单项选择题
| Another virtue Americans respect is
perseverance. Remember Aesop’s fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a
race The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the turtle
finally won because he did not give up. Another story tells of a little train
that had to climb a steep hill. The hill was so steep that the little train had
a hard time trying to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the
while saying, "I think I can, I think I can." At last, the train was over the
top of the hill. "I thought I could, I thought I could," chugged the happy
little train. Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. The story of "The Good Samaritan" from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. The traveler had been beaten and robbed. The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need. Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle. In fall of 1992, people in Iowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians who were hit by a hurricane. The next summer, during the Midwest flooding, Florida returned the favor. In less dramatic ways, millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindnesses shown to them. In no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by Americans. Courage, responsibility, loyalty, gratitude and many others could be discussed. In fact, Bennett’s bestseller -- over 800 pages -- highlights just give 10 virtues. Even Bennett admits that he has only scratched the surface. But no matter how long or short the list, moral values are invaluable. They are the foundation of American culture -- and any culture. |