“I am not crazy,” says Dr. William Farber, shortly after performing acupuncture (针灸) on a rabbit. “I am ahead of my time.” If he seems a little defensive, it might be because even some of his coworkers occasionally laugh at his unusual methods. But Farber is certain he’ll have the last laugh. He’s one of a small but growing number of American veterinarians (兽医) now practicing “holistic” medicine-combining traditional Western treatments with acupuncture, chiropractic (按摩疗法) and herbal medicine.

Farber, a graduate of Colorado State University, started out as a more conventional veterinarian. He became interested in alternative treatments 20 years ago when he suffered from terrible back pain. He tried muscle-relaxing drugs but found little relief. Then he tried acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice, and was amazed that he improved after two or three treatments. What worked on a veterinarian seemed likely to work on his patients. So, after studying the techniques for a couple of years, he began offering them to pets.

Leigh Tindale’s dog Charlie had a serious heart condition. After Charlie had a heart attack, Tindale says, she was prepared to put him to sleep, but Farber’s treatments eased her dog’s suffering so much that she was able to keep him alive for an additional five months. And Priscilla Dewing reports that her horse, Nappy, “moves more easily and rides more comfortably” after a chiropractic adjustment.

Farber is certain that the holistic approach will grow more popular with time, and if the past is any indication, he may be right: Since 1982, membership in the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association has grown from 30 to over 700. “Sometimes it surprises me that it works so well,” he says. “I will do anything to help an animal. That’s my job.”

1.What do some of Farber’s coworkers think of him?

A He’s odd.

B He’s strict.

C He’s brave.

D He’s rude.

解析：选A。 文章第一段提到“If he seems a little defensive, it might be because even some of his coworkers occasionally laugh at his unusual methods”，这表示他的同事认为他的方法不同寻常，可能认为他有些古怪，unusual与odd同义替换，因此答案是A。

2.Why did Farber decide to try acupuncture on pets?

A He was trained in it at university.

B He was inspired by another veterinarian.

C He benefited from it as a patient.

D He wanted to save money for pet owners.

解析：选C。文章第二段提到“He became interested in alternative treatments 20 years ago when he suffered from terrible back pain...Then he tried acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice, and was amazed that he improved after two or three treatments. What worked on a veterinarian seemed likely to work on his patients”，说明法伯博士自己从针灸中受益，即20年前，他用针灸治好了自己很严重的腰痛，因此他决定在宠物身上尝试，答案是C。

3.What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A Steps of a chiropractic treatment.

B The complexity of veterinarians’ work.

C Examples of rare animal diseases.

D The effectiveness of holistic medicine.

解析：选D。第三段提到了两个案例，分别是Leigh Tindale的狗Charlie在针灸治疗后病情缓解，以及Priscilla Dewing的马Nappy在按摩治疗后行动更自如，这说明了整体医学（holistic medicine）的有效性，因此答案是D。

4.Why does the author mention the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association?

A To prove Farber’s point.

B To emphasize its importance.

C To praise veterinarians.

D To advocate animal protection.

解析：选A。文章第四段提到“Since 1982, membership in the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association has grown from 30 to over 700”，这里用数据的方式来证明法伯博士的观点，即整体医学将会越来越受欢迎（最后一段刚开始是F博士的论点，Farber is certain that the holistic approach will grow more popular with time...may be right)，因此答案是A。