In 2009, I rescued a skittish donkey. Bo came from a nearby cattle ranch and now lives peacefully on my ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. But the key to Bo's successful recovery from nervous rescue to happy ranch animal wasn't anything I did. It was my grandson, Dylan.
Dylan came with his parents to spend some days with me on their way to Canada for a vacation. Bo kept his distance from the grown-ups, but he showed an unusual fascination with Dylan. So we decided to introduce them.
“Move slowly, be quiet, and stoop down sometimes,” I told my grandson. Dylan carefully approached Bo, step by step, holding a soft rubber currycomb. Bo held his ground, but he seemed interested by this little visitor. Dylan rubbed Bo's shoulders and neck with the comb, softly and gently.
It's hard for an almost four-year-old to stay still for long. Dylan made one quick move, and Bo was terrified running off. But Bo and Dylan were not ready to give up. Dylan approached again. It was amazing to witness a preschooler learn to control himself in such a short time.
As we watched, true love developed between this once distrustful donkey and a gentle boy. Over the next few days, Dylan felt free to sit at Bo's feet while Bo carefully nibbled his shirt collar and hair and rubbed Dylan's back with his bristly chin. Just as Dylan had earned Bo's trust, Bo came up to and hugged him --- yes, a donkey can hug — without knocking him off balance.
They met again one week later as the family passed through on their return trip. It was almost dark, but Dylan and his dad travelled far to reach the ranch. Bo came to meet them cheerfully. He is now a changed and trusting donkey.
1.What can we learn about Bo according to paragraph 1?
A.He lived peacefully on a cattle ranch. B.He was rescued from the ranch by Dylan.
C.He was from Bitterroot Valley of Montana. D.He no longer suffers from nervousness.
2.What does the underlined word “fascination” in the second paragraph probably mean?
A.Amusement. B.Interest. C.Patience. D.Respect.
3.What happened after Bo was introduced to Dylan?
A.They became friends immediately. B.They were afraid of each other.
C.Dylan's sudden move frightened Bo. D.Bo refused the combing from Dylan.
4.What can we infer from the story?
A.Dylan and Bo meet once a week. B.Dylan will stay on the ranch for Bo.
C.Dylan was knocked down by Bo. D.Dylan's gentleness has changed Bo.
Some libraries use specially-designed buildings to encourage visitors to explore the shelves and settle down with a new book, or use movable libraries to bring books to hard-to-reach populations. No matter how they achieve it, these novel libraries are keeping the magic of reading alive.
The Camel Library Service
To improve education in the desert of Kenya, the government created a travelling library made up of nine camels bringing books to villages. The library travels four days a week serving the region's nomadic （游牧的）people. Currently the service focuses on children, but with more funding they plan to increase their reach both in distance and the titles they carry.
Beach Library
Reading a book on the beach is a classic, and in Bulgaria, one library encourages tourists to do just that. The white, weather-resistant shelves lined up not far from the waves feature 6,000 books in 15 languages, so every visitor can find the perfect beach read to enjoy while sunbathing.
Macquarie University Library
Being environmentally friendly and technologically advanced, this building in Australia was made from recycled materials, features a green roof and was modelled after the look of a tree. It is also state-of -the-art, using robots to bring requested books to the front desk.
Seikei University Library
Libraries are usually known for their quiet atmosphere, but this one encourages conversation. Hayao designed the library in Japan with rooms preventing all sound from getting in and out. In this way, it shows respect for those who need undisturbed study, while also supporting other methods of learning; the rooms are perfect for study groups and lively discussions.
1.What is special about the Camel Library Service?
A.The library serves camels. B.The library is not a fixed one.
C.It improves tourism in deserts. D.It combines education with travelling.
2.The tree-like library may probably attract those who .
A.prefer sunshine B.want to be models
C.are friendly D.care about nature
3.Which library welcomes group discussion?
A.Beach Library. B.The Camel Library Service.
C.Seikei University Library. D.Macquarie University Library.
— How is your recent trip to the Great Wall?
—I've never had ______ one before.
A.the most pleasant B.a pleasant
C.a most pleasant D.a more pleasant
The storm lasted nearly a week, ______ in the garden.
A.left something eatable B.leaving nothing eatable
C.leaving eatable something D.left eatable nothing
He explained ______ for his father's birthday party.
A.why was he late B.why is he late
C.why he is late D.why he was late
Dozens were killed while fighting a fire that ______ this summer.
A.broke in B.broke out C.broke up D.broke down
