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. |
2 . 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. |
3 . Why I Hate Cats
My name is Oreo, and I’m a ten-year-old, black-and-white Portuguese Water Dog. I’m well-mannered, polite, and friendly. But there is one thing that does set me off: cats. Frankly, I can’t stand them. With their messy hair, beady little eyes, and pointy teeth, they just set my curly coat on end.
I’m particularly not fond of the cat — the gray-colored creature across the street. If she would just stay in her house or even her yard, it wouldn’t be so bad. But, unlike me, she gets to go wherever she wants. No collar, no leash, and no boundaries from what I can see.
Like any responsible pet, I generally stay within my owners’ enclosed back yard. And when I do go out, it’s on a leash held by a human and attached to a collar. Ms. Gray Puss, on the other hand, wanders collarless across the street any time she likes. She even does her business anywhere and anytime she prefers, including on my owners’ lawn.
If she would just stay off my property, I’d be okay with her superior airs and standoffish attitude. But that’s not how she rolls. Sometimes, she comes over and pollutes my owners’ front garden, knowing full well that I’m only a few yards away on the other side of the fence and powerless to stop her.
Sometimes, when my owner takes me for a walk, I’ll spot that animal and take a run at her. Unfortunately, I always forget that I’m on a leash. Before I know it, I’m being dragged backwards. What’s particularly awkward is that the gray one doesn’t even move. I guess she knows I can’t get at her, and that’s why she doesn’t even deign to get up on all fours and at least hiss at me.
Mark my words: Someday, one of my owners will forget to lock the front gate, one of the fence boards will fall off, or my male owner Dave will forget to fully secure the leash. And when that day comes, someone’s going to suffer. I’m not sure why, but Dave keeps saying he thinks it will be me.
1. What do the underlined words “set me off” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．To see me off. | B．To make me laugh. |
| C．To make me annoyed. | D．To set out. |
| A．Ms. Gray Puss. | B．Dave. | C．Oreo. | D．Portuguese Water Dog. |
| A．Because she always shows off in front of me. |
| B．Because I envy her freedom. |
| C．Because she pollutes my owner’s front garden. |
| D．Because she walks around without a leash. |
| A．It’ll be my fault to forget to lock the front door. |
| B．It’ll be careless of me to forget to secure the leash. |
| C．It will be I who will suffer if anything mentioned above happens. |
| D．It will be I who will break the fence boards. |
4 . Szczecin, an ancient city in northwestern Poland, has plenty to offer to visitors. Without doubt, the Pomeranian Duke’s Castle and Kasprowicza Park are two of its most popular tourist attractions, but when it comes to online reviews, both pale in comparison to a fat cat named Gacek.
Gacek, whose name means “long-eared bat” in Polish, has nearly 2,600 reviews, more than any other attraction in Szczecin. According to a local woman, Gacek first appeared on Kaszubska Street in downtown Szczecin about 10 years ago. He stuck around and people started feeding him, so from a skinny feline (猫科动物), he soon turned into a thick-fleshed boy, which only made him more adorable. The cat rose to fame in 2020, after a local news site featured it in a video that then went viral on social media, and people have been showering him with positive reviews ever since.
Also known as the “King of Kaszubska Street”, Gacek, the city’s online influencer, now lives in a roofed wooden box outside a shop on Kaszubska Street, and even though he doesn’t technically have an owner, the people who run the shop act as his caretakers. There is a sign outside his house that tells passers-by to leave whatever treats they have for the cat in a sealed (密封的) container and not to pet him when he’s sleeping. Most people who posted a review awarded the feline the maximum 5 stars, making him the top-rated tourist attraction in the city. Most of those who have interacted with Gacek claim that he is a “fantastically handsome and superb fellow”.
But Gacek does have a few one-star reviews, mostly from people who criticize his caretaker or express worry about his weight. Some even complained that he scratched (抓伤) their hands or stole a sausage. “Gacek seems to have become their envy now,” a citizen jokingly commented.
1. Why are the two tourist attractions mentioned?| A．To illustrate the city’s history. |
| B．To present an online influencer. |
| C．To display comments on the city. |
| D．To show their rising popularity. |
| A．His Polish name. | B．His past experiences. |
| C．A featured video. | D．A local woman’s care. |
| A．Szczecin citizens are considerate to it. |
| B．He now lives in a well-furnished room. |
| C．Many people are envious of his fame. |
| D．Tourists are not allowed to disturb him. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Worried. | C．Objective. | D．Favorable. |
5 . The Enduring Appeal of Peter Rabbit
“I don’t know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits, whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter,” wrote Beatrix Potter, an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist in 1893, in a letter to a little boy who was suffering from a serious infectious disease.
