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中国寓言故事英语阅读语篇精选——用英语说中国故事
Buying the Box and Returning the Pearl
（买椟还珠）
A long time ago, there was a merchant in the State of Chu who thought he was very clever. Once, he went to the neighboring State of Zheng to sell pearls. To get a good price for his pearls, he put a lot of thought into the boxes that held the pearls:
First, he asked skilled craftsmen to make the boxes from high-quality wood. The boxes had an ancient, elegant style, and he had exquisite patterns carved on their lids. He inlaid the boxes with various pearls and jade, decorated them with beautiful rose stones, and edged them with jadeite. Besides that, he also used fragrant spices like cinnamon and prickly ash to make the boxes smell wonderful. Only after all this did he put the precious pearls inside. In this way, his pearls were packed in boxes that were gorgeous and shining.
When he arrived in Zheng, a man came to his stall. It was clear that the man was completely attracted by the beautiful boxes. He picked up a box and admired it carefully, gently touching the patterns and inlaid pearls and jade on the lid. When he opened the box, a pleasant fragrance filled his nose. He seemed intoxicated and kept murmuring to himself: “Beautiful! Exquisite! Lovely!” As he spoke, he took out a string of coins and said he wanted to buy one. The merchant from Chu was very happy and respectfully handed the box (with the pearl inside) to the man from Zheng.
The merchant expected the man to take the pearl and leave. But to his surprise, the man opened the box, took out the pearl, and tried to give it back to him. The merchant from Chu was shocked and quickly explained: “My friend, I sell the pearl and the box together. I don't sell the box alone.” The man from Zheng was not surprised at all. He spoke confidently: “The box is much more beautiful than the pearl. What I want to buy is this box—you can keep the pearl!” With that, he took the box and left easily.
The merchant from Chu was completely stunned. He stood there with his mouth open, unable to say a word. He didn't know if he regretted putting too much effort into the boxes, or if he was shocked by such a strange way of buying pearls.
Moral
The merchant from Chu cared too much about the “form” (the boxes) — so much that the form overshadowed the “content” (the pearls), leading to a result that was the opposite of what he wanted. This fable mocks people who mix up priorities and fail to tell what is important from what is not.
However, from another angle, the man from Zheng only cared about the appearance (the box) and ignored the real value (the pearl) — that is also not acceptable.
买椟还珠
很久以前，楚国有个商人，总觉得自己很聪明。有一次，他到邻国郑国去卖珍珠。为了让珍珠卖出好价钱，他在装珍珠的盒子上花了很多心思：
首先，他请技艺精湛的工匠用优质木材制作盒子。盒子的样式古朴典雅，他还让人在盒盖上雕刻了精美的花纹。他给盒子镶嵌上各式各样的珍珠和玉石，用漂亮的玫瑰石装饰，又用翡翠给盒子镶了边。除此之外，他还往盒子里放了肉桂、花椒这类芳香的香料，让盒子散发出怡人的香味。做完这一切，他才把珍贵的珍珠放进盒子里。就这样，他的珍珠被装在了华丽又闪亮的盒子里。
到了郑国后，有个人来到他的摊位前。很明显，这个人完全被漂亮的盒子吸引住了。他拿起一个盒子仔细端详，轻轻抚摸着盒盖上的花纹和镶嵌的珠玉。打开盒子时，一股怡人的香味扑鼻而来。他仿佛沉醉其中，嘴里不停地喃喃自语：“真美啊！真精致！太可爱了！”说着，他掏出一串铜钱，说要买一个。楚国商人非常高兴，恭敬地把盒子（里面装着珍珠）递给了郑国人。
商人本以为这个人会拿走珍珠就离开，可让他没想到的是，这人打开盒子，取出珍珠，就要把珍珠还给他。楚国商人吓了一跳，连忙解释：“朋友，我是把珍珠和盒子一起卖的，不单卖盒子啊。”郑国人却一点也不惊讶，他很笃定地说：“盒子比珍珠好看多了，我想买的是这个盒子，珍珠你自己留着吧！”说完，他拿着盒子就轻松地走了。
