Ben Underwood was a normal teenage boy. He loved playing basketball, riding his bike, listening to music with his friends and playing video games. But in one way, Ben was different from most other teenagers—— he was _______. However, Ben had a special talent. He didn’t have eyes, but he could _______ “see”.

Ben was born on 26 January 1992. For the first two years of his life, Ben was a happy and healthy baby. He had a normal life, living with his mother and two older brothers in California. But when Ben was two years old, his life _________. In 1994, he was taken to the hospital because he had problems with his eyes. The doctors looked at his eyes and told his mother the bad news — Ben had cancer. After a few months, he had an operation to remove（移除）the cancer. The operation was successful and Ben was fine. _______, the doctors had to remove his eyes and Ben became blind.

After his operation, Ben developed a special talent. When he was three, he learnt _______ to “see” buildings with his ears. He listened very carefully and he could hear noises bounce（反射）off building. The noises told him where the buildings were. Then, when Ben was seven, he learnt to “click”. He made clicking noises with his mouth and listened for the _______ that bounced back from things. _______, Ben could “see” where he was and what was around him. This is the same way dolphins see things underwater and bats see in the dark.

Scientists and doctors were _______ when finding Ben’s talent. There are only a few blind people in the word who can see like Ben. Although he was blind, he didn’t give up feeling the world. People _______ him because of this. He became famous. He was on TV and he travelled to different countries and talked to people about his story. During Ben’s life, he taught people that anything is possible. Many people admired him because he inspired them and helped them feel ________. He was a real hero throughout all his life.

Buck lived in Mr Miller’s big house in the sunny Santa Clara valley. There were large gardens and fields of fruit trees around the house, and a river nearby. In a big place like this, of course, there were many dogs. There were house dogs rand farm dogs, but they were not important. Buck was chief dog; he was born here, and this was his place. He was four years old and weighed sixty kilos. He went swimming with Mr Miller’s sons and walking with his daughters. He carried the grandchildren on his back, and he sat at Mr Miller’s feet in front of the fire in winter.

But this was 1897, and Buck did not know that men and dogs were hurrying to north-west Canada to look for gold. And he did not know that Manuel, one of Mr Miler’s gardeners, needed money for his large family.

One day, when Mr Miller was out, Manuel and Buck left the garden together. It was just an evening walk, Buck thought. No one saw them go, and only one man saw them arrive at the railway station. This man talked to Manuel and gave him some money. Then he tied a piece of rope around Buck’s neck. Buck growled and was surprised when the rope was pulled hard around his neck. He jumped at the man. The man caught him and suddenly Buck was on his back with his tongue out of his mouth. For a few moments he was unable to move, and it was easy for the two men to put him into the train.

When Buck woke up, the train was still moving. The man was sitting and watching him, but Buck was too quick for him and he bit the man’s hand hard. Then the rope was pulled again and Buck had to let go.

That evening, the man took Buck to the back room of a bar in San Francisco. The barman looked at the man’s hand and trousers covered in blood.

“How much are they paying you for this?” he asked.

“I only get fifty dollars.”

“And the man who stole him — how much did he get?” asked the barman.

“A hundred. He wouldn’t take less.”

“That makes a hundred and fifty. It’s a good price for a dog like him. Here, help me to get him into this.”

They took off Buck’s rope and pushed him into a wooden box. He spent the night in the box in the back room of the bar. His neck still ached with pain from the rope, and he could not understand what it all meant. What did they want with him, these strange men? And where was Mr. Miller?

（from The Call of the Wild）