The old couple who lived in a cottage on the edge of the village were envied for the happiness of their marriage. They never quarreled and were always affectionate to one another. Sadly, after thirty-four years of this happiness, the husband became ill and died.
The wife was overcome with grief. Her children tried to comfort her, but to no avail
. Her neighbors tried to comfort her, but with similar lack of success. Weeks and months went by, and still the woman was
grieving; tears fell down her cheeks from morning till night.
Then a holy man came to the village. People told him about the woman, and asked him to try to help her. The holy man went to the woman’s house. Dressed in his rough woolen robe, he sat down with the grieving widow and listened, carefully, to her story. When she had spilled out all her sorrow, he reached into one of the deep pockets in his robe, and drew out a tiny, little mustard(芥末) seed. “I think I may have a cure for your grief,” he said. “I want you to go round the people in this region, and look for a family that has no sorrows. When you find this family, give them this little mustard seed, and then come back to me.
The woman set off in search of such a family. She visited every home in the district, and talked to the people. She listened to their stories, just as the holy man had listened to hers. In time, she almost forgot about the mustard seed, because every single family she met was carrying some kind of sorrow.
One day, she happened to meet the holy man again, and he stopped to ask how she was feeling. She was surprised at first, at his question, and then she suddenly remembered the mustard seed, still safely in her purse. “I’m sorry, I haven’t found a family without sorrows yet,” she told him. “But you yourself are cured of your grief,” he smiled. “The mustard seed is a great healer!”
小題1:What does the underlined word “grieving” mean?
A.a(chǎn)mused | B.sad | C.a(chǎn)ngry | D.a(chǎn)stonished |
小題2:What did the holy man ask her to do to end her sorrow?
A.to go to church for help. |
B.to live with the family that has no sorrows with the mustard seed. |
C.to help others so that she can feel the happiness from the bottom of her heart. |
D.to find a family that is always happy and give them the mustard seed before returning to him. |
小題3:How did the woman treat the families she visited?
A.She was a good listener. |
B.She helped them to solve the problems they met. |
C.She gave every family a mustard seed.. |
D.She told them her unfortunate story. |
小題4:Who on the earth heals the woman’s grief?
A.The mustard seed | B.Her children |
C.The families in the district | D.She herself |