楚国商人彻底愣住了，他张着嘴站在原地，一句话也说不出来。他不知道自己是后悔在盒子上花了太多功夫，还是被这种奇怪的买珍珠方式惊呆了。
寓意
楚国商人太看重“形式”（盒子），以至于形式盖过了“内容”（珍珠），最终得到了与预期相反的结果。这则寓言讽刺了那些分不清主次、无法辨别重要与不重要事物的人。
不过，从另一个角度看，郑国人只看重外表（盒子），忽视了真正有价值的东西（珍珠）——这种做法也是不可取的。
逐句解析
第一段
1. A long time ago, there was a merchant in the State of Chu who thought he was very clever.
- 陌生单词：A long time ago（很久以前，表时间的固定短语，同义于 Once upon a time）；merchant（n. 商人）；the State of Chu（楚国，专有名词，复习旧词，“刻舟求剑”中复用）；thought he was...（认为自己是……，that 引导宾语从句，that 可省略）
- 高频语块：A long time ago（很久以前，常用于故事开头）；there was + 名词 + who...（有一个……的人，who 引导定语从句修饰名词）；think (that) + 句子（认为……，宾语从句常用结构）
- 造句：A long time ago, there was a farmer in the village who thought he was very wise.（很久以前，村里有个农夫，总觉得自己很聪明。）
2. Once, he went to the neighboring State of Zheng to sell pearls.
- 陌生单词：Once（有一次，表过去的某个时间点，常用于叙事）；neighboring（adj. 邻近的，邻国的）；the State of Zheng（郑国，专有名词）；sell pearls（卖珍珠，sell v. 售卖）
- 高频语块：go to + 地点 + to do sth.（去某地做某事，动词不定式表目的，复习旧词）；neighboring + 地点（邻近的……，如 neighboring city 邻近的城市）
- 造句：Once, my mom went to the neighboring town to buy vegetables.（有一次，妈妈去邻近的镇子买菜。）
3. To get a good price for his pearls, he put a lot of thought into the boxes that held the pearls:
- 陌生单词：To get a good price for...（为了让……卖出好价钱，不定式作目的状语）；put a lot of thought into（在……上花很多心思，固定短语）；held the pearls（装珍珠的，that 引导定语从句修饰 boxes，held 表“容纳，装着”）
- 高频语块：To do sth....（为了做某事……，不定式作目的状语，复习旧词）；put thought into sth.（在某事上花心思，如 put much thought into the plan 为计划花很多心思）；that held...（装着……的，定语从句表功能）
- 造句：To get a good grade in the exam, she put a lot of thought into her study plan.（为了考试取得好成绩，她在学习计划上花了很多心思。）
第二段
1. First, he asked skilled craftsmen to make the boxes from high-quality wood.
- 陌生单词：First（首先，表顺序，对应后文“Besides that”）；skilled craftsmen（技艺精湛的工匠，skilled adj. 熟练的，复习旧词；craftsman n. 工匠，复数为 craftsmen）；make...from...（用……制作……，from 表原材料，看不出原形态时用 from，复习旧词，“纪昌学射”中“made of horn”表能看出原材料）；high-quality（adj. 优质的，复合形容词，“high + quality”构成）
- 高频语块：ask sb. to do sth.（请某人做某事，固定搭配，复习旧词）；make sth. from sth.（用某物制作某物，表原材料）
- 造句：First, the teacher asked skilled students to make models from recycled paper.（首先，老师请熟练的学生用再生纸制作模型。）
2. The boxes had an ancient, elegant style, and he had exquisite patterns carved on their lids.
- 陌生单词：ancient, elegant style（古朴典雅的样式，ancient adj. 古老的，复习旧词；elegant adj. 优雅的；style n. 样式）；had exquisite patterns carved（让人雕刻精美的花纹，“have + 宾语 + 过去分词”表“让某事被做”，被动含义）；exquisite（adj. 精美的，精致的）；patterns（n. 花纹，图案）；lids（n. 盖子，lid 的复数，此处指“盒盖”）
- 高频语块：have sth. done（让某事被做，如 have clothes washed 让衣服被洗/洗衣服）；on their lids（在它们的盖子上，表位置）
- 造句：The table had beautiful pictures painted on its surface, and it had an ancient, elegant style.（这张桌子表面画着漂亮的图案，样式古朴典雅。）
3. He inlaid the boxes with various pearls and jade, decorated them with beautiful rose stones, and edged them with jadeite.
