boiled
17.A. over B. for C. through D. on
18.A. however B. otherwise C. besides D. moreover
19.A. melted B. absorbed C. polluted D. changed
20.A. what B. how C. when D. why
—Fancy meeting you here at this time!
—
A. Glad to see you. B. It's a small world
C. So did I. D. Oh, haven't you?
Americans believe in the ideal, as ______ in their Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal.
A. stated B. assumed C. held D. possessed
When Helen saw his tutor nod ________ to her, she calmed down and went on with her performance.
A. encouragingly B. amazingly C. interestingly D. astonishingly
Moyan has won the Noble Prize in Literature, which has made him world-famous, but before that no one could have imagined how great a role he _______ in the literary world.
A. had played B. has played C. is playing D. was to play
The door opened and ________, the victim of a traffic accident.
A. Mr. Smith coming in B. comes Mr. Smith
C. in coming Mr. Smith D. in came Mr. Smith
