In 2000, when I was around seven years old, my parents, sister, brother, and I were coming back from a T-ball game. There, in our driveway, we spotted two adult geese and a small gosling. The adults were startled by our return and flew away, but their baby was still too young to fly. We are no strangers to wildlife, so we avoided physical contact with the small gosling out of fear that it would keep us in its mind and be lost to its family forever. Hours passed, and night fell. The tiny little thing was wandering around our yard, unaware of what could happen.
And then another morning. And still another. Each morning, we would try to drive the goose over to his parents, who kept coming back to our yard. He wouldn’t go to them, though, and they wouldn’t come close enough to collect him. My sister Joanna decided to call the little guy Peeper, because he would follow us around the yard making a peeping noise, nonstop.
Almost a year passed. My family filled our days with feathery hugs and my dad would throw Peeper up into the air so he could fly a circle around the house.
One evening, my uncle came, and my dad wanted to show him Peeper’s circle. He threw him up in the air, but this time, Peeper just flew off. Everyone was very, very sad. We looked for him for days, calling his name, but he didn’t come back. Twenty years passed, and Peeper became a fond memory for my family.
Geese are very loyal, never forgetting their first home. Even so, it came as a total shock to me when, in 2020, an aging adult goose appeared at my home. At first, I assumed it was just another goose. After two weeks of the goose coming back repeatedly, it became clear to me that this wasn’t a random goose. He did all of the same things Peeper used to and responded to the name Peeper. My old best friend returned, 20 years later.
People desire connection with the natural world. Through Peeper, I have learned so much about myself and about the nature of love.
4. What does the underlined word “startled” in paragraph 1 mean?
A.Frightened. | B.Attracted. | C.Confused. | D.Moved. |
5. Why did the writer’s family avoid physical contact with the baby goose at first?
A.They feared being attacked by its parents. | B.They didn’t know what to do with it. |
C.They were worried about its health. | D.They didn’t want it to take them as its family. |
6. What is the best title for the text?
A.A friendly Goose | B.My Goose Returned Home |
C.Dad Trained Goose | D.The Love for Nature |
7. How does the writer find the experience?
A.Entertaining. | B.Rewarding. | C.Pitiful. | D.Discouraging. |