One spring day, a rose came out in the garden. When she met her neighbors, including a cactus (仙人掌) and other plants, she said to the cactus, “I’m the most beautiful flower here, but you are full of thorns (刺) and so ___1___!”
Day after day, the rose never stopped being unfriendly to the cactus. However, the cactus ___2___ got sad or angry, and he replied calmly every time, “Every life has a purpose to be what it is.”
As summer came, it was hot and ___3___. The rose lost a lot of water and became weaker and weaker, but the cactus grew well. He had strong roots (根) system and was good at ___4___ water in his body.
One day, the rose saw a bird make a small ___5___ in the cactus. The thirsty bird drank the water inside the cactus through the hole.
“It must hurt,” said the rose.
“Yes,” the cactus replied, “but I don’t want to see my bird friend suffer.”
The rose was so ___6___ that she asked the cactus for water. The cactus kindly agreed. He asked the bird to carry the water to the rose’s roots.
The rose was ashamed (羞愧的) of what she had said to the cactus in the past. From then on, she ___7___ judging (评判) others by their looks.