- 陌生单词：inlaid（inlay 的过去式，v. 镶嵌）；various（adj. 各种各样的）；jade（n. 玉，玉石）；decorated...with...（用……装饰……，固定短语）；rose stones（玫瑰石，专有名词，宝石的一种）；edged...with...（用……给……镶边，edge v. 镶边）；jadeite（n. 翡翠）
- 高频语块：inlay sth. with sth.（用某物镶嵌某物，如 inlay the ring with diamonds 用钻石镶嵌戒指）；decorate sth. with sth.（用某物装饰某物，复习旧词，如 decorate the room with flowers 用花装饰房间）；edge sth. with sth.（用某物给某物镶边，如 edge the skirt with lace 用蕾丝给裙子镶边）；and 连接三个并列动词（inlaid...decorated...and edged...，表连续动作，复习旧词）
- 造句：She inlaid the box with small beads, decorated it with colorful ribbons, and edged it with silk.（她用小珠子镶嵌盒子，用彩色丝带装饰，又用丝绸给盒子镶了边。）
4. Besides that, he also used fragrant spices like cinnamon and prickly ash to make the boxes smell wonderful.
- 陌生单词：Besides that（除此之外，表补充，对应前文“First”）；fragrant（adj. 芳香的，香的）；spices（n. 香料，复数）；like（prep. 比如，像，表举例）；cinnamon（n. 肉桂，香料名）；prickly ash（花椒，香料名）；make the boxes smell wonderful（让盒子散发出怡人的香味，“make + 宾语 + 动词原形”表“使某物做某事”，宾补结构）
- 高频语块：Besides that（除此之外，表补充说明，如 Besides that, we also need to bring water.）；like + 名词（比如……，表举例，复习旧词）；make sth. do sth.（使某物做某事，动词原形作宾补，如 make the baby laugh 让宝宝笑）
- 造句：Besides that, she also used sweet fruits like apples and pears to make the cake taste delicious.（除此之外，她还用到了苹果、梨这类甜水果，让蛋糕味道很美味。）
5. Only after all this did he put the precious pearls inside.
- 陌生单词：Only after all this（做完这一切之后，only + 状语置于句首，句子需部分倒装，助动词 did 提前）；precious（adj. 珍贵的，宝贵的）；inside（adv. 在里面，此处指“放进盒子里”）
- 高频语块：Only + 状语（从句/短语）+ 倒装句（助动词/情态动词提前），如 Only after finishing homework can he watch TV.（只有做完作业，他才能看电视。）；put sth. inside（把某物放进去，表动作）
- 造句：Only after cleaning the room did she put her books inside the shelf.（打扫完房间后，她才把书放进书架里。）
6. In this way, his pearls were packed in boxes that were gorgeous and shining.
- 陌生单词：In this way（就这样，通过这种方式，表结果，复习旧词，“滥竽充数”中复用）；were packed（被装进，被动语态，pack v. 包装，装进）；gorgeous and shining（华丽又闪亮的，gorgeous adj. 华丽的；shining adj. 闪亮的，并列形容词作定语）
- 高频语块：be packed in...（被装进……里，被动语态，如 The gifts were packed in colorful boxes.）；that were gorgeous and shining（华丽又闪亮的，定语从句修饰 boxes）
- 造句：In this way, the candies were packed in bags that were colorful and lovely.（就这样，糖果被装进了色彩鲜艳又可爱的袋子里。）
第三段
1. When he arrived in Zheng, a man came to his stall.
- 陌生单词：arrived in（到达，arrive in 后接大地点，如城市、国家；arrive at 后接小地点，如车站、摊位）；stall（n. 摊位，售货摊）
- 高频语块：When 引导时间状语从句（当……时，复习旧词）；arrive in + 大地点（到达某地，如 arrive in Beijing 到达北京）；come to + 地点（来到某地，表动作）
- 造句：When she arrived in Shanghai, her friend came to the station to meet her.（当她到达上海时，朋友来到车站接她。）
2. It was clear that the man was completely attracted by the beautiful boxes.
- 陌生单词：It was clear that...（很明显……，it 作形式主语，that 引导真正主语从句）；completely（adv. 完全地，彻底地）；was attracted by（被……吸引，被动语态，attract v. 吸引）
- 高频语块：It was clear that + 句子（很明显……，表判断，如 It was clear that he was late.）；be attracted by sth.（被某物吸引，被动语态，如 She was attracted by the beautiful song.）
- 造句：It was clear that the children were completely attracted by the interesting movie.（很明显，孩子们完全被这部有趣的电影吸引住了。）
