佚名/Anonymous
Once upon a time, there was a queen. This queen ruled a large and wealthy kingdom. She was a good and wise person and an excellent ruler.
The queen was interested in her subjects. She wanted them to be good and honest people. Every once in a while, she would hear rumblings of dissatisfaction or disapproval from the people of the kingdom.
The queen didn't like complainers. She was a believer in taking matters into her own hands and making the best of a situation.
One day, she decided to conduct an experiment. She had some of the castle's employees close off the main road to the castle. They also created a narrow path that led to the castle.
This narrow little path was now the only way for her subjects to reach the castle. She hid in some trees beside the path to see how people would react to the obstacle.
One man approached. He saw the rock in the road and turned around and left. A woman approached. She tried to climb over the rock but it was too big. She turned back. Another man approached. He tried to walk around it but when he got scratched by a tree branch, he also turned back.
Many people approached the rock, loudly complained about how unfair it was to have a rock in the road, and gave up. Others blamed the queen and criticized her as a ruler.
At last, an old woman approached. She tried to walk around the rock but couldn't. She tried to climb over the rock but couldn't. She tried digging under the rock to no avail.
She waited for another person to come so she could ask for help pushing the rock out of the way. She waited a long time but no one came.
Finally, the old woman started pushing the rock out of the way all by herself. It took her a very long time. The queen watched, fascinated.
The old woman had to take lots of breaks. Eventually, she pushed the rock out of the way enough that she could now squeeze past it.
As the old woman started to walk past the rock to get to the castle, the queen stepped forward.“I've been watching you,”she said to the woman,“I'm very impressed. You didn't give up. You tried everything you could think of to get around the rock in the road. You were successful.”
“Even if you hadn't succeeded, I still would have been impressed that you tried everything you could think of. I want to give you this as a reward for your tenacity.”
The queen handed the old woman a purse. In it were hundreds of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
The old woman gasped. She was rich. Her family would be rich for generations to come.
很久以前，有一位女王。她統治著一個強大而富饒的國家，女王賢明睿智，是個出色的領導者。
女王體察民情，希望臣民們善良、正直。偶爾，她會聽到百姓的一些反對和抱怨聲。
抱怨聲使女王感到很厭惡。她相信，只有親自去考察，才能掌握真實情況。
一天，她決定做一個試驗。她讓城堡維護員封堵了通往城堡的要道，另外又建了一條通往城堡的狹窄小路。
這條狹窄的小路成了國民通往城堡的唯一通道。女王想看看百姓們對她所設的障礙有何反應，于是躲在了路旁的樹后。
一個人走了過來，看到擋在路中央的石頭扭頭就走了。接著，一個婦女想要爬過石頭，但石頭太大，還是折了回去。又來了一個人，他試圖從旁邊擠過去，不料被樹枝弄傷，也無功而返。
有很多人走近石頭，都埋怨它放得不是地方，轉身走了。也有人責備女王治理無方。
最后有一位老婦人走近石頭，她試圖從石頭旁邊穿過，但是沒有成功；試著爬過石頭，最后還是失敗了；又試著在石頭底下挖洞，結果還是徒勞。
老人等著能有人來，這樣她就可以請他幫忙一起推動這塊石頭，讓出一條道來了。等了許久，最終沒有人來。
最后，老人開始自己推石頭。一直推了好長時間。女王望著她，完全被她的努力吸引了。
老婦人休息了好幾次。最后，推開了一條她能擠過去的小縫。
當老婦人擠過石頭往城堡走時，女王走上前說：“我觀察你很久了，你的堅持不懈給我留下了深刻的印象。你沒有放棄。你嘗試各種可能翻過石頭的方法，你成功了。”
“即便你失敗了，我仍然對你刮目相看，因為你肯嘗試你所想到的每種方法。我想以此獎賞你的堅韌。”
女王給了老婦人一個裝有很多鉆石、紅寶石和翡翠的袋子。
老婦人深吸了一口氣，她有錢了，足夠她們一家好幾代用。
記憶填空
1.The queen was interested____________her subjects. She wanted them to be____________and honest people. Every once in a while, she would____________rumblings of dissatisfaction or disapproval from the people of the____________.
2.This narrow little____________was now the only way for her subjects to____________the castle. She hid in some trees beside the path to see____________people would react to the obstacle.
3.“Even if you hadn't____________, I still would have been impressed that you tried everything you could____________of. I want to give you this as a____________for your tenacity.”
佳句翻譯
1.一個人走了過來，看到擋在路中央的石頭扭頭就走了。
譯___________________________________________________
2.有很多人走近石頭，都埋怨它放得不是地方，轉身走了。
譯___________________________________________________
3.你嘗試各種可能翻過石頭的方法，你成功了。
譯___________________________________________________
短語應用
1.Once upon a time, there was a queen.
once upon a time：從前；很久以前
造___________________________________________________
2.She was a believer in taking matters into her own hands and making the best of a situation.
make the best of：充分利用，妥善處理
造___________________________________________________