A
One day a teacher stood before his class and picked up a large
empty glass bottle and
filled it with rocks. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
He then added a box of little pebbles(鹅卵石) to the jar,
shaking it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. "Is the jar full now?" The students said yes.
But then he poured a bag of sand into the bottle. Once more he asked if it was full and after thinking the students said that it was. The teacher then opened two cans of drink and poured them into the jar. The students were very excited about this.
The teacher spoke again, "I want you to know that this jar is like your life. The rocks are the important things in your life—your family, your partner, your health... things that if everything else was lost and only
remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Play with your friends. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take care of the rocks first."
Then one student asked what the drink meant. "It just goes to prove that no matter how full your life may seem, there is always room for a can of drink."
词汇
empty /ˈempti/ adj. 空的
fill /fɪl/ v. 装满
shake /ʃeɪk/ v. 摇动
remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ v. 继续存在
句型
1. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car.
这些鹅卵石就好比其他一些要紧的事物，比如你的工作、房子和车。
matter v. 要紧，有重大影响，事关紧要
⇒ Does it really matter who did it?
2. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 如果你将所有时间与精力花在微小琐碎的事情上，你就无法成就生命中重要的事情。
have room for 有余地，有空间
⇒ Do you have room for a computer on your desk?
3. It just goes to prove that no matter how full your life may seem, there is always room for a can of drink. 这只是证明，无论你的生活看起来多么充实，你总有时间可以喝上一罐饮料。
no matter how... 无论……怎么样
⇒ No matter how far it is, we come back to have a big dinner together with all the family members.
理解
1. What do rocks refer to according to the passage?
The rocks are the important things in your life—your family, your partner, your health... things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
2. What do you think of the teacher? And give your reasons.
He is very wise. He used an experiment to show the students the most important things in life and students will know how to deal with their life in a wise way in the future.
