It is often said that you cannot “teach an old dog new tricks”, but three New Zealand dogs have decided to prove otherwise by learning a skill --- driving a car!
What's even more impressive is that the three who have become skilled in just eight weeks are not special dogs that belong to some rich owners, but abandoned ones at New Zealand's SPCA.
To get their training started, 10-month old Porter, 18-month-old Monty and one-year-old Ginny were selected from a pool of seven potential candidates and moved to Animal Q, a talent agency that teaches animals tricks for movies and television shows.
The driving classes began with teaching the dogs some basic driving techniques like turning the steering wheels（方向盘）and applying the brakes. After that the dogs practiced everything they had learnt behind the wheels of a motorized（装上发动机的）car. Then finally, it was time for the big test--- driving a real car!
Human cars are not really built for four-legged animals, so the car they drove was adjusted so that the dogs could sit comfortably and easily reach the steering wheel with their paws.
Though they all seemed to do very well, the real test came on Monday night when Monty, the best driver of the three, showed his great driving skill on live television.
Why would the SPCA go through so much trouble to highlight the skills of homeless dogs? The reason is to show that adopting a dog from a shelter does not mean owners are getting a pet that is worse than one purchased from a keeper. The CEO of the SPCA is hoping that this unusual event will be enough to convince the residents of New Zealand to consider them, when searching for a pet.
We surely hope so, meanwhile we are almost certain that these three pioneers have at least landed their names in the Guinness World Records, creating a category that probably does not even exist today!
1.Who do the three dogs belong to?
A. Some rich owners. B. Animal Q. C. A shelter. D. A zoo.
2.The car the dogs drove was adjusted ______.
A. because is was too big for the dogs to drive
B. because it had no steering wheels and brakes
C. to ensure the dogs could sit comfortably and drive easily
D. to motorize the car and turn it to be a real one
3.Which is the right order of the following events?
a. Teaching the dogs some basic driving techniques.
b. Selecting three dogs and moving them to Animal Q.
c. The dogs practiced everything they had learnt in a motorized car.
d. Choosing the best driver to show his great driving skill on live television.
e. Driving a real car.
A. a-b-c- d-e B. b-a-c-e-d C. b- d- a-c-e D. a- e- c-b-d
4.Why does the SPCA decide to teach the three dogs to learn to drive a car?
A. To prove old dogs can learn new tricks.
B. To teach them performing tricks for movies and television shows.
C. To provide amusing performances for homeless children
D. To encourage people to adopt the abandoned dogs.
5.What can we learn from the passage?
A. A new Guinness category for driving dogs will probably be created.
B. Abandoned dogs are much cleverer than house-kept ones.
C. All the dogs at New Zealand’s SPCA will soon be adopted.
D. New Zealand has the most homeless dogs among all countries
I received a call today asking if I would be willing to bring food to a family in need. The mother was having a major operation and would be lying down for several weeks. Of course, I responded with an immediate “Yes！”. As I planned the meal in my head, I reflected on how many times over the years I had been asked to prepare food. I have done so countless times with a very open heart.
But the truly amazing thing is that I have received double over the course of my life. When my mother passed away, our house was filled with fresh dinners for weeks. A woman from the church of our community stopped by each evening with some food. The gift of food was her small way of trying to ease our pain.
Later in my life, when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with twins, women of the church again stepped in to help. They arranged babysitting for my twoyearold daughter, and brought lovely dinners to our house. Even when I was put in the hospital, my husband would bring cooked meals to my hospital room. How we relied on these dinners to feed my tired husband and young daughter.
Food is all about comfort. It feeds our bodies, but it can also feed our souls. When you hear people talking about their favourite holidays, it usually includes their feelings connected with sharing food. I know that I will have many more opportunities in my lifetime to prepare food for others. It is truly a gift I want to prepare and deliver to someone in need.
1.The author has given lots of food to others because________．
A. she is poor at cooking
B．she is a church member
C．she is friendly to others
D．she has received others' food
2.We can learn from the first paragraph that the author________．
A. had to stay in bed for several weeks
B．knew the family in need very well
C．was glad to be able to lend a hand
D．was tired of preparing food
3.Which of the following is TRUE about the author?
A. Her mother died when she was in hospital.
B. She didn't get enough food during her pregnancy.
C．She received food as well as comfort in her hard times.
D．She thinks offering food is the best way to show love.
4.What do we know about the author's family?
A. Her family is too poor to buy enough food.
B. Her family lives not far from a church.
C. Her husband is not good at cooking.
D．She has a babysitter taking care of her twins.
5.According to the passage, which of the following conclusions can we get?
A. A good beginning makes a good ending.
B．One good turn deserves another.
C．Actions speak louder than words.
D．Every man has his faults.
You are mistaken if you think all Chinese people speak in the same way. Have you ever seen a person from Shanghai try talking to someone 1. Guangzhou? 2. is quite likely that both of them may feel puzzled! The Chinese language, as a whole, uses the same set of character, 3. even the same characters can have different pronunciations. That is 4.
it is difficult for people to understand each other. Luckily, the widespread use of Putonghua in China has made a great contribution 5. people’s communication, though people from different areas tend to speak with various accents.
People in Northern Europe are 6. luckier. Even though people from Sweden , Denmark and Norway have their own official languages, it is very convenient 7. them to communicate with one another. Do you know why? That is because their languages are quite similar, though not without small distinctions. 8. , they can communicate easily in their mother tongues.
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One time I arrived in the middle of the night for a pickup at a building that was except for a single light in a ground floor window. I walked to the door and knocked.
A small woman in her 80’s opened the door. I took her suitcase to the cab then returned to her into the cab. She thanked me for my kindness. When we got in the taxi, she gave me a(n) , then asked, “Could you drive through downtown ?”
“It’s not the way,” I answered.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice (临终关怀医院).”
I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.
“The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and the meter (计程器). “What would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived. Sometimes she’d ask me to in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the sun was , she suddenly said: “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in to the address she had given me. There were people waiting for her and they put her in a wheelchair.
“How much do I have to pay you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” I said.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
“You gave an old woman a little moment of ,” she said.
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut.
I didn’t any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. We tend to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often 47 us unconsciously.
1.A. ancient B. dark C. dirty D. remote
2.A. invite B. watch C. help D. receive
3.A. address B. letter C. speech D. present
4.A. wrong B. funniest C. safest D. shortest
5.A. cut out B. showed off C. switched off D. turned on
6.A. direction B. order C. role D. route
7.A. break down B. get off C. speed up D. slow down
8.A. changing B. moving C. rising D. Setting
9.A. darkness B. noise C. silence D. sadness
10.A. joy B. interest C. trouble D. surprise
11.A. talk with B. call up C. pick up D. take away
12.A. catch B. drive C. improve D. puzzle
“My boy, do remember to leave things _____ you can find them again.
A. where B. when C. then D. there
I found my new school quite different from _____ I had studied in before.
A. one B. that C. the one D. it
