1 . Ricochet, San Diego’s favourite surfing therapy (治疗) dog, has caught her final wave. The 15-year-old golden retriever — a pioneer of canine-assisted (犬只辅助的) surf therapy who helped countless veterans (老兵) and kids — died on Friday, owner Judy Fridono said Saturday.
Ricochet was raised to be a service dog, but the energetic pup was more fond of chasing birds than assisting with household chores. In 2009, the dog found her career. That was the year Ricochet got on a surfboard with local quadriplegic (四肢瘫痪的) surfer Patrick Ivison. A viral video of the encounter got more than 6 million views on YouTube. “That day she hopped on the board with Patrick, she was reborn,” Fridono said in a 2012 interview.
Throughout her life, the beloved dog touched the lives of kids with special needs, wounded service members and families of fallen veterans. Ricochet was known as an affectionate companion and a shameless belly-rub beggar and had a feeling for people who needed a hug.
Notably, the furry do-gooder helped raise $ 1 million for charity and the donation of more than 1 million bowls of food for homeless animals.
Her work brought numerous awards, media attention and a loyal fan base on social media. The dog had more than 141,000 followers on Instagram and more than 270,000 on Facebook.
Ricochet’s legacy (遗产) will live on through the sponsorship of Jose Martinez, an Army veteran and parasurfer, and through donations to adaptive surfing organizations. “People believe in Ricochet’s mission… she didn’t do it alone,” Fridon o said. “Her supporters are an extension of her legacy and her roots in helping others heal through dog intervention and therapy. Now that she’s gone, I don’t want people to be sad. I want them to celebrate and continue supporting what she started.”
1. What was Ricochet’s career?| A．Canine-assisted surf therapy. | B．Assisting with household chores. |
| C．Bird catching. | D．Working as a service dog. |
| A．Brave but lazy. | B．Naughty but caring. |
| C．Cute and handsome. | D．Fierce and strong. |
| A．The contribution of Ricochet. | B．Social media’s influence on Ricochet. |
| C．Recochet’s popularity. | D．Donations to the homeless animals. |
| A．In a diary. | B．In a textbook. |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．In a guidebook. |
2 . 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. |
3 . They waited patiently for what seemed a very long time, stamping in the snow to keep their feet warm. At last they heard the sound of slow shuffling footsteps approaching the door from the inside. It seemed, as the Mole said to the Rat, like someone walking in slippers that were too large for him and down at heel, which was intelligent of Mole, because that was exactly what it was.
The door opened a few inches, enough to show a long snout and a pair of sleepy eyes.
“Now, the very next time this happens,” said an angry voice. “Who is it this time, disturbing people on such a night? Speak up!”
“Oh, Badger,” cried the Rat, “let us in, please. It's me, Rat, and my friend Mole, and we've lost our way in the snow.”
“What, Ratty, my dear little man! ”exclaimed the Badger, in quite a different voice. “Come along in, both of you, at once. Why, you must be very cold. Lost in the snow! And in the Wild Wood, too, and at this time of night!”
The two animals got inside, and heard the door shut behind them with great joy and relief.
The Badger, who wore a long dressing gown, and whose slippers were indeed very down at heel, carried a flat candlestick in his paw and had probably been on his way to bed when their voices sounded. “This is not the sort of night for small animals to be out,” he said kindly. “Come along; come along; come into the kitchen. There's a first-rate fire there, and supper and everything.”
He shuffled on in front of them, carrying the light, and they followed him down a long narrow passage into a large fire-lit kitchen.
The kindly Badger helped them remove their wet coats and boots, and brought them clothes and slippers. In the comfortable light and warmth, warm and dry at last, it seemed to the storm -driven animals, now in safety, that the cold and trackless Wild Wood just left outside was miles and miles away, and all that they had suffered in it was a half-forgotten dream.
1. What happened to Mole and Rat?| A．They visited Mr. Badger. | B．They got lost in the forest. |
| C．They walked to keep warm. | D．They looked for food to eat. |
| A．He thought his slippers was too large and down at heel. |
| B．He heard someone stamping in the snow to keep their feet warm. |
| C．He hated being bothered on his way to bed in a freezing cold night. |
| D．He knew Mole and Rat lost their way in the cold and trackless Wild Wood. |
| A．He has a heart of gold. | B．He is strict with himself. |
| C．He is as good as his word. | D．He has a mind of his own. |
| A．Mole and Rat are grateful to Mr Badger. |
| B．Mr Badger didn't pay attention to his appearance. |
| C．Rat had thought the slippers were too large to Mr Badger. |
| D．Mr Badger helped Mole and Rat to get their gratitude. |
4 . In February 2019, my beautiful cat Xena suddenly lost the use of her back legs, and I took her straight to our vet, Chris. Xena was booked for surgery two days later. The operation was successful, and I went to see her later that day. She seemed tired, but pleased to see me and in much better shape.
A few days later, I took her home, armed with medications plus instructions for her care. I had to keep her in a large cage and teach her how to walk again. And no one could tell whether Xena could walk again or not—it was largely up to her. I wasn’t expecting much, but I carried on doing as Chris had instructed.
Just a week later, Xena amazed me. Not having managed to support herself on her back legs at all, she suddenly stood up all by herself. Soon she began to walk a little with her back supported. Encouraged, I booked her for some hydrotherapy, which was helpful for dogs in this situation. Most cats would panic if put in water, but my brave little cat astonished everyone, tolerating neck-deep water while walking on a machine.
When I took Xena to Chris, he was delighted with her progress. Over the next few weeks, Xena moved from the cage to a room of her own, with all furniture removed so that she wouldn't run into anything or get tripped. Soon, she could manage a few steps out into our garden, though she still needed some help to walk properly without dragging her legs. Despite still being in pain, she really wanted to walk again. After three months since her surgery, she was able to run, jump and climb stairs... anything she wanted.
Xena is now completely back to normal, I’d thought she might be defeated permanently by all that had happened to her. But this courageous little cat simply brushed it all off and got on with living. Many people could learn from Xena.
1. From paragraph 1, it can be learned that Xena ________.| A．was fall of energy shortly after the operation |
| B．was given the surgery in her owner’s absence |
| C．got injured owing to her owner’s carelessness |
| D．received an operation on reaching the hospital |
| A．Unsure. | B．Inspired. | C．Satisfied. | D．Hopeless. |
| A．To avoid making a mess. | B．To allow her to run faster. |
| C．To prevent her getting hurt. | D．To make room for her cage. |
| A．Socializing with others. | B．Making proper choices. |
| C．Being considerate to partners. | D．Dealing with life challenges. |
