来自:查字典高考网 2014-12-25
II.Read
Readthefollowingpassage.Underlinetheimportantviewpointswhilereading.
1.AnUnmatchableCat
Iwassickthatwinter.Itwasinconvenientbecausemybigroomwasduetobewhitewashed.Iwasputinthelittleroomattheendofthehouse.Thehouse,nearlybutnotquiteonthetopofthehill,alwaysseemedasifitmightslideoffintothecornfieldsbelow.Thistinyroomhadadoor,alwaysopen,andwindows,alwaysopen,itspiteofthewindycoldofaJulywhoseskieswereanunendinglightclearblue.Thesky,fullofsunshine;thefields,sunlit.Butcold,verycold.Thecat,abluishgreyPersian,arrivedpurringonmybed,andsettleddowntosharemysickness,myfood,mypillow,mysleep.WhenIwokeinthemorningsmyfaceturnedtohalf-frozensheets;theoutsideofthefurblanketonthebedwascold;thesmelloffreshwhitewashfromnextdoorwascoldandclean;thewindliftingandlayingthedustoutsidethedoorwascold-butinthecurveofmyarm,alightpurringwarmth,thecat,myfriend.
Atthebackofthehouseawoodentubwassetintotheearth,outsidethebathroom,tocatchthebathwater.Nopipescarryingwatertotapsonthatfarm;waterwasfetchedbyox-drawncartwhenitwasneeded,fromthewellabouttwomilesaway.Thoughthemonthsofthedryseasontheonlywaterforthegardenwasthedirtybathwater.Thecatfellintothistubwhenitwasfullofhotwater.Shescreamed,waspulledoutintoamybedtowarm.Butshegrewburninglittlevoicethatbecameweaker,thewassilent;lickedmyhand,openedhugegreeneyeswhenIcalledhernameandbeggedhertolive;closedthem,died,andwasthrownintothedeepoldwell-overahundredfeetdeepitwas-whichhadgonedry,becausetheundergroundwaterstreamshadchangedtheircourseoneyear.
Thatwasit.neveragain.AndforyearsImatchedcatsinfriendshouses,catsinshop,catsonfarms,catsinthestreet,catsonwalls,catsinmemory,withthatgentle,blue-greypurringcreaturewhichfromewasthecat,theCat,nevertobereplaced.
Andbesides,forsomeyearsmylifedidnotincludeextras,unnecessaries,ornaments.Catshadnoplaceinanexistencespentalwaysmovingfromplacetoplace,roomtoroom.Acatneedsaplaceasmuchasitneedspersontomakeitsown.
Andsoitwasnotuntiltwenty-fiveyearslatermylifehadroomforacat.2.MotherPaysMoreAttentiontoPetDogThantoHerYoungBoy
DearAnnLanders:Ihopeyouwillpublishyouranswertothisletterbecausethereisafamilyouttherethatneedshelp-fast!
Myfriend(IllcallherKrista)marriedaniceguyin1978.Hesasalesrepontheroadmostofthetime.KristaandCalhadasonfiveyearsago.Anicefamilyunit.AboutamonthafterJuniorwasborn,CalgaveKristaapurebredbeagle.Shewentcrazyaboutthedogandtreatedhisbetterthanthebaby.
WhenJuniorwasoldenoughtocrawl,hebegantopullthedogstailandhithimwhenhethoughtnobodywaslooking.
Twomonthsage,Juniorbeganurinatinginunexpectedandinappropriateplaces.First,intohismothersshoe,theninherpurse,nextherjewelbox.Afterhewaspunishedforruiningthejewelbox,hefoundsomescissorsandcuthismothersstringofpearls.
AtfirstKristaattributedtheurinatingtoJuniorslaziness.Itoldherifitwerelaziness,hewouldjustwethispantsandnotseekspecialplaces.
LastChristmasDay,itsnowedheavily.IcalledKristatochat.Shesoundedbreathless.Iaskedherwhatshehadbeendoing.Ivebeenplayingoutsideinthesnowwiththedog,washerreply.IaskedwhereJuniorwas.Shereplied,Upstairs,watchingtelevision,Iguess.Whatdoyouseehere,Ann?Signme-AWorriedFriend.3.DogsHaveaSenseofHumour
Thequestionofwhetherdogshaveasenseofhumourisoftenfiercelyargued,myownopinionisthatsomehaveandsomehavent.dachshundshave,butnotStBernardsorGreatDames.Apparentlyadoghastobesmalltobefondofjoke.YouneverfindaGreatDanetryingtobeacomedian.
