阅读理解

Passage 3

Once upon a time, two brothers, Jack and Tom, who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict. For the past 20 years, they had been on good terms farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed. The dispute began with a small misunderstanding and grew into a major difference and finally exploded into an exchange of bitter words.

One morning, there was a knock on Jack’s door. It was a carpenter looking for a few days' work. Jack offered him a job saying,” Look across the stream at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother. There used to be a meadow between us. Last week he pulled down the dam on the small river and now there is a stream instead. Well, he may have done this to offend me, but I’ll do one better.”

“See that pile of lumber (木材）by the house, I want you to build me a fence—an 8 foot fence.” The carpenter said ,” I think I understood the situation. Show me the nails and the and I ‘ll post hole digger (打桩机)be able to do a job that satisfies you.”

John had to go into town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

John’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge--a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work! His younger brother, was coming towards them with his hands outstretched." You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done." The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand.

They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said Jack. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more bridges to build."