A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and other things including cups-porcelain(瓷杯子), glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some elegant -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "I notice that all the nice looking and expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each others cups. Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Thank the Lord for your blessings in 2011. And enjoy your hot chocolate in 2012!”
小题1: When did they decide to go to see their professor?
| A．After the reunion. | B．During the get-together. |
| C．Before they graduated. | D．Just after the professor retired. |
小题2:Why did the professor offer them different cups?
| A．Because cups were not enough for everyone. |
| B．Because cups were beautiful. |
| C．Because the professor wanted to teach them something. |
| D．Because hot chocolate should be contained in different cups. |
小题3:What caused the professor to say those words?
| A．Their graduation. | B．Their reunion. | C．Their visit. | D．Their complaints. |
小题4:What does the word “cup” in this passage refer to?
| A．Life | B．happy things in life |
| C．hot chocolate | D．tools to hold and contain life |
小题5:What is the purpose of the professor’s words?
| A．To tell them life is not easy, so try their best to be happy. |
| B．To educate them that the happiest people don't have the best of everything. |
| C．To wish them to be grateful to their life and make the best of everything that they have. |
| D．To use different cups to tell them they should try different things in life. |
