1 . Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.
On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?
Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?
Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.
As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.
And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?
How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?
Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.
1. What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Bring up. | B．Deal with. | C．Reflect on. | D．Look into. |
| A．He died a natural death. |
| B．He was caught and returned to the zoo. |
| C．He died from a collision with a building. |
| D．He lived a free life but faced many threats. |
| A．They were excited and supportive. |
| B．They were worried about his survival. |
| C．They were indifferent and unconcerned. |
| D．They were angry and opposed to his release. |
| A．The importance of protecting wildlife. |
| B．The risks and rewards of seeking freedom. |
| C．The value of overcoming challenges in life. |
| D．The need for more awareness about animal rights. |
“She needs me.” Those were the exact words I spoke to my husband when I spotted Dottie, a little dog we found at a local shelter eight years ago.
Dottie leaned (倾斜) away when I tried to pet her and refused to let me hold her. While the other dogs jumped and barked, Dottie returned to the back of the cage, curled up in a ball, hoping us to leave her alone.
On the entire drive home, Dottie was in fear. So, upon arrival at our house, we got right to work. I held her as much as possible, touching her head and softly singing in her ear. We learned that she loved belly touch, so every time we passed by, we would offer a gentle touch. Eventually, we noticed her presenting her belly as we walked by her. I knew we were making real progress when I found her quietly sleeping on a chair one day, her head resting on one of my shoes. My heart melted (融化) as I realized she had brought it there because it contained my smell, and she wanted it nearby.
Ever so slowly, our little dog came to life. She began to play with toys, enjoy walks, and rest on our laps. There was no special treatment, no fancy food or toys. All we did was love her. And she grew well. She was so broken when we first met her that we had no idea what her true personality would be. But now we found a sweet, playful, loving soul.
One day, a few years after her adoption, I was busy doing housework around the house, doing laundry and climbing the stairs from the basement up to the main floor. When I finished, I sat down and enjoyed a well-deserved break. That’s when I realized I hadn’t seen Dottie for a while. I called to her and began searching. My heart raced and my pace quickened as I began checking under beds and behind sofa.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly, I remembered the door to the basement.
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I held her in my arms tightly, telling her how sorry I was.
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I bought Jude as a tiny puppy after my previous dog died in a horrible incident. My heart was just broken and it was only having Jude that brought me back round from that pain. He was a lovely and happy pet.
For the first time in years, our whole family had gone on holiday together. It was only for four days but it meant my dog Jude was going to be looked after by someone outside the family. I was a bit nervous about it. After struggling for several days, I eventually booked him into a home boarding place in Belfast. I was worried about him the moment he was dropped off, because he had never been in kennels before.
The emotions we have gone through in the last few days have been awful. Jude was used to the comforts of a home and he had never been on his own before. Thus, I was worried about him at the bottom of my heart. Then unfortunately, the accident happened.
We went away on Monday, July 11, and he was missing on the 12th after being left in an exercise area. But it was on Thursday that I was told he had gone though I messaged the kennels every day to see how he was.
The moment we got home, we went looking for him but we didn’t know the area. My daughters Karla and Leanne took a tent and camped out to keep looking for Jude and they con-firmed a number of sightings of him. There were leaflet drops, drones put up and ground searches and posters. Social media was flooded with his photo and we got news of lots of sightings which helped. On Sunday night, my grandson Caidon who is nine, his mum Ashleigh and their dog Bonnie, went with us to the location of a reported sighting by a kind man and there Jude was.
注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As soon as Jude heard his friend Bonnie? he ran straight to him.
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Jude suffered an injury to his right paw (爪) and some weight loss.
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4 . Lillian, 17, had just started working as a lifesaver at a beach in Australia on New Year’s Eve when beach-goers started to point and shout at the water. The workers quickly examined the situation and saw that a kangaroo had jumped out of the bushes (灌木丛) — straight into the sea.
The animal seemed confused by the fishermen standing on the rocks. So instead of turning back and heading back into the bushes, it jumped right into the water! The poor thing bobbed(摆动)around in the waves and went underwater several times before Lillian decided to take action.
As with any other animal rescue, it’s important to approach the situation with prudence. Wild animals that are stressed can become dangerous to their rescuers, and Lillian was aware of the risks as she took her rescue board and hit the water at a run. “It just didn’t want to come on to the beach because it was kind of scared,” she said. “I was trying to figure out how to get it on the board. But considering that it’s a wild animal, even though I was helping, I wouldn’t want to be hurt by it or make it more stressed out.”
As beach-goers recorded the rescue on their phones,Lillian paddled (用浆划船) behind the animal carefully and guided the kangaroo onto the beach. As soon as Lillian’s feet touched the sand, the beach erupted in cheers for her!“It was quite special. As people there were cheering and clapping, the kangaroo was just sitting there up in the bushes staring at me, as if it was conveying something with its shining eyes,” Lillian said. “I didn’t think that was going to ever be my first rescue, I may have more rescues in the future, but none would be as memorable as this one.”
