閱讀理解

There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers， he used two buckets （水桶）. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one， which had seen many years of service and was now past its best.

Every morning， the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path， one on each side， to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled. The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes： before it reached the flowerbeds， much water had leaked （漏） along the path.

Sometimes the new bucket would say， “See how capable I am！ How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day！ I dont know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are！”

And all that the old bucket could say was， “I know I am not very useful， but I can only do my best. I am happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me， at least.”

One day， the gardener heard that kind of conversation. After watering the flowers as usual， he said， “You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back， I want you to look carefully along the path.”

Then the two buckets did so. All along the path， they noticed， on the side where the new bucket was carried， there was just bare earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried， there was a joyous row of wild flowers， leading all the way to the garden.

1. The underlined word “dilapidated” in Paragraph 1 probably means “ ”.

A. dirty B. dark

C. worn-out D. ordinary-looking

2. What was the old bucket ashamed of？

A. Its past. B. Its aging.

C. Its manner. D. Its leak.

3. Why did the new bucket make conversations with the old one？

A. To laugh at the old one.

B. To take pity on the old one.

C. To show off its beautiful looks.

D. To praise the gardeners kindness.

4. Why did the gardener still keep the old bucket？

A. It had its own function.

B. It was used to keep a balance.

C. It stayed in its good condition.

D. It was considered as a treasure.

閱讀七選五

Travelling alone gives you the freedom to create your own schedule and do as you please.? For example， a travel partner can provide practical support and share in the rewards of first-hand experience with unfamiliar locations and cultures. Here are several tips to find a travel partner who will improve your journey.

Travelling should be fun. When you are on a trip， you will want to do lots of activities that you enjoy. Preferably， your companion will want to do the same things as you.

Discuss financial plans. Before you travel， you should plan a budget.? You dont want to be planning an expensive getaway at the same time your friend is looking for budget travel.

Have an honest conversation. If you are thinking about travelling with a companion， take some time to have an open discussion. Schedule a time to sit down and talk. Try saying， “I know weve talked about the idea of travelling through Europe together. Lets have a coffee this week and actually talk that through.”? You should also talk about your travel style.

Find someone who is flexible. Choose a travel partner who can adjust.? Maybe it will rain on the day you planned to visit the Grand Canyon. Or you might not be able to get reservations at that French restaurant youve been dying to try.

A. Look for someone with common interests.

B. You should discuss your goals for the trip.

C. Travel with a friend who is pretty easy-going.

D. But travelling with a partner has its benefits， too.

E. Make sure that you are on the same page concerning money.

F. Try to meet your new travel partner in person before your trip.

G. No matter how carefully you plan your trip， it is likely that something will go wrong.

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