3. He picked up a box and admired it carefully, gently touching the patterns and inlaid pearls and jade on the lid.
- 陌生单词：picked up（拿起，捡起，固定短语，复习旧词）；admired（admire 的过去式，v. 端详，欣赏）；gently touching（轻轻抚摸着，现在分词短语作伴随状语，表动作伴随）；inlaid pearls and jade（镶嵌的珠玉，inlaid 为过去分词作定语，复习旧词）
- 高频语块：pick up sth.（拿起某物，如 pick up a book 拿起一本书）；admire sth. carefully（仔细欣赏某物，副词 carefully 修饰动词 admire）；现在分词作伴随状语（如 walking slowly, singing loudly，表主语同时进行的动作）
- 造句：She picked up a painting and admired it carefully, gently touching the colors on the canvas.（她拿起一幅画仔细端详，轻轻抚摸着画布上的色彩。）
4. When he opened the box, a pleasant fragrance filled his nose.
- 陌生单词：pleasant fragrance（怡人的香味，pleasant adj. 怡人的；fragrance n. 香味，香气）；filled his nose（扑鼻而来，fill v. 充满，此处指“香味进入鼻子”）
- 高频语块：When 引导时间状语从句（当……时，复习旧词）；a pleasant fragrance（怡人的香味，名词短语）；fill one's nose（（气味）扑鼻而来，如 The smell of flowers filled her nose.）
- 造句：When she opened the window, a fresh air filled her nose.（当她打开窗户时，一股清新的空气扑鼻而来。）
5. He seemed intoxicated and kept murmuring to himself: “Beautiful! Exquisite! Lovely!”
- 陌生单词：seemed intoxicated（仿佛沉醉其中，seem + adj. 表“似乎……”，intoxicated adj. 沉醉的，陶醉的）；kept murmuring to himself（不停地喃喃自语，keep doing sth. 表“持续做某事”，murmur to oneself 表“喃喃自语”）
- 高频语块：seem + adj.（似乎……，如 He seemed happy.）；keep doing sth.（持续做某事，复习旧词，“纪昌学射”中“kept practicing”复用）；murmur to oneself（喃喃自语，如 She murmured to herself about the plan.）
- 造句：She seemed excited and kept talking to herself: “Great! Perfect! Amazing!”（她仿佛很兴奋，不停地自言自语：“太棒了！太完美了！太不可思议了！”）
6. As he spoke, he took out a string of coins and said he wanted to buy one.
- 陌生单词：As he spoke（说着，as 引导时间状语从句，表“当……时”）；took out（掏出，拿出，固定短语，复习旧词，“刻舟求剑”中“pulled out”近义）；a string of coins（一串铜钱，a string of 表“一串”，coin n. 硬币，铜钱）；said he wanted to buy（说他想买，that 引导宾语从句，that 可省略）
- 高频语块：As + 句子（当……时，表伴随动作，如 As she walked, she sang.）；take out sth.（掏出某物，如 take out a wallet 掏出钱包）；say (that) + 句子（说……，宾语从句结构）
- 造句：As he laughed, he took out a photo and said he wanted to show it to us.（他大笑着，掏出一张照片，说想给我们看。）
7. The merchant from Chu was very happy and respectfully handed the box (with the pearl inside) to the man from Zheng.
- 陌生单词：respectfully（adv. 恭敬地，有礼貌地）；handed...to...（把……递给……，固定短语）；with the pearl inside（里面装着珍珠，with 复合结构，表“带有……”）
- 高频语块：hand sth. to sb.（把某物递给某人，如 hand a book to me 把书递给我）；with + 名词 + 副词（with 复合结构，表“某物具有某种状态”，如 with the door open 门开着）
- 造句：The student was very polite and respectfully handed the homework (with his name on it) to the teacher.（这个学生很有礼貌，恭敬地把作业（上面写着他的名字）递给了老师。）
第四段
1. The merchant expected the man to take the pearl and leave.
- 陌生单词：expected（expect 的过去式，v. 期待，预料）；expect sb. to do sth.（期待某人做某事，固定短语）；take the pearl and leave（拿走珍珠就离开，and 连接两个并列动词）
- 高频语块：expect sb. to do sth.（期待某人做某事，如 I expect him to come on time.）
- 造句：The mother expected her child to finish homework and go to bed.（妈妈期待孩子做完作业就去睡觉。）
