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!
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