1 . 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.

2. How did the couple feel when they found the evidence?

A．Shocked.	B．Scared.
C．Excited.	D．Annoyed.

3. What did Jessie do to help her friend?

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.

4. Which words can describe Jessie?

A．Clever and inspiring.	B．Wise and energetic.
C．Naughty and lazy.	D．Brave and loving.

2 . Kathleen Rooney knew that writing Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, from the point of view of a pigeon, was a risk. Rooney, perhaps best known for her 2017 bestseller, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, says her interest in a feathered narrator was excited by one of her students at DePaul University, where she is an English professor. “A student named Brian mentioned Cher Ami in a poem. It blew my mind that this pigeon was so heroic and is stuffed and on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.”

Rooney learned that Cher Ami, a British homing pigeon, helped save a group of American troops during a horrific, multi-day World War I battle. The story of this amazing pigeon and the extraordinary man who commanded the battle, Major Charles Whittlesey, was altogether attractive.

In Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, Charles reflects on his happier prewar days in New York City, where he ran a law firm with a college classmate. When it came time for battle, though, he and his fellows found themselves cut off from supply lines, surrounded by enemy German troops.

Carrier pigeons were the group’s only hope of contacting headquarters and getting the other Americans to stop dropping bombs on them. Cher Ami flew through gunfire to deliver Charles' message, which finally stopped the attack. She lost an eye and a leg, among other wounds, but was eventually able to hobble (蹒跚) on a tiny wooden prosthesis (义肢) that the Army made for her. She lived another year before dying of her injuries in 1919, but in the novel she continues speaking to readers behind glass in the Smithsonian where she’s been since her death.

There’s an interesting lesson to be learned from Charles’ decisions in the battle, too. “He was famous for something we’d describe as passive,” Rooney says. “Once they were in the pocket, he waited as long as he could. I’m an impatient, active person ... His act was stillness, waiting, keeping everybody’s spirits up. The way he did that was amazing.”

Rooney also hopes the book, with its portrayal of the charming and brave Cher Ami, will boost the appreciation of our furry and feathered friends.

1. What inspired Rooney to write the book?

A．Visiting a national museum.	B．Reading a student’s poem.
C．Some comments on her bestseller.	D．Experiences of raising pigeons.

2. What does Paragraph4 mainly center on?

A．An exhibition featuring a heroic battle.

B．Historic events happening to Cher Ami.

C．Americans’ poor strategies during the war.

D．Charles’ methods for training Cher Ami.

3. What impressed Rooney?

A．Charles’ humor and optimism.

B．Charles’ affection for carrier pigeons.

C．Charles’ patience and motivation.

D．Charles’ quick response to the attack.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．A message of hope	B．Braving World War I
C．An effort to protect pigeons	D．Finding the lost commander

3 . Cairistiona Flatley has always been an animal lover. So when she _________ a social media post about a two-legged cat in need of a(n) _________, she had a feeling that she was the _________ person to take Rexie Roo in.

Rexie Roo is a young cat who was brought to a shelter in Utah in January 2020. Both of his front legs were _________ hurt when he was found, and his rescuers guessed that he'd been _________ by a car. What's worse, the cat's legs were too damaged to be _________. Their only option was to remove his front legs to give him a second _________ of life. Despite his pain and having to _________ getting around on his back legs, Rexie Roo was always loving everyone around him.

The only _________ was whether they could find someone who was __________ to take in a pet with special needs. That's when Cairistiona came to the __________! She adopted (收养) Rexie Rooand made him feel at home. She quickly __________ that he's very food-motivated (驱使), so she used cat food to __________ him to do his at-home “physical exercise”.

“When people tell me I'm so __________ for adopting a special need cat and that he is lucky to have me, I can only think about how __________ I am to have him in my life,” “Cairistiona said. “I __________ him so much, and he has brought me a lot of __________ and peace. I think he can __________ people a lot about patience and love,” she added. “My life is __________ because he is in it. I tell everyone he is the __________ of my life.”

1.

A．saw

B．ignored

C．chose

D．published

2.

A．cage

B．family

C．judge

D．operation

3.

A．outgoing

B．honest

C．brave

D．perfect

4.

A．badly

B．slightly

C．mostly

D．nearly

5.

A．taken away

B．turned away

C．knocked down

D．put down

6.

A．cured

B．replaced

C．lifted

D．trained

7.

A．reason

B．honor

C．impression

D．chance

8.

A．object to

B．hurry up

C．adapt to

D．give up

9.

A．opinion

B．problem

C．way

D．suggestion

10.

A．thankful

B．rich

C．willing

D．creative

11.

A．check

B．treatment

C．agreement

D．rescue

12.

A．discovered

B．announced

C．stressed

D．imagined

13.

A．force

B．encourage

C．promise

D．permit

14.

A．calm

B．awkward

C．anxious

D．kind

15.

A．lucky

B．regretful

C．upset

D．generous

16.

A．respect

B．trust

C．love

D．miss

17.

A．tension

B．desire

C．joy

D．pain

18.

A．prepare

B．teach

C．award

D．require

19.

A．tough

B．ordinary

C．shorter

D．better

20.

A．pressure

B．light

C．challenge

D．truth