Once a clever man was crossing a turbulent river. He wished to amuse himself by talking to the boatman.
"Do you know mathematics?" he asked.
"No sir." answered the boatman.
"Then you have lost one quarter of your life," said the wise man. "Do you know history?"
"No sir." answered the boatman.
"Then you have lost three quarters of your life." Just then a sudden gust of wind overturned the boat. "Do you know how to swim?" asked the boatman.
"No," answered the wise(="clever)" man.
"Well then," replied the boatman, "you have lost your whole life."The clever man knew a lot of knowledge except(除了)_______.
| A.mathematics | B.philosophy(哲学) |
| C.history | D.swimming |
The clever man thought the boatman had lost ______ of his life.
| A.one-fourth | B.half |
| C.three fourths | D.whole |
When a gust of wind overturned the boat, ______ lost his life.
| A.the boatman |
| B.the boatman and the clever man |
| C.the clever man |
| D.None of them |
The story told us ______ .
| A.not to be proud(骄傲的) | B.to learn to swim |
| C.to be a boatman | D.not to learn knowledge |