Once upon a time, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave with all kinds of treasure inside it. So he gave up his job, his home, and his friends, and spent all his time guarding the cave.
He was so dedicated to it that he hardly ate or drank, and before long he fell ill. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he decided to share the treasure.
He crawled(爬)into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that it was empty except for a small emerald(绿宝石). The man took it, and gave it to the first person he came by, a woman.
Then an old man came by. “What bad luck!” the man said. “Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding.”
“Are you sure there is nothing left?” the old man asked.
The man took him into the cave, where they found a chest with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, “At last! At last someone has broken the spell(咒语)of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you’re the first to have passed its great test. Many have dedicated their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here…”
“And why does this happen?” the man asked.
“This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave is filled with treasure, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel.”
From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous.
Why did the man give up his job, home and friends?
A.Because he possessed a variety of treasure. |
B.Because he had to guard the treasure cave. |
C.Because he wanted to find the treasure cave. |
D.Because he devoted himself to a great test. |
What did the man find when he showed his cave to the old man?
A.A small emerald. | B.A handful of jewels. |
C.All kinds of treasure. | D.A chest filled with jewels and some gold. |
What do we know about the people who dedicated their lives to the cave before?
A.They all found the cave empty at last. |
B.The old man freed them from its spell. |
C.They all filled the cave with the treasure they had. |
D.They thought it was better to share than to enjoy the treasure alone. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
A.The old man had devoted himself to it before. |
B.The old man was the first to break the spell. |
C.Only the old man could free people from its spell. |
D.The cave and the old man helped the man become noble and generous. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Purely material things cannot make us truly wealthy. |
B.Different people have different views. |
C.Treasure only belongs to those who possess it. |
D.Some people never learn what is really valuable. |