2. But to his surprise, the man opened the box, took out the pearl, and tried to give it back to him.
- 陌生单词：to his surprise（让他没想到的是，固定短语，表意外）；tried to give it back（试图把它还回去，try to do sth. 表“试图做某事”，give back 表“归还”）
- 高频语块：to one’s surprise（让某人惊讶的是，one’s 随主语变化，如 to my surprise“让我惊讶的是”）；try to do sth.（试图做某事，复习旧词）；give sth. back to sb.（把某物还给某人，如 give the book back to me“把书还给我”）
- 造句：But to her surprise, her friend opened the gift, took out the card, and tried to give it back to her.（可让她没想到的是，朋友打开礼物，取出卡片，就要把卡片还给她。）
3. The merchant from Chu was shocked and quickly explained: “My friend, I sell the pearl and the box together. I don't sell the box alone.”
- 陌生单词：shocked（adj. 震惊的，惊愕的）；explained（explain 的过去式，v. 解释，说明）；together（adv. 一起，共同）；alone（adv. 单独地，独自地，此处指“单卖”）
- 高频语块：sell sth. together（一起卖某物，表方式）；don't sell sth. alone（不单卖某物，alone 表“单独”）
- 造句：The shopkeeper was confused and quickly explained: “Sir, I sell the pen and the notebook together. I don't sell the notebook alone.”（店主很困惑，连忙解释：“先生，我是把钢笔和笔记本一起卖的，不单卖笔记本啊。”）
4. The man from Zheng was not surprised at all. He spoke confidently: “The box is much more beautiful than the pearl. What I want to buy is this box—you can keep the pearl!”
- 陌生单词：not surprised at all（一点也不惊讶，not...at all 表“完全不”，复习旧词）；confidently（adv. 笃定地，自信地）；much more beautiful（好看多了，much 修饰比较级，表“……得多”）；What I want to buy（我想买的东西，what 引导主语从句）；keep the pearl（留着珍珠，keep v. 保留）
- 高频语块：much + 比较级（……得多，如 much taller“高得多”）；What I want to do is...（我想做的是……，what 引导主语从句，表强调）
- 造句：She was not worried at all. She spoke confidently: “This dress is much more comfortable than that one. What I want to buy is this dress—you can keep that one!”（她一点也不担心，笃定地说：“这条裙子比那条舒服多了，我想买的是这条，那条你留着吧！”）
5. With that, he took the box and left easily.
- 陌生单词：With that（说完，接着，固定短语，表“说完某话后”）；easily（adv. 轻松地，从容地）
- 高频语块：With that（说完，常用于对话后的动作衔接，如 With that, she stood up and walked out.）；take sth. and leave（拿着某物离开，and 连接并列动作）
- 造句：With that, he took his bag and left easily without saying goodbye.（说完，他拿起包，没说再见就轻松地走了。）
第五段
1. The merchant from Chu was completely stunned.
- 陌生单词：completely（adv. 彻底地，完全地，复习旧词）；stunned（adj. 愣住的，目瞪口呆的）
- 高频语块：be completely stunned（彻底愣住，表状态，如 He was completely stunned by the news.）
- 造句：Everyone was completely stunned when they heard the unexpected result.（听到这个意外的结果，所有人都彻底愣住了。）
2. He stood there with his mouth open, unable to say a word.
- 陌生单词：with his mouth open（张着嘴，with 复合结构，表“伴随的状态”）；unable to say a word（一句话也说不出来，unable adj. 不能的，“unable to do sth.”表“不能做某事”）
- 高频语块：with + 名词 + 形容词（with 复合结构，表状态，如 with his eyes closed“闭着眼睛”）；unable to do sth.（不能做某事，如 unable to move“不能动”）
- 造句：She sat there with her hands shaking, unable to hold the cup.（她坐在那里，手不停地抖，拿不住杯子。）
3. He didn't know if he regretted putting too much effort into the boxes, or if he was shocked by such a strange way of buying pearls.