Butitisfataltoletanydogknowthatheisfunny,forheimmediatelyloseshisheadandstartsoverdoingit.asanexampleofthisIwouldpointtoRudolph,adachshundIonceowned,whosesloganwasAnythingforaLaugh.Dachshundsarealwaystheworstoffendersintheirrespectbecauseoftheirpeculiarshape.ItisonlynaturalthatwhenadogfindsthathismereappearancemakestheviewingpubliclaughheshouldimaginethatNatureintendedhimtobeacomedian.
IhadacottageatthetimeoutsideanEnglishvillage,notfarfromafarmwheretheykeptducks,andonedaythefarmercalledonmetosayhisducksweredisappearingandsuspicionhadfallenonmyRudolph.Why?Iasked,andhesaidbecauseminewastheonlydogintheneigh-bourhoodexcepthisownTowser,andTowserhadbeensocarefullytrainedthathewouldnottouchaduckifyoubroughtittohimwithorangesauceoverit.
Iwasveryannoyed.IsaidheonlyhadtogazeintoRudolphstruthfulbrowneyestoseehowbaselesswerehissuspicions.Hadhenot,Iasked,heardoffoxes?HowmuchmorelikelythatafoxwastheBadGuyinthestory.Hewasbeginningtolookdoubtfulandseemedabouttomakeanapology,whenRudolph,whohadbeenlisteningwiththegreatestinterestandatacertainpointhadlefttheroom,cametrottinginwithaduckinhismouth.
Yes,dachshundsoverplaytheirsenseofhumour,andIsupposeotherdogshavetheirfaults,buttheyseemunimportantcomparedwiththeirvirtues.4.ManandAnimal
InancientEgypt,peoplebelievedthatthecatwasagod.Whenacatdieditsownersshowedtheirsadnessbythestrangehabitofshavingtheireyebrowsoff!Morerecently,inthelastcenturyinfact,thefamousEnglishwriterCharlesDickenshadacatwhowasveryfondofhim.ThecatdidntliketoseeDickensworkingtoohard.Atnight,whenthecatwantedtosayStopwriting!tohismaster,heoftenputoutDickenscandlewithhispaw!
Whenanimalsbecomepets,theresult,afteranumberofgenerations,isasmalleranimalwithasmallerbrain.Rabbits,forexample,whichliveaspetsinagarden,aremuchlessintelligentthantheirwildcousins.Ofcourse,mandoesntalwayskeepanimalsforpleasure.Manyanimalshavetoworkfortheirmasters.
TherewasonceafarminNamibia,Africa,whichhad80goats.Insteadofagoatherd,therewasafemalebaboon.Shetookhergoatstothehillseverydayandbroughtthembackatnight.Shealwaysknewexactlywhichgoatswerehers-whichismorethanmanyhumanscoulddo!
【新托福口语练习材料——关于宠物的话题(2)】相关文章:
[标签:海外留学,语言考试,托福,,]
天津:2017年国航、中国民航大学、空军招收飞行员确定初检时间
2017年海南高考考生网上缴费截止时间为:2017年1月8日17:30
1000张学生用草稿纸考研专用免邮空白便宜薄演草演算纸白纸本书写纸批发打草a4大张实惠装18k高考数学草稿本
探秘历史 第二季 第479集 河南叛逆高考生,写下8000字批判作文,现状如何?
创艺第二届:2019届高考录取表彰大会暨“核桃音乐节”合影——你只管努力,剩下的交给创艺
张雪峰高考志愿填报指南 第47集 高考志愿,令人头疼的数学系,才是专业万金油,毕业后机会多
高考前必听的5首励志歌曲,《Dream it possible》最能鼓舞人心!
爆笑班主任 第一季 第220集 高考前最后一只视频,山东王老师揭秘高考的秘密
优秀!英语数学双满分,广西“最牛”高考状元730分刷新最高纪录
一边扔试卷一边玩摇滚?这个学校的高考减压方式,真是帅到没朋友
北京新闻 2019 5.9万余北京考生今日高考 语文试题鼓励创造性阅读与表达
加油吧考生:2019高考咨询大直播 第43集 科学填报志愿 规划精彩人生