TheTouchstone

WhenthegreatlibraryofAlexandriaburnedthestorygoesonebookwassaved.Butitwasnotavaluablebook;andsoapoormanwhocouldreadalittleboughtitforafewcoppers.

Thebookwasn’tveryinterestingbutbetweenitspagestherewassomethingveryinterestingindeed.Itwasathinstripofvellum（牛皮纸）onwhichwaswrittenthesecretofthe“Touchstone”!

Thetouchstonewasasmallpebblethatcouldturnanycommonmetalintopuregold.Thewritingexplainedthatitwaslyingamongthousandsandthousandsofotherpebblesthatlookedexactlylikeit.Butthesecretwasthis:Therealstonewouldfeelwarmwhileordinarypebblesarecold.

Sothemansoldhisfewbelongsboughtsomesimplesuppliescampedontheseashoreandbegantestingpebbles.

Heknewthatifhepickedupordinarypebblesandthrewthemdownagainbecausetheywerecoldhemightpickupthesamepebblehundredsoftimes.Sowhenhefeltonethatwascoldhethrewitintothesea.Hespentawholedaydoingthisbutnoneofthemwasthetouchstone.Yethewentonandonthisway.Pickupapebble.Cold--throwitintothesea.Pickupanother.Throwitintothesea.

Thedaysstretchedintoweeksandtheweeksintomonthsandmonthsintoyears.Onedayhoweveraboutmid-afternoonhepickedupapebbleanditwaswarm.Hethrewitintotheseabeforeherealizedwhathehaddone.Hehadformedsuchastronghabitofthrowingeachpebbleintotheseathatwhentheonehewantedcamealonghestillthrewitaway.

Soitiswithopportunity.Unlesswearevigilant(警惕的)，itiseasytofailtorecognizeanopportunitywhenitisinhandandit’sjustaseasytothrowitaway.

1.What’sunusualaboutthebookmentionedinthepassage?

A.Itissavedfromafire

B.ItisfromthelibraryofAlexandria

C.Ithasapagewiththesecretofthe“Touchstone”

D.Itisworthonlyafewcoppers

2.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrueaboutthe“Touchstone”?

A.Itisasmallpebblethatcouldbemadeintogold.

B.Itisasmallpebblethatlooksasordinaryasothers.

C.Itlookslikeanordinarypebblebutitfeelswarm.

D.Itislikeasmallpebblebutitcouldturnanycommonmetalintopuregold.