A、The bird was dead. B、The bird was alive. C、It’s hard to answer the question. D、He found out the children’s trick. D

Here’s a parable of two young children and a white-bearded wise man that lived alone in the mountains. (16)The man was highly respected by the local residents: however, the two young children just shrugged it off. One day, (17)the kids, intending to test this man, decided to play a joke on him to see his so-called wisdom. This was their marvelous plan. They would catch a small bird, put their hands behind their back and ask the man if the bird was dead or alive. If the wise man says the bird is alive, they will crush it. If the wise man says it is dead, they can let it live. So having captured the bird they went to the mountains to find the wise man. When they finally came across him, one of the youngsters laughed and asked, "Hi, wise man, can you tell us whether the bird I am holding in my hands is dead or alive?" (18)To their surprise, the wise man just smiled and responded, "Young boys, the future of the bird is in your hands." There are many extremely smart people around that can grasp many issues at once. Perhaps the guy sitting next to you always mentions something that you didn’t think about or something that at the last minute made you change your mind about the resolution of a case under discussion. (19)So be ethical, be respectful, be smart and it is your opportunity to really make a difference in the world.
16. What did the children think of the man?
17. What was the purpose of the children’s plan?
18. What does the man’s response imply?
19. What lesson does the parable tell us?