Is your family interested in buying a dog? A dog can be a pleasant companion to your family, but if you choose the wrong kind of dog , you will have a lot of troubles.
Families should sit down and discuss the possible problems before buying a dog. Even if the children in your family are the ones who want the dog, the parents are the ones who are really responsible for seeing that the animal is properly cared for. If you don’t know much about dogs, it is a good idea to go to the library for books about different kinds of dogs, and books about how to train a young dog. In reading about the different breeds(種類)you should know that a dog described(描述)as very alert(機(jī)敏靈活的)may be too active. When a book describes a dog as an excellent hunting dog, it probably means that the dog won’t be happy living in a small house. Dog breeds vary(變化)in popularity as the years go by. One of the most popular dogs these days is the German shepherd. This is because it provides protection as well as companionship. The family should be warned that these dogs grow up to be very big, and may be too powerful for children to control. If space is limited, a toy dog may be a good choice. These dogs are very small and easy to train. They don’t need to be walked daily, since they can exercise in the home.
【小題1】According to the passage, one can get information about different kinds of dogs      .

Is your family interested in buying a dog? A dog can be a pleasant companion to your family, but if you choose the wrong kind of dog , you will have a lot of troubles.

Families should sit down and discuss the possible problems before buying a dog. Even if the children in your family are the ones who want the dog, the parents are the ones who are really responsible for seeing that the animal is properly cared for. If you don’t know much about dogs, it is a good idea to go to the library for books about different kinds of dogs, and books about how to train a young dog. In reading about the different breeds(種類)you should know that a dog described(描述)as very alert(機(jī)敏靈活的)may be too active. When a book describes a dog as an excellent hunting dog, it probably means that the dog won’t be happy living in a small house. Dog breeds vary(變化)in popularity as the years go by. One of the most popular dogs these days is the German shepherd. This is because it provides protection as well as companionship. The family should be warned that these dogs grow up to be very big, and may be too powerful for children to control. If space is limited, a toy dog may be a good choice. These dogs are very small and easy to train. They don’t need to be walked daily, since they can exercise in the home.

1.According to the passage, one can get information about different kinds of dogs      .

2.The German shepherd is a popular dog      .

3.Which of the following statements is not true?

4.Which is the best topic of the passage?

The slogan “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” has been going strong for 27 years now. Dogs and cats have been popular Christmas gifts in the gifts in the UK and Europe for many years. But some people still haven’t quite got the message.

The slogan still holds good. Some 105,000 dogs were rounded up by local government last year because they had been abandoned, many of them shortly after the festival season.

The main reason given by owners for handing their dogs over to the Dogs Trust is that the dogs need more attention than they can give; behavioral problems and moving home are also reasons given.

But Eleanor Silk, the Trust’s communications director, says, “It’s often four or five months after Christmas, in early summer, when owners find that the dog has got too big and too active, or it hasn’t been trained properly and has caused damage around the home.”

In any case, some organizations that help pets are quick to point out that if you are serious about getting a puppy(小狗) as a pet, Christmas is not the time to do it. Puppies need to get used to their new surroundings, to be introduced to a routine, and to be looked after like small children. It’s hard to meet any of these needs at Christmas. What’s more, pulling a puppy out of a Christmas stocking in itself sends the wrong message to children. It encourages children to think of the puppy as a toy, rather than a responsibility.

Appreciating what you’re taking on with a dog can be a sobering (清醒的) realization. “For life” means thinking about the effect they’ll have on your life. It also infers you will need to care for the dog for its whole life.

1.What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Dogs and Cats—the Most Popular Christmas Gifts.

B．A pet is for Life, Not just for Christmas.

C．How to Take Care of Your Pets over Christmas.

D．Let’s Help Those Abandoned Pets

2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a reason for pets to be abandoned?

A．Pets spread some diseases.

B．Pets damage some things in the house.

C．The owners can’t take good care of the pets.

D．The owners have to move to other places.

3.The underlined words “rounded up” in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.

A．given out as gifts

B．thrown away

C．gathered into one place

D．raised to make money

4.The fifth paragraph mainly tells us________.

A．how to take best care of Christmas pets

B．the right time to have a puppy as a pet

C．the reasons why Christmas is not the time to get a pet

D．the worries about Christmas pets from organizations that help pets

5.Why is the author against the idea of putting a dog in the Christmas stocking as a Christmas gift?

A．Because these dogs can still cause damage.

B．Because children will not take dogs seriously.

C．Because children don’t like to have dogs as Christmas gifts.

D．Because a Christmas stocking is not big enough to put a dog in.

Is your family interested in buying a dog? A dog can be a pleasant companion（伙伴） to your family, but if you choose the wrong kind of dog，you will have a lot of troubles.

Families should sit down and thoroughly discuss the possible problems before buying a dog. Even if the children in your family are the ones who want the dog, the parents are the ones who are really responsible for seeing that the animal is properly cared for. If you don’t know much about dogs, it is a good idea to go to the library for books about different kinds of dogs, as well as books about how to train a young dog. In reading about the different breeds(種類)you should know that a dog described(描述)as very alert(機(jī)敏靈活的)may be too active. When a book describes a dog as an excellent hunting dog, it probably means that the dog won’t be happy living in a small house. Dog breeds vary(變化)in popularity as the years go by. One of the most popular dogs these days is the German shepherd（牧羊犬）. This is because it provides protection as well as companionship（陪伴）. The family should be warned that these dogs grow up to be very big, and may be too powerful for children to control. If space is limited, a toy dog may be a good choice. These dogs are very small and easy to train. They don’t need to be walked daily, since they can exercise in the home.

1.According to the passage, one can get information about different kinds of dogs       .

A. by going to the library

B. by asking someone who has enough experience about different kinds of dogs

C. by buying a dog and training it

D. by reading books about dogs

2.The German shepherd is a popular dog       .

 A. because it is easy to train

B. because it is big and strong

C. because it is powerful and friendly

D. because it is alert and active

3.Which is the best topic of the passage?

A. The care and proper selection of dogs for families.

B. Different breeds of dogs.

C. Responsibility for seeing that dogs are properly cared for.

D. Different kinds of books about dogs.

四、閱讀理解（本題有兩節(jié)，共16小題，每小題2分，共32分）
第一節(jié)：閱讀下列材料并做后面的題目。從所給的A, B, C, D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳答案。
A
Have you seen big dogs in stores or restaurants and wondered why they were there? Those dogs might have been guide dogs.
People who are blind sometimes use guide dogs called seeing-eyes dogs. These special dogs help people get around. They help them do everyday things. Some people who have hearing problems have hearing-ear dogs. These dogs tell their owners when an alarm clock goes off or when the doorbell rings.
Guide dogs learn to wear something on their backs called a harness. Their owner holds onto it. The dogs learn what words such as “l(fā)eft” and “right” mean. They learn to never take their owner into traffic.
Each guide dog trains for months. Then, it spends one month working with its future owner. At that time ,the owner and dog get to know one another and train together!
Because guide dogs are trained, they are welcome almost anywhere. So, the next time you are out, don’t be surprised if you see a dog. It might just be a guide dog!
46. ______ use guide dogs.
A. People who want dogs to play with     B. Babies
C. Anyone wants to                                D. People who cannot hear or cannot see
47. How long do guide dogs train?______
A. days           B. weeks                    C. months                     D. They don’t train
48. Guide dogs train with their owner for ______.
A. two days        B. one week               C. one month                D. one year
49. Guide dogs can go _______.
A. almost anywhere  B. only stores     C. anywhere but restaurants   D. only outside places