C
Plunk! I dropped another pecan (山核桃) into my basket. Then a gentle autumn wind blew some more off the tree. I ran to pick them up. Picking pecans was hard. My basket was only half full.
I was visiting my grandpa's farm, and Grandpa sent me into the woods to pick pecans for us to enjoy later. I wasn't about to let him down.
Then something caught my eye: a squirrel picked up a pecan, climbed up a tree and disappeared into a large hole. Not so secret any more, I thought. I ran over to the tree and found the hole was filled with sweet pecans. They were right there for the taking. This was my chance. Handful (一把) by handful, I took all of the pecans from the hole. Now the basket was full!
I was so proud of myself. I couldn't wait to show Grandpa all of the pecans I'd collected.
"Look, Grandpa!" I shouted. "Look at all of the pecans I found!"
Grandpa took a look at my basket. "Well, how did you find so many, Jimmy?" I told him I followed the squirrel and took the pecans from his hiding place. Grandpa congratulated me on finding out something about the squirrel's habits. Then he did something that surprised me. He handed the basket back to me and put his arm gently around my shoulders.
"That squirrel worked very hard to collect his winter food," he said. "If all of his pecans are gone, don't you think that little squirrel will be very hungry when it gets cold?"
"I didn't think about that," I said.
"I know," Grandpa said. "But a good man should never take advantage of someone else's hard work, even the squirrel's."
Suddenly I felt ashamed. The image of that hungry squirrel wouldn't leave my mind. There was only one thing I could do.
词汇
disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪə(r)/ vi. 消失，不见
congratulate /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪt/ vt. 祝贺
congratulate sb on sth 因某事而祝贺某人
advantage /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/ n. 有利条件
take advantage of 利用
ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ adj. 惭愧，羞愧
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ n. 形象
句型1. I wasn't about to let him down. 我不会让他失望的。
let sb down 意为“让某人失望”。
2. If all of his pecans are gone, don't you think that little squirrel will be very hungry when it gets cold? 如果他所有的山核桃都不见了，你不觉得小松鼠在天冷的时候会挨饿吗？
理解1. How did the writer find the squirrel's secret?
2. What do you think the writer would do in the end?
