A few days before his eighth birthday,in February 1817,Abraham Lincoln shot a wild turkey. He hoped the kill would impress his father. Instead,the sight of the dead bird left the future president traumatized. Lincoln later wrote that he never again pulled a trigger (扳机) on any other animal.

   On the frontier,animals were seen as sources of labor,food,or amusement. It was a time when ripping (撕) the heads off live geese was entertainment like late-night TV. But Lincoln wasn’t shy about sticking up for animals. As a youngster,he saved a turtle when some boys tried to pour hot coals on the animal's back; he also warned his friends that “an ant's life -was to it as sweet as ours to us." The role animals played in Lincoln's life has been largely overlooked. But it's not an unimportant part of his life. As biographer Michael Burlingame writes, “Lincoln's anger at the mistreatment of animals foreshadowed his anger at the cruelties of slavery."

   Lincoln,s White House was full of cats,rabbits,goats,and horses. And once,he noticed three kittens on the floor of a telegrapher's tent, “moving about pitifUlly." Hearing that the kittens’ mother had died,Lincoln ordered an officer to see that the cats were cared for. Before leaving,he returned to play with them — three times.

   But there was one animal he adored above all. Around 1855,Lincoln adopted a lost yellow dog he named Fido (from fidelis,Latin for faithfur') , Fido lived up to his name,accompanying Lincoln everywhere. But after the election of 1860,Lincoln feared the trip to Washington would be too stressful,and left the dog behind with friends. He even left behind Fido's favorite horsehair sofa to keep him comfortable.

   When the president died,Fido returned his love,standing guard as thousands of mourners filed through Lincoln's home to pay their respects.

1. What does the underlined word “traumatized” in Paragraph 1 mean?

   A. Excited and proud.

   B. Shocked and upset.

   C. Brave and confident.

   D. Sad and discouraged.

2. On the frontier,people amused themselves .

   A. by killing animals   B. by saving animals

   C. by training animals   D. by keeping animals

3. According to Michael Burlingame,the way Lincoln treated animals had something to do with.

   A. his family background

   B. his academic experience

   C. his interests and hobbies

   D. his political performance

4. What can we infer about Lincoln from Paragraph 3 ?

   A. He enjoyed playing games.

   B. He was interested in animal stories.

   C. He felt great sympathy for the weak.

   D. He dreamed of becoming an animal doctor.

5. Which word can best describe Fido?

   A. Wild. B. Brave.

   C. Strong. D. Devoted.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网