1. What happened to the kangaroo?| A．It jumped off the rocks by mistake, |
| B．It jumped into the sea by accident, |
| C．It was forced to leave the bushes. |
| D．It was washed away into the sea. |
| A．Inspiration. | B．Hope. | C．Care. | D．Shock. |
| A．It couldn’t wait to leave her. |
| B．It was worried about her safety. |
| C．It was confused about her action. |
| D．It seemed grateful for her help. |
| A．Far-sighted and independent. | B．Talented and positive. |
| C．Brave and cautious. | D．Determined and ambitious. |
5 . When Byron Thanarayen and his wife Melissa returned to their home recently, their 13-year-old dog named Chucky was completely wet. The couple assumed the dog had splashed around in his water bowl and made a mess in the house. When no evidence could be found inside, they turned to their security footage (录像).
What they saw made the blood freeze in their veins. Chucky was walking near their backyard swimming pool when he stumbled (绊倒) and fell in. Since the dog is so tiny, he was unable to get a purchase on the slick sides of the pool. Instead, he paddled around, searching in vain for a way out. After a few desperate moments, the couple's other dog appeared on the scene. Jessie is a 7-year-old dog who became noticeably upset when she saw her friend struggling to keep his head above the water. She began circling the pool's edge, following Chucky as if she was encouraging him not to give up.
For 34 minutes, Jessie worked to rescue her friend. She repeatedly tried to grab hold of the smaller dog with her mouth, but Chucky kept slipping out of her grasp. Finally, after several failed attempts, Jessie succeeded in grasping Chucky's neck and dragging him out of the pool.
When Byron and Melissa realized Jessie was a hero, they were unspeakably grateful for their sweet girl! “We still struggle to watch that video today, just thinking of what could have happened if Jessie was not there,” Byron said. “I'm really proud of her, considering she is the youngest.” The family now plans to install a pool cover to keep their pets safe. Thankfully, they have a wonderful life-dog on duty just in case anything ever goes wrong!
1. What was the couple's first thought finding their messy house?| A．Someone had broken in. |
| B．The dogs had been too naughty. |
| C．They had forgotten to clean the house. |
| D．Chucky had swum again in the swimming pool. |
| A．Shocked. | B．Scared. |
| C．Excited. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．She encouraged him to stay above the water. |
| B．She circled the pool's edge to find a way out. |
| C．She used her mouth to pull him out of the pool. |
| D．She ran out immediately to ask others for help. |
| A．Clever and inspiring. | B．Wise and energetic. |
| C．Naughty and lazy. | D．Brave and loving. |
6 . Cindy, my dog, was six years old when my son Tony was born. And she was immediately very protective over him. We lived near a busy road. As my son was too young, we were super vigilant for fear that he should go out of the front door.
Cindy knew that our son wasn’t allowed to go through the front door without us, so whenever Tony touched the front door handle, she would push him back. One morning, around 4 am, our son somehow managed to “escape” through his bedroom window, and Cindy had to follow.
At 5 am, the police woke us knocking on the door. They said, “Your son was nearly killed but the dog saved him.” They then repeated what the truck driver had said.
He told them that he was driving along in the dark and in the distance he could see something “light coloured” moving on the road. As he got closer, he could see a dog at the side of the road barking at it. At the last moment, he realized that it was a child and was about to change the direction. The dog was still barking, glancing(扫视) between the truck and the child. While the driver was braking(刹车), the dog ran out into the road, jumped at the child’s back and threw him out of the path of the truck. At the same time, the truck hit the dog and she was killed.
The driver said that he’d never believe what he saw unless it was with his own eyes. He thought that the dog definitely knew the danger, which was why she was barking so anxiously. He said “that dog just saved that kid’s life and it knew what it was doing.”
That was 39 years ago and I still miss Cindy every day.
1. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “vigilant”?| A．Careful. | B．Desperate. |
| C．Upset. | D．Confident. |
| A．An on-duty policeman. |
| B．A frightened dog. |
| C．A moving light. |
| D．A small child. |
| A．Serious and fierce. |
| B．Brave and loyal. |
| C．Helpful and mild. |
| D．Quiet and cute. |
| A．A Terrible Accident |
| B．A Dangerous Escape |
| C．A Barking Hero |
| D．A Careless Driver |
7 . Dogs are often referred to as “man's best friend”. But MacKenzie, a four-pound Chihuahua (奇瓦瓦狗), who was named winner of the 2020 American Hero Dog competition, is making the world a better place for humans and animals alike. Often called the “Oscars for dogs”, the award recognizes dogs who make great contributions to society.
This year's competition attracted over 400 competitors from across the country. While all were impressive, it was tiny MacKenzie who won the judges' hearts. Born at a rescue shelter in Hilton, New York, in 2013, she had a cleft palate (腭裂) that required her to be tube fed for the first year of her life. A life-saving operation, performed in 2014, gave her the ability to eat and drink independently, enabling the tiny dog to focus on doing what she loved most: taking care of others.
