A
Once upon a time, there was a king who could not sleep well with all his worries about what tomorrow might bring.
One day the king found a cobbler in the market, who wore ragged clothes and looked very thin, but his smile was as bright as the moon.
"Surely you must worry. How could you smile so brightly?" the king walked close and asked.
"Today I earned enough money by fixing shoes to buy a loaf of bread!"
"But what if not tomorrow?"
"I have faith(信心)," the cobbler answered. "All will be well."
This impressed the king, and when he left, he wondered what would happen if the cobbler could not earn his bread.
The next morning in the market, the king decreed: no one was allowed to repair shoes. Whenever someone's shoes wore out, that person must buy a new pair.
That evening the king was dressed in rags and secretly followed the cobbler to his house to see if he was crying, but through the window, he saw the cobbler drinking soup and smiling.
The king knocked. "I came to see if you were all right," he said. "You saw the new decree? How did you pay for this soup?"
"I carried water for an old woman, and she rewarded me with a coin," the man said. "Please come and share my soup. You look hungry."
"But what will you do tomorrow?" the king asked.
"I have faith," the man said. "All will be well."
The king went up and asked, "Do you know who I am?"
"Of course," the man said, "you are the king."
The king shook his head and said, "I am the beggar who came to your door."
() 1. What does a cobbler do?
A. He repairs shoes. B. He sells bread.
C. He carries water. D. He begs for food.
() 2. The underlined word "decreed" means "______".
A. asked B. agreed C. ordered D. shouted
() 3. Why did the king say "I am the beggar who came to your door."?
A. To learn how to fix shoes.
B. To ask the cobbler for some soup.
C. To make friends with the cobbler.
D. To find out how to drive away his worries.
() 4. What may be the best title for the passage?
A. The king's worries B. The cobbler's faith
C. The king's decree D. The beggar's soup