Like many children-story authors, Potter was not a writer by profession. Her chief enthusiasm was natural history. Childhood family holidays in Perthshire and the Lake District had given her the freedom to experience the natural world first-hand.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first published by Frederick Warne in 1902.
| A．Potter surely had a business mind. |
| B．A decade later, with slight adjustments, the lines formed the opening to what became the bestselling. |
| C．It was this experience that gave Peter Rabbit its unique atmosphere of believable wonder. |
| D．Potter was determined that the book should be small enough to fit into a child’s hands and inexpensive. |
| E．She spent holidays in the Lake District, developing a love of landscape, which she closely observed and painted. |
| F．Though her later stories would contain more strikingly detailed illustrations, The Tale of Peter Rabbit has charming pictures of its naughty hero. |
6 . Lions, tigers, and bears definitely aren’t meant to live as a pack. But not every animal has been through the misery that established the bond between three normally opposing male predators (捕食者).
Back in 2001, police searched a drug dealer’s house in Atlanta, Georgia. In the basement, they came across a heartbreaking sight. There sat three terrified cubs (幼崽) found skin and bones that certainly didn’t belong in anyone’s home.
The African lion, Leo, had been stuffed inside a small container with an open wound on his face. Shere Khan, the Bengal tiger, looked bony, and the black bear, Baloo, was wearing a chain so small that it had become embedded into his flesh.
But their nightmare was finally over. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources took them to Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit animal rescue in Locust Grove. “When they were first brought to the sanctuary, Baloo, Shere Khan, and Leo were injured, frightened and clinging to one another for comfort,“guardian Allison Hedgecoth told HuffPost. And as they got more comfortable, they accompanied each other, cuddled, and played together. Clearly, they were a bonded trial .
Sanctuary staff anticipated the need to separate the friends once they reached maturity, as they would likely grow apart. After all, it’s the natural order in the animal kingdom. But the trio, known as BLT (bear, lion, tiger), never left each other’s sides. The sanctuary ultimately decided to keep them together.
Baloo, the playful one, loved teasing Leo with gentle bites. And the affectionate Shere Khan could often be found curling up to either of his brothers. “Even though they live in a three-acre enclosure, they’re usually within 100 feet of each other,” Allison told Inside Edition. “That’s proof that they’re not just coexisting or cohabiting, they actually do enjoy each other’s company.”
1. Why could the three animals live as a pack?| A．Because they preferred hunting in groups. |
| B．Because they shared a miserable experience. |
| C．Because they were terrified to be caught alone. |
| D．Because they were rescued from the basement. |
| A．A frightened animal. |
| B．A chemical bond. |
| C．An isolated individual. |
| D．A close community. |
| A．Baloo usually bit and clawed at his brothers. |
| B．They lived together for the sake of coexistence. |
| C．They took delight in being wonderful companions. |
| D．Shere Khan was the most playful and energetic one. |
| A．A diary entry. |
| B．A children’s fiction. |
| C．A feature story. |
| D．A science documentary. |
7 . To a regular person, Spitfire may look like just an ordinary dog, but to fans of the dock diving circuit, he is an incredible athlete in the same league as sport stars like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant
Before COVH-19, eight-year-old Spitfire and his 16-year-old owner, Sydney, dominated the dock diving circuit like never before in the history of the sport. If you’re unfamiliar with the sport of dock diving, it’s essentially dogs running on a wooden dock and jumping as far or as high as possible before diving into a pool of water. And no dog did this better than Spitfire. Between 2016 and 2019, he broke 21 world records.
Spitfire came into the Mackey family in 2013. Back then, he was just an adorable dog with big eyes that Sydney instantly fell in love with. Sydney and her mother learned about dock diving in 2016, from a family friend who encouraged them to try it with Spitfire. In May of that year, they decided to give the sport a try and their pet proved to be a natural.
It wasn’t long after that very first jump that Sydney and Spitfire started making waves in the world of dock diving. They took the sport by storm and they dominated events across the United States like no team had ever done before. In three years, time, they broke many world records, and became known as an unbeatable pair of players.
Before he jumps into the air, the world’s best dock diver reaches a speed of about 30 miles per hour, and when he takes to the air he can reach a distance of 31 feet before hitting the water, or 8 feet 6 inches when he’s going for height. It’s no wonder they call him the flying dog.
But while Spitfire is undoubtedly the star of the show, most dock diving experts are convinced that despite his athletic abilities, he would have never reached his true potential without his young owner’s guidance. Sydney’s “Ready? Ready? Go, Go, Go!” pep talk to get Spitfire fired up has become famous on the dock jumping circuit.
