Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table, reading his book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you, but I don’t understand it, and I forget what I understand as soon as I close the book. I think reading books is useless. So what are the benefits of reading books in your eyes?”

The grandpa quietly replied, “Take this coal (煤) basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out (漏出) before he got back to the house. The grandpa laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned. Out of breath, he told his grandpa that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, so he went to get a bucket (桶) instead. The grandpa said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.” The boy again put the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandpa the basket was empty again. Out of breath, he said, “Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“So, you think it is useless?” the grandpa said, “Look at the basket.”

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It had been changed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean.

“Grandson, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you’ll be changed, inside and out.”

【小题1】What did the grandson want to know?

A．The reason why he forgets so quickly.

B．The advantages that reading gives people.

C．The types of books which he can understand.

D．The way that his grandfather reads books.

【小题2】Why did Grandpa ask his grandson to bring a basket of water for him?

A．To get him to realize the use of reading books.

B．To punish him for not reading carefully.

C．To clean the dirty basket in the river.

D．To train him to run faster.

【小题3】What lesson can we learn from the story?

A．The old are always wiser than the young.

B．It is foolish to carry water with a basket.

C．You can’t expect to remember all you read.

D．Reading books can change a person gradually.