Ⅷ. 阅读理解(每小题2分，共20分)

A

Gail Mirabella works as a dog trainer for a circus (马戏团). She used to train her dogs to do tricks when she was a kid. Finally, her hobby turned into her job. Several days ago, she talked to Time Magazine reporter, Cameron Young, about her love for dogs.

Reporter: Did you always want to be a dog trainer in a circus?

Mirabella: When I was a little kid, I did my first dog show, a kid’s dog show. And I took first place (名次). From then on, I knew I wanted to work with dogs, but who would know I’d be in a circus?

Reporter: Did you have any dogs growing up?

Mirabella: Of course. I had a white shepherd dog when I was a little baby. And then when he died, we got two family dogs. When I was 14, I got one on my birthday. He was a big shepherd dog and reminded (使想起) me of the shepherd dog I had when I was a baby.

Reporter: How long does it take to train a dog, one month, half a year or one year?

Mirabella: That depends on the dog. I have thirteen dogs and I let them all play together, but I do a lot of special work with each dog. They know I am their owner because I do all the feeding.

Reporter: If you weren’t a dog trainer, what would you be?

Mirabella: A dog. Just joking. I would probably still work with animals.

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。

(    )51. The underlined word “tricks” in Paragraph 1 means “______” in Chinese.

A. 动画              B. 装饰      C. 戏法                 D. 咨询

(    )52. Mirabella decided to work with dogs after ______.

A. she joined a circus              B. one of her dogs died

C. she had her first dog             D. she won a kid’s dog show

(    )53. Mirabella got a shepherd dog for her 14th birthday. Why might this be a special gift?

A. It reminded her of a dog she had before.

B. She knew she would work for a circus.

C. She never had a shepherd dog before.

D. She loved dogs.

(    )54. How many dogs does Mirabella have?

A. 12.          B. 13.       C. 14.      D. 15.

(    )55. What job would Mirabella do if she were not a dog trainer?

A. Taking care of animals.

B. Doing tricks in a circus.

C. Selling all kinds of dogs.

D. Working for Time Magazine.

B

My friends and I bought our favorite candies from Mrs. Pratchett’s Store every day on our way to school. My favorites were Sherbet Suckers and Liquorice Bootlaces.

Thwaites told me I should never eat Liquorice Bootlaces. Thwaites’s father was a doctor. He said that it was made from rats’ (耗子的) blood. The father told his young son a lot about Liquorice Bootlaces after he found that his son ate it. “Every ratcatcher in the country,” said the father, “takes his rats to the Liquorice Bootlace Factory and they pay him for each rat. Many ratcatchers have become rich by selling rats to the factory.”

“Don’t ever eat them,” said the father. “If you eat, you’ll get ratitis.”

“What is ratitis, Daddy?” asked young Thwaites.

“It’s a very terrible disease (疾病),” said the father.

“I see. But what will happen to me if I catch it?” asked young Thwaites.

“Your teeth will fall out one by one,” answered the father. “And a short tail (尾巴) will grow out of your back. There is no medicine for ratitis. I know. I am a doctor.”

We all enjoyed Thwaites’s story. We asked him to tell us this wonderful story many times on our walks to and from school. But any of us didn’t stop buying Liquorice Bootlaces except (除……之外) Thwaites.

根据材料内容简要回答下列问题。

56. What were Sherbet Suckers and Liquorice Bootlaces?

_______________________________________

57. How did many ratcatchers become rich according to the story?

_______________________________________

58. Why did Thwaites’s father tell him the story?

_______________________________________

59. What did the writer think of the story?

_______________________________________

60. Did Thwaites listen to his father?

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