- 陌生单词：regretted（regret 的过去式，v. 后悔，懊悔，“regret doing sth.”表“后悔做过某事”）；put too much effort into（在……上花了太多功夫，effort n. 努力，“put effort into sth.”表“在某事上付出努力”）；strange way of buying（奇怪的购买方式，“way of doing sth.”表“做某事的方式”）
- 高频语块：didn't know if...or if...（不知道是……还是……，if 引导两个并列的宾语从句，表选择）；regret doing sth.（后悔做过某事，如 regret eating too much“后悔吃太多”）；put too much effort into sth.（在某事上花太多功夫）；way of doing sth.（做某事的方式，如 way of learning English“学英语的方式”）
- 造句：She didn't know if she regretted missing the party, or if she was sad about the bad weather.（她不知道自己是后悔错过了派对，还是为糟糕的天气难过。）
Moral（寓意段）
1. The merchant from Chu cared too much about the “form” (the boxes) — so much that the form overshadowed the “content” (the pearls), leading to a result that was the opposite of what he wanted.
- 陌生单词：cared too much about（太看重……，“care about sth.”表“在乎某事”）；form（n. 形式，此处指“盒子”）；so much that（如此……以至于……，so...that... 引导结果状语从句，复习旧词）；overshadowed（overshadow 的过去式，v. 使……相形见绌，盖过）；content（n. 内容，此处指“珍珠”）；leading to（导致，现在分词短语作结果状语）；the opposite of（与……相反的，opposite n. 相反的事物）
- 高频语块：care too much about sth.（太看重某事，如 care too much about grades“太看重成绩”）；so...that...（如此……以至于……，复习旧词）；leading to + 名词（导致……，表结果，如 leading to a mistake“导致一个错误”）；the opposite of what he wanted（与他想要的相反的（结果），what 引导宾语从句）
- 造句：He cared too much about the “appearance” (the package) — so much that the appearance overshadowed the “quality” (the gift), leading to a result that was the opposite of what he wanted.（他太看重“外表”（包装），以至于外表盖过了“品质”（礼物本身），最终得到了与预期相反的结果。）
2. This fable mocks people who mix up priorities and fail to tell what is important from what is not.
- 陌生单词：mocks（mock 的第三人称单数，v. 讽刺，嘲笑，复习旧词，“滥竽充数”中复用）；mix up priorities（分不清主次，mix up 表“混淆”，priority n. 重点，优先事项，复数为 priorities）；fail to tell（没能区分，“fail to do sth.”表“未能做某事”，复习旧词；tell...from... 表“区分……和……”）
- 高频语块：mix up sth.（混淆某物，如 mix up the two dates“混淆两个日期”）；fail to tell A from B（没能区分 A 和 B，如 fail to tell right from wrong“分不清对错”）
- 造句：This story mocks people who mix up work and rest and fail to tell what is important from what is not.（这个故事讽刺了那些混淆工作和休息、无法辨别重要与不重要事物的人。）
3. However, from another angle, the man from Zheng only cared about the appearance (the box) and ignored the real value (the pearl) — that is also not acceptable.
- 陌生单词：from another angle（从另一个角度看，angle n. 角度）；appearance（n. 外表，外观）；ignored（ignore 的过去式，v. 忽视，忽略）；real value（真正的价值，value n. 价值）；acceptable（adj. 可接受的，“not acceptable”表“不可取的”）
- 高频语块：from another angle（从另一个角度看，表观点转换，如 from another angle, this plan is good.）；care about appearance（看重外表，如 care about one's appearance“看重某人的外表”）；ignore sth.（忽视某物，如 ignore the advice“忽视建议”）
- 造句：However, from another angle, she only cared about the “speed” (finishing quickly) and ignored the “quality” (doing well) — that is also not acceptable.（不过，从另一个角度看，她只看重“速度”（快速完成），忽视了“质量”（做好）——这种做法也是不可取的。）
高频语块对比与场景运用
为帮助精准掌握易混淆语块，结合故事场景设计以下对比与练习：
易混淆语块 含义与区别 场景造句（结合“买椟还珠”）
make...from... vs. make...of... 均表“用……制作”，“make...from...”看不出原材料（如用木材做盒子，加工后看不出木材原貌）；“make...of...”能看出原材料（如用金属做戒指，能看出金属） - The boxes were made from high-quality wood.（盒子用优质木材制成，加工后看不出木材原貌）
care about vs. care for “care about”表“在乎，看重”（如看重形式、外表）；“care for”表“关心，照顾”（如关心他人、照顾动物） - The merchant cared about the box's appearance.（商人看重盒子的外表）
way of doing vs. way to do 均表“做某事的方式”，可互换，“way of doing”更强调“做某事的过程”，“way to do”更强调“做某事的方法” - The strange way of buying pearls surprised the merchant.（奇怪的买珍珠方式让商人惊讶，强调“购买过程”）
建议通过“复述故事核心”巩固语块：用5-6个高频语块串联，如“A long time ago, a merchant from Chu went to Zheng to sell pearls. To get a good price, he put much thought into the boxes—he had them made from wood, decorated with jade, and filled with spices. A man from Zheng was attracted by the boxes, bought one, and gave back the pearl. The merchant was completely stunned—he cared too much about the form, leading to an opposite result.”（很久以前，楚国商人去郑国卖珍珠。为卖好价钱，他在盒子上花很多心思——让工匠用木材做盒子、用玉石装饰、装香料增香。郑国人被盒子吸引，买了盒子却归还珍珠。商人彻底愣住——他太看重形式，最终得到相反结果），在语境中强化语块运用。
《Buying the Box and Returning the Pearl》练习题
I. 阅读理解单选题 (Reading Comprehension)
根据课文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. Why did the merchant from Chu put so much effort into making the boxes
