Tom lived near to Jackson．They were （41）___ and their houses were on a slope（斜坡） only two miles away from the village．The air was （42）___ there and the scene was beautiful．And while summer was coming，the wild flowers and the pine leaves （43）___ really nice．However，the only （44）___ was that a poplar tree was growing in the way to their houses．（45）___ they drove somewhere，they had to （46）___ the tree very carefully．

One day，Tom and Jackson met on the road．They （47）___ that they should cut down the tree and they'd better do it the next day （48）___ more trouble．

"But…but I have to go to Minnesota tomorrow．It's a very （49）___ business trip!"Tom said．"Then we'll do it （50）___ a couple of days．I think we'll do a good job!"Jackson said．

However，things didn't go as Jackson had （51）___．Every time they talked about cutting the tree down，one of them had to （52）___ with an emergency（紧急事情）．With days passing by，twenty years later they both became （53）___ men．One day，they met under the big tree again．"Old fellow，we really should cut it down，（54）___ Linda and Kaysen might get into trouble here．See？This tree is becoming （55）___．Look，it takes over half of the （56）___．"Jackson said while looking at the big poplar tree．

"That's right．We haven't （57）___ it for such a long time and now we have to （58）___ a saw（锯子）!"Tom said while going slowly back home to （59）___ his saw to cut down the tree．（60）___，they were so old now that they couldn't pull the saw anymore!