The seven-year-old Chihuahua is now gainfully “employed” by the Mid Foundation, a Rochester, New York-based non-profit organization that shelters and cares for animals born with disabilities. MacKenzie's official job is “to provide love and care for baby rescue animals born with birth defects”. The Chihuahua is good at her job and has nurtured many different species-from puppies to kittens to turkeys, squirrels, birds and even a goat. She acts as their mother and teaches them how to socialize, play, and have good manners.
In addition to her role as an animal caretaker, MacKenzie also has the important job of greeting the foundation's volunteers and friends. The incredible dog, who has lost her ability to bark, also visits area schools to help children understand physical disabilities in both animals and people. Her heart-warming and inspiring story makes MacKenzie worthy of America's top dog honor!
1. What made MacKenzie American Hero Dog?| A．Being man's best friend. | B．Her struggle with disabilities. |
| C．Rescuing animals with disabilities. | D．Her contributions to a better world. |
| A．Her growth path was not easy. | B．She was deserted by her owner. |
| C．She was operated on at two years old. | D．She still needs taking care of by others. |
| A．Trained. | B．Comforted. | C．Tended. | D．Abused. |
| A．MacKenzie—The Most Hard-working Dog | B．MacKenzie—America's “Most Heroic Dog” |
| C．Chihuahua—Inspiration of Positive Energy | D．Chihuahua—Appeal for Animals' Protection |
Katie had always felt like she never connected with anyone. There was no one she considered a friend. So, when her parents decided to move, she was okay with it. She didn't feel sad because she wasn't leaving anyone behind.
She was eight when they moved to a new town. It wasn't that different from where they had lived before. There were a lot of trees and kids running around outside, riding bikes, and playing. One day her mother caught her staring out the window at some kids playing. Her mom told her to go out and play with those kids. So Katie went out. She could see that they were all having fun and she wanted to join in but she was afraid. She tried to muster up the courage to ask them if she could join them but she just couldn't do it.
She decided to go for a walk instead. She liked how peaceful the town was. The people seemed nice and polite. Her stroll finally led her to the town's lake. She felt the rush of cold air hitting her face. The beauty of the lake was something to behold. She sat there admiring it and decided that this would be her place. She would come here every day and maybe one day, she would bring her friends here.
After school, she always stopped by the lake before going home. She swore she could stay there for hours, maybe even live there. If she ever got hungry, she always had food ready in her bag.
One day when she was writing a poem about the lake, she heard her stomach growl. She put down her notebook and her pen and got her sandwich out. She was about to take a bite when she heard a noise. This alarmed her. She hadn't heard or seen anything strange before. She looked around and suddenly she noticed that there was something black moving toward the bank.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2 .请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
“A swimming black dog!” Katie cried out in surprise.
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Every day, Katie brought five extra sandwiches for her friend.
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9 . Henry, a rescue dog, came first. Cynthia Bennett and Andre Sibilsky, a new couple, wanted a high energy dog that they could take on long hikes and camping explorations from Colorado to California. With his playful air of confidence and active nature, Henry fit right in. The first time the couple took him hiking, he jumped up onto the large rocks like a moun-tain goat. His favorite activities are hiking outdoors and exploring mountains. But he's a big softy with severe separation anxiety, so eventually, the couple searched for a calm yet adven-turous cat that could keep Henry company-and keep up with him on the paths.
Rescued from a cat shelter after his mother abandoned him, the lovable and dependent cat, Baloo, bonded to Henry within hours. And Henry discovered that Baloo loved to explore as much as he did. Cynthia had already planned a camping trip with Henry to Telluride, Colo-rado, and took Baloo along. That, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful animal friendship.
One day on the halfway Baloo was tired, and Cynthia took it into her head to place Baloo on Henry's neck. “Baloo just hung himself over Henry's head and neck. And Henry didn't mind at all.” How could you not take a photo of that?
Hundreds of photos later, Henry and Baloo are Internet celebrities. Cynthia and Andre started the Henry and Baloo Foundation, an official nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve 1,000 acres across the West and help reforest land that has been claimed by wildfires. They hike the land all the time, and it's a way for them to give back to future generations.
Cynthia and Andre hope that the adventures of Henry and Baloo will inspire others to discover, explore and treasure our country's natural beauty.
1. Why did the couple choose Henry?| A．He is strong and brave. |
| B．He is active and energetic. |
| C．He is anxious and cautious. |
| D．He is gentle and considerate. |
| A．They fight the moment they meet. |
| B．Henry hates carrying Baloo on his back. |
| C．Henry does not like to explore with Baloo. |
| D．They match each other in personality. |
| A．To protect the natural environment. |
| B．To enjoy the country's natural beauty. |
| C．To train pets to experience adventures. |
| D．To set up an official nonprofit organization. |
| A．Pet Adventure Trips. |
| B．True Brotherhood. |
| C．Henry and Baloo. |
| D．Pet Celebrities Online. |
