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新托福口语练习材料——关于宠物的话题(2)

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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