It was Mother's Day. John was so busy with his work that he couldn't go back home. When he passed by a flower shop in the evening, an idea came to his mind. "I'll send Mum some roses."While John was picking his flowers, a young man went inside. "How many roses can I get for only five dollars, Madam?" he asked. The assistant was trying to tell him roses were as expensive as forty dollars a dozen (一打). Maybe he would be happy with carnations (康乃馨).

    "No, I have to have red roses." He said, "My mum was badly ill last year and I didn't get to spend much time with her. Now I want to get something special, it has to be roses as rose is her favorite."

After hearing it, John said he would pay the rest of the money for the young man. Moved by both of them, the assistant said," Well, lovely young men, thirty dollars a dozen, only for you." Taking the roses, the young man almost jumped into the air and ran out of the shop. It was well worth twenty-five dollars John paid to see the exciting moment. Then John paid for his dozen of roses and told the assistant to send them to his mother.

    As he walked out, he felt nice. Suddenly he saw the young man crossing the street and going into a park. But soon he realized it was not a park but a cemetery (墓地). Crying, the young man carefully laid the roses," Mum, oh, Mum, why didn't I tell you how much I loved you? God, please help me find my mum and tell her I love her."

    Seeing this, John turned and quickly walked to the shop. He would take the flowers home himself.

阅读下面的文字，完成各题

    自古以来，中国号称“礼仪之邦”，礼仪渗透到社会生活的各个环节，包括家族生活的方方面面。南宋时，著名大儒朱熹撰写了《家礼》一书，其中依据古时礼仪，并参考北宋时司马光撰写的《书仪》，对士大夫的冠、婚、丧、祭四礼作了设计，而加冠、结婚、丧葬、祭祀，确是古代人们在人生历程中最重要的四件大事；这四方面的礼仪，确是当时的家庭和家族所要践行的最重要的礼仪。自南宋至清末的近千年间，中国传统的家族礼仪，即当时大大小小的家族所遵行的居家礼仪，大体依据着《朱子家礼》中的规定。

    由于家族礼仪不仅有代代相承的基本面，也有不断演化的另一面，后世的人们仅凭古籍的文字记载往往不能真切地了解古代的礼仪。东汉时，著名的大儒郑康成率先对先秦的《礼记》作了图注。随后出现的同类著作有阮谌的《三礼图》，夏侯伏朗的《三礼图》，张镒的《二礼图》，梁正的《三礼图》，以及由隋文帝敕撰的《礼图》等。五代时，聂崇义“博采众家，参以己意”，又纂成了一种《三礼图》。随后，他又向宋太祖赵匡胤进呈了该书的修订本。此后，配有图说的礼学著作才有所出。例如，在南宋时，朱熹的学生杨复推出了《仪礼图》，布衣杨甲纂成了《六经图》。到清代，由于进一步认识到庶民直至皇室都应依据礼仪图来行各种礼仪，并要根据礼器图来制作器皿，如果这些图画出现错误，便会误导整个社会，动摇皇朝的根基，因而清政府就直接组织了礼图的编绘。在此期间，便出现了经乾隆皇帝御览的《钦定仪礼义疏》《礼器图》。尽管这些配有图画的著作不免有若干差错，但因它们的作者几乎都是著名的礼学专家，从总体来说，经他们确认的图说都较为精确。有了这些资料，后人对传统的家族礼仪便可有较为形象的认识。

    除了上述阐明礼仪的图画外，还有一批更为生动的作品可以帮助后人认识传统的家族礼仪。它们是自古代直至民国初期描绘民间日常生活的图画。于明代、清代出版的很多小说、剧本等，如小说《西游记》《聊斋志异》，剧本《西厢记》《金钗记》等等，都有插图。这些插图显示的是小说或戏剧的重要情节，其中的一部分反映了当时的各种礼仪。到清代后期，随着近代新闻事业的逐步发达，多种图说社会新闻的画报先后问世。其中最著名的是《点石斋画报》。此外，较有影响的还有环球社的《图画日报》等。由于各地的人们在践行各种家族礼仪时往往受到地方风俗的影响，这些画报的绘画者们所绘的是他们目击或熟悉的情况，其作品的有些细节未必符合传统的家族礼仪。不过，这些图画有血有肉，描绘的常常是令人喷饭的社会趣闻，因而有较强的可读性。

    在经历了唐代末年与五代十国的大动乱后，自古以来拥有大庄园的名门望族土崩瓦解，小家庭成为宋初基本的社会细胞。后来，这些小家庭演化成了不同的家族。这些家族陆续纂修本族的族谱，兴建本族的宗祠，并大多参照朱子《家礼》制订了本家的宗祠祭礼。这些宗祠礼仪，以及家族在墓地举行的祭祀礼仪，无疑也成了传统家族礼仪的组成部分。各个家族在纂修或生修族谱时都会将有关文字，直至绘制的有关图画，载入此类家族的史册。

（摘自《中国家族传统礼仪•前言》上海社会科学院出版社出版，有删改）