Question

Four days after Dad’s 67th birthday, he had a heart attack. He was lucky—he survived. But something inside him had died. His enthusiasm for life was gone.

My husband and I asked Dad to live with us on our small farm, hoping the fresh air would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated.

One day I read an article about a nursing home. Several depressed patients’ attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given dogs. So, I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. As soon as I got there, a pointer’s（指示犬）eyes caught my attention. They watched me calmly.

A staff member said, “He got here two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.” I turned to the man in horror. “You mean you’re going to kill him?”

“Ma’am,” he said gently. “We don’t have room for every unclaimed dog.”

The pointer’s calm brown eyes awaited my decision. “I’ll take him,” I said.

Glancing at the dog, Dad wrinkled his face and turned back towards the house. Then, suddenly, the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He sat down in front of Dad. Dad’s anger melted, and soon he was hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together they spent long hours walking down dusty lanes and relaxing on the banks of streams.

Dad’s bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne went on to make many friends. Then, late one night two years later, I felt Cheyenne’s cold nose searching through my bed covers. He had never come into our bedroom before at night. I ran into my father’s room and found that he had passed away.

Two days later, my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad’s bed. As I buried him near their favorite stream, I silently thanked the dog for restoring Dad’s peace of mind.

1.Why did Dad criticize everything the author did?

A. He didn’t like his daughter’s farm.

B. The disease took away his interest in life.

C. The state of his illness worsened.

D. His daughter couldn’t do things well.

2.What was Dad’s attitude when he first saw the dog?

A. Disappointed.    B. Unfriendly.

C. Excited.    D. Satisfied.

3.What was the dog’s greatest help to Dad?

A. It accompanied him on his walk.

B. It helped him make many friends.

C. It brought peace of mind back to him.

D. It improved the relationship between him and his daughter.

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. An Abandoned Dog    B. Dad’s Recovery

C. Friends in the End    D. Dad’s Last days

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.C

4.C

【解析】本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了对生活失去希望的父亲和作者带回的一只流浪狗互相陪伴，共度余生的故事。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段But something inside him had died. His enthusiasm for life was gone.和第二段He criticized everything I did.可知，病后的父亲对生活失去了热情，对一切事物变得挑剔。故选B。

2.细节推理题。根据第七段Glancing at the dog, Dad wrinkled his face and turned back towards the house.可知，父亲第一次看到指示犬时只是瞥了一眼，皱起了脸，转身朝房子走去。由此可知他对这条狗不友好，故选B。

3.细节推理题。根据文章最后I silently thanked the dog for restoring Dad’s peace of mind.可知，作者认为指示犬对父亲最大的帮助是它使父亲恢复了平静的心境，故选C。

4.推理判断题。文章讲述了对生活失去希望的父亲和我带回的一只流浪狗互相陪伴，共度余生的故事。指示犬在父亲去世后也死在了父亲的床边，他们陪伴到了最后。Friends in the End.既能概括文意，又饱含了两者之间的深情，适合作为本文标题，故选C。