A. Because he loved making crafts.
B. To get a good price for his pearls.
C. To give them as gifts to his customers.
D. Because the King of Zheng liked beautiful boxes.
2. What materials were used to make the boxes
A. Only wood.
B. Wood, pearls, jade, and fragrant spices.
C. Gold and silver.
D. Plastic and glass.
3. How did the man from Zheng react when he saw the box
A. He was not interested.
B. He was completely attracted by it.
C. He thought it was too expensive.
D. He only looked at the pearl inside.
4. What did the man from Zheng do after he paid for the box
A. He took the box and the pearl.
B. He took the pearl out and tried to return it.
C. He asked for a discount.
D. He bought another box.
5. How did the merchant from Chu feel when the man tried to return the pearl
A. He was happy.
B. He was shocked.
C. He was angry.
D. He was not surprised.
6. What did the man from Zheng think about the box and the pearl
A. He thought the pearl was more beautiful.
B. He thought they were both worthless.
C. He thought the box was much more beautiful.
D. He thought they should be sold separately.
7. The merchant was stunned at the end because...
A. he sold all his pearls quickly.
B. he met the king of Zheng.
C. the result was opposite to what he wanted.
D. the man paid him extra money.
8. What is one moral of the story from the merchant's perspective
A. Always use the best materials.
B. Form should not overshadow content.
C. Never trust people from Zheng.
D. Selling pearls is very profitable.
9. What is the other moral of the story from the Zheng man's perspective
A. Beautiful boxes are always valuable.
B. It's important to appreciate real value, not just appearance.
C. Never return things you have bought.
D. Merchants from Chu are very clever.
10. What does the fable primarily mock
A. People who sell pearls.
B. People who cannot tell what is important from what is not.
C. People who make beautiful boxes.
D. People who travel to other states.
II. 完形填空题 (Cloze Test)
阅读下面短文，从所给选项中选择最佳答案填入空白处。
A merchant from Chu wanted to sell pearls in Zheng. He made beautiful boxes to (1)______ the pearls. The boxes were made of good wood and (2)______ with pearls and jade. They also smelled (3)______. A man from Zheng saw the box and was (4)______ by its beauty. He (5)______ to buy it. However, after paying, he (6)______ the pearl and tried to (7)______ it to the merchant. The merchant was (8)______. The man (9)______ that he only wanted the box. This story tells us not to (10)______ priorities and ignore the real value.
1. A. hide B. hold C. break D. find
2. A. painted B. written C. inlaid D. drawn
3. A. terrible B. wonderful C. strange D. strong
4. A. attracted B. bored C. scared D. confused
5. A. refused B. decided C. forgot D. promised
6. A. admired B. took out C. cleaned D. lost
7. A. return B. sell C. buy D. keep
8. A. happy B. excited C. shocked D. satisfied
9. A. lied B. insisted C. asked D. wondered
10. A. mix up B. think about C. write down D. look for
III. 短语填空 (Phrase Fill-in-the-Blanks)
从下方短语框中选择合适的短语，并用其正确形式填空。
`put a lot of thought into was attracted by to his surprise try to give back`
`unable to mix up tell from the opposite of in this way filled with`
1. The merchant _______________ how to package his pearls.
2. The man from Zheng _______________ the beautiful box completely.
3. The merchant expected the man to take the pearl, but _______________, the man tried to return it.
4. The man from Zheng opened the box and _______________ the pearl _______________ the merchant.
5. The merchant was stunned and stood there _______________ say a word.
6. This fable mocks people who _______________ priorities.
7. We should learn to _______________ what is important _______________ what is not.
8. The result was _______________ what the merchant wanted.
9. The box was _______________ a pleasant fragrance when opened.
10. _______________, the pearls were packed in gorgeous boxes.