1. Why are Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To show Spitfire owns the same number of fans. |
| B．To show Spitfire’s incredible talent in basketball. |
| C．To show Spitfire’s excellent performance in sports. |
| D．To show the importance of sports stars to the league, |
| A．His friend’s encouragement. | B．His devotion to the dock diving. |
| C．Spitfire’s good performance in diving. | D．The popularity of the dock diving. |
| A．They didn’t perform well at the beginning. |
| B．They achieved impressive results in the events. |
| C．They were ever defeated by other teams. |
| D．They seldom participated in the events in US. |
| A．He can’t live up to the title of sports star. |
| B．He doesn’t obey his owner’s orders at times. |
| C．They doubt whether he has his athletic abilities. |
| D．Sydney’s guidance contributed to his achievements. |
8 . One night, a hedgehog (刺猬) was scanning the sky with his telescope, when he saw what seemed to be a spaceship flying to the moon. When he managed to properly focus on it, he found out that it was a craft belonging to an unfortunate Martian who seemed to have had an accident, and had to make an emergency landing on the moon.
The hedgehog realised that surely only he himself had seen this, so he decided to try to save the Martian. He called together a few animals to help. They couldn’t think what to do, so they called for more and more animals to join in. In the end, practically everyone in the forest was involved. It occurred to them that if they stood on top of each other, they could build a big tower and perhaps reach the moon.
That proved extremely difficult, and most animals ended up having had a finger in their eye, someone’s foot in their ear, and numerous bumps on the head. However, after much perseverance, they finally reached the moon and rescued the Martian. Most unfortunately, while he was coming down the tower of animals, the bear couldn’t help sneezing. Oh, the disgusting, invisible, tiny…!
The whole tower crashed to Earth with a great din including howls, roars, and other assorted animal cries. Seeing all this, the Martian thought that the animals would be very angry with him because they would blame it all on him. But it was just the opposite. As they recovered from the fall, the animals jumped and clapped with joy, happy to have achieved something so difficult together. The whole day was spent partying.
The Martian observed everything, and when he returned to his planet the other Martians were astonished at what had happened. And so it was those simple and helpful animals that taught the Martians the importance of working together, joyfully, in a team.
1. What can we learn about the rescue?| A．The animals celebrated for their success. |
| B．The hedgehog got all the animals to help. |
| C．The Martian had intended to travel to the moon. |
| D．The tower crashed because of the animals’ being exhausted. |
| A．Anger. | B．Force. | C．Noise. | D．Relief. |
| A．They will like to travel alone. |
| B．They will live on their planet joyfully. |
| C．They will always be ready for teamwork. |
| D．They will no longer travel through space. |
| A．There is strength in numbers. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．One good turn deserves another. |
| D．Satisfaction from cooperation counts. |
9 . I can’t say if it was love at first sight, but the dog’s strange look captured our hearts. That’s why we welcomed this rescue dog into our home.
Dixie had recently been found on a country road. We agreed to adopt her, relying on my son’s experience with the dog at the shelter. We gave her a safe place to sleep and her own area for food and water. Thankfully, Dixie became more comfortable with her new surroundings and began to show her personality. She found joy in being able to run free and play with other dogs, the bigger the better.
We wondered what kind of breed or mix she was. Her ears, the size of her body and coloring suggested to me she was a mix. While researching, we found that she had some characteristics similar to a pit bull (比特犬). One opinion I had was that pit bulls are aggressive and a danger to society. It was not their fault, I reasoned, and they had been bred to fight. How could I keep these beliefs when this little animal had warmed my heart?
At first, I was secretive (有所隐瞒的) when people asked Dixie’s breed. “I am not sure, she is a rescue,” I said, Because I was afraid of the response: “A pit bull? Oh, dear!” But I adored this animal! Dixie did not show the awful characteristics so widely publicized. Dixie and I have befriended many dogs and their owners who love her spirit, playfulness and friendliness. More importantly, she exposed one of my problems: a fear of being judged by others. There is no doubt that Dixie taught me not to be so quick to judge.
Now, I am a proud owner of this pit bull-like dog.
1. What can we find out about Dixie frown the first two paragraphs?| A．She was not open to humans. | B．She adapted to her new host me well |
| C．She was brought up at a dog shelter. | D．She was adopted because of her cleverness. |
| A．She was afraid of being judged. |
| B．She was unsure about her origin. |
| C．She thought the dog was bred to fight. |
| D．She found Dixie either aggressive or dangerous. |
| A．Loyal and playful. | B．god-looking and mild, |
| C．Warm and friendly. | D．Naughty and competitive. |
| A．To show we shouldn’t judge other people. |
| B．To introduce effective ways to train a dog. |
| C．To call on people not to abandon pet dogs. |
| D．To share the lessons she learned from her dog. |
10 . Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said:“Obviously we’re all absolutely delighted to welcome another calf to our black rhino family. She’s healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore. Her mother, Solio, is a first-time mum and she is doing a fantastic job. It’s still a little too cold for them to go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up, I have no doubt that the little one will be out and about exploring and playing every day.”
What does Paul Beer say about the new-born rhino?| A．She loves staying with her mother. |
| B．She dislikes outdoor activities. |
| C．She is in good condition. |
| D．She is sensitive to heat. |
