失聪的牧羊犬学习“手语”后又能继续放牧了
失聪的牧羊犬学习“手语”后又能继续放牧了

A Norfolk sheepdog named Peggy spent most of her life working on a farm and helping her human herd(放牧) animals from place to place. She was great at her job, which requires keen intelligence and the ability to listen to a shepherd’s signals. But everything changed when Peggy suddenly went deaf for unknown reasons. 

Peggy was sent to an animal shelter in 2018. With the shelter full, staffers tried to find a foster(寄养的) family for her to spend the holidays with. Thankfully, animal welfare manager Chloe Shorten stepped up to take her in! Chloe turned out to be the perfect foster mom for Peggy. Not only does she have two other sheepdogs, but her husband Jason is actually a shepherd! “We decided she could stay with us temporarily while we found somewhere more permanent to take her in, but we completely fell in love with her almost immediately and it soon became clear that she wouldn’t be going anywhere!” Chloe said.“She was greasy and out of condition, untrusting, and frightened,” the shelter added.

Peggy spent the first few weeks decompressing from the stress of being forced to leave her home. She had recently given birth to a litter of puppies, so she also needed time to heal and get her bearings.

 “She soon started to bond with me and we started taking her fun places like the beach, something we don’t think she has ever experienced before,” Chloe said. “With some tender loving care and good food, Peggy soon started to adjust to life. Several months on and Peggy has blossomed into a wonderful dog who is continuing to improve daily.”

One of the biggest ways Peggy’s new family helped her adjust was getting her back to work. Working dogs are bred to do a specific job, and without a purpose, they can grow despondent and bored. So Chloe introduced the dog to hand signs and taught her to use her eyes in place of her ears while on the job. Now that she’s 10, she’s “generally retired,” but she still enjoys herding and continues to impress her family with how quickly she learns new skills.

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1.What can we learn about Peggy according to the passage?

A She was abandoned after she was born.

B She was born with physical disabilities.

C She once did a wonderful job as a sheepdog.

D She suffered a rare disease which caused her deafness.

解析:选C。C 细节理解题。根据第一段She was great at her job, which requires keen intelligence and the ability to listen to a shepherd’s signals.可知,佩吉之前对自己的工作很在行,她拥有敏锐的智慧和倾听牧羊人信号的能力。故选C。

2.What’s the first mind for Chloe Shorten to take in Peggy?

A To carry out a fun experiment.

B To help the shelter for several days.

C To take good care of the dog.

D To find a partner for her sheepdogs.

解析:选B。B 推理判断题。根据第二段With the shelter full, staffers tried to find a foster(寄养的) family for her to spend the holidays with.以及We decided she could stay with us temporarily…可知,随着收容所满员,工作人员试图寻找一个寄养家庭与佩吉共度假期。克洛伊·肖滕家庭决定临时收养佩吉。由此推断克洛伊·肖滕当时是想帮助收容所几天,故选B。

3.Which condition of Peggy is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A She felt stressful and unhealthy.

B She didn’t believe in other people.

C She adjusted to herself to motherhood.

D She was hostile to people or things around.

解析:选D。D 细节理解题。根据第二段She was greasy and out of condition, untrusting, and frightened...以及第三段可知,佩吉那时很肥很不健康,不信任人,还感到恐惧。佩吉最初几周一直在从被赶出家门的压力中减压。她最近生了一窝小狗,所以她也需要时间来治疗和适应。文中并未提及她对周围的人和事物怀有敌意,故选D。

4.Which of the following is probably crucial for Peggy to recover?

A Teaching her hand signs.

B Letting her continue herding animals.

C Taking her to some fun places.

D Giving her lots of care and good food.

解析:选B。B 推理判断题。根据最后一段One of the biggest ways Peggy’s new family helped her adjust was getting her back to work.可知,佩吉的新家庭帮助她调整的最大方法之一就是让她重返工作岗位。由此说明让佩吉继续放牧这一做法是她康复的关键所在。故选B。