IV. 句子翻译 (Translation)
将下列中文句子翻译成英文，要求使用括号内提示的单词或短语。
1. 楚国商人去郑国卖珍珠。(went to, sell)
2. 他请手艺精湛的工匠用上等木材制作盒子。(asked, skilled craftsmen)
3. 他在盒子上镶嵌了珍珠和玉石。(inlaid with)
4. 这个盒子散发出怡人的香味。(smell wonderful)
5. 郑国人被盒子完全吸引住了。(was attracted by)
6. 他取出一串钱，说要买一个。(took out, string of coins)
7. 令商人惊讶的是，这个人想把珍珠还给他。(To his surprise, return)
8. 郑国人自信地说：“我想要的是这个盒子。”(confidently, want)
9. 商人目瞪口呆地站在那里。(stood there with his mouth open)
10. 这个故事告诉我们不要混淆主次。(mix up priorities)
V. 句型转换题 (Sentence Transformation)
根据要求改写句子，保持句意基本不变。
1. The merchant went to Zheng. He wanted to sell pearls. (用`to`连接句子表示目的)
→ The merchant went to Zheng ______ ______ pearls.
2. "The box is more beautiful than the pearl," the man said. (改为间接引语)
→ The man said that ______ ______ ______ beautiful than the pearl.
3. The merchant was shocked. He couldn't say a word. (用`so...that...`合并句子)
→ The merchant was ______ shocked ______ he couldn't say a word.
4. He made the boxes beautiful. He wanted to get a good price. (用`because`连接句子)
→ He made the boxes beautiful ______ ______ wanted to get a good price.
5. The man took the box. He left easily. (用`and`连接句子)
→ The man took the box ______ ______ easily.
6. This result was the opposite of his expectation. (对划线部分提问)
→ ______ ______ this result
7. The merchant used fragrant spices. The boxes smelled wonderful. (用`so that`连接句子)
→ The merchant used fragrant spices ______ ______ the boxes smelled wonderful.
8. The man from Zheng was not surprised at all. (改为完全否定句)
→ The man from Zheng ______ surprised ______ ______.
9. People should not mix up priorities. (改为被动语态)
→ Priorities ______ ______ ______ mixed up.
10. He put the precious pearls inside the boxes. (改为一般疑问句)
→ ______ he ______ the precious pearls inside the boxes
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# 练习题答案 (Answer Key)
I. 阅读理解单选题
1. B 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. B
6. C 7. C 8. B 9. B 10. B
II. 完形填空题
1. B (hold)
2. C (inlaid)
3. B (wonderful)
4. A (attracted)
5. B (decided)
6. B (took out)
7. A (return)
8. C (shocked)
9. B (insisted)
10. A (mix up)
III. 短语填空
1. put a lot of thought into
2. was attracted by
3. to his surprise
4. tried to give back
5. unable to
6. mix up
7. tell from
8. the opposite of
9. filled with
10. In this way
IV. 句子翻译
1. A merchant from the State of Chu went to the State of Zheng to sell pearls.
2. He asked skilled craftsmen to make the boxes from high-quality wood.
3. He inlaid the boxes with pearls and jade.
4. The box smelled wonderful.
5. The man from Zheng was completely attracted by the box.
6. He took out a string of coins and said he wanted to buy one.
7. To his surprise, the man tried to return the pearl to him.
8. The man from Zheng said confidently, "What I want is this box."
9. The merchant stood there with his mouth open.
10. This story tells us not to mix up priorities.
V. 句型转换题
1. to sell (The merchant went to Zheng to sell pearls.)
2. the box was more (The man said that the box was more beautiful than the pearl.)
3. so, that (The merchant was so shocked that he couldn't say a word.)
4. because he (He made the boxes beautiful because he wanted to get a good price.)
5. and left (The man took the box and left easily.)
6. What was ( What was this result )
7. so that (The merchant used fragrant spices so that the boxes smelled wonderful.)
8. was not, at all (The man from Zheng was not surprised at all.)
9. should not be (Priorities should not be mixed up.)
10. Did, put ( Did he put the precious pearls inside the boxes )

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