Love Is Blind: The Magic of Tabby

In October, 2003 I started my work at my local animal shelter’s Adoption Department. Over the years, more than 50,000 animals have ______ the doors of the shelter. Most of them, I do not remember. But occasionally there are ______ animals, who touch me so deeply that I could never possibly ______ them. Tabby was one such animal. Tabby was an ancient Cocker Spaniel, probably 14 years old. What’s more, she was blind and deaf. Tabby’s chances at adoption seemed ______ at best. After all, we didn’t have many adopters coming in ______, “Can you show me all of your really old dogs who are also ______ ?” We had all thought that Tabby would live out the rest of her life at the ______.

One day a woman named Loretta came to the shelter. Her son, Gary, had ______ Tabby’s picture and stories on the shelter’s website at home. They were interested in meeting her! It was the only ______ we ever received about Tabby. What could a young child possibly see in a 14-year-old dog who was both blind and deaf? Most boys would want a dog who could grow with them and ______ through grassy fields on summer days. Tabby would ______ be able to do that. But after meeting her, Loretta and Gary decided that she was the right dog for their family. They adopted Tabby! If Tabby’s story had simply ended with her ______ adoption, it would still have been something very special indeed. ______, it was what happened after her adoption that people might regard as “magic”. Gary _____ from seizures(癫痫). Since Gary and Tabby met they became ______. They did everything together. They became so “in tune” with one another that Tabby began to telegraph Gary’s seizures ______ they occurred, giving his family ______ that one was about to strike. What’s more, Gary seemed to be having fewer and fewer seizures since Tabby’s ______.

How could it be? Nobody could explain _____ Tabby did it. But those of us who were fortunate enough to know her and her family had ______ the magic, the kind that has its roots in love.

1.A. broken B. passed C. painted D. locked

2.A. strange B. active C. wild D. special

3.A. recall B. leave C. forget D. abandon

4.A. remote B. great C. fair D. potential

5.A. wondering B. stating C. seeking D. asking

6.A. stubborn B. active C. disabled D. patient

7.A. hospital B. shelter C. farm D. roadside

8.A. posted B. taken C. seen D. drawn

9.A. letter B. donation C. call D. enquiry

10.A. get B. run C. look D. break

11.A. often B. possibly C. never D. generally

12.A. successful B. normal C. temporary D. early

13.A. However B. Moreover C. Therefore D. Otherwise

14.A. learnt B. suffered C. heard D. differed

15.A. indifferent B. uncomfortable C. unfortunate D. inseparable

16.A. since B. unless C. before D. though

17.A. explanation B. notice C. suggestion D. warning

18.A. arrival B. birth . C. return D. recovery

19.A. where B. how C. when D. whether

20.A. witnessed B. created C. achieved D. performed

Looking for a great summer read? Kid reporters from Time For Kids have reviewed the season's hottest new books. They have recommended a list of kid-approved page-turners (儿童最喜爱的读物) to our readers. Whether you’re fond of mysterious, fantastic or realistic fictions, there’s always one that suits you.

Three Bird Summer

By Sara St. Antoine

Reviewed by Camryn Garrett

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Number of pages: 256

What’s the basic story line?

For his entire life, 12-year- old Adam has spent summers at his grandma’s cabin in Minnesota. But this year things are different. His parents have divorced. Apart from that, Adam’s cousins won’t be vacationing at the cabin with him. Also, Grandma seems to be acting differently. At first, she’s just a bit more forgetful than usual. But after spending more time with her, Adam realizes Grandma is “slipping.”

There are new neighbors at the cabin this summer, including a girl at Adam’s age named Alice. At first, Adam isn’t interested in spending time with her. But as time goes by, their friendship flourishes(繁荣). Throughout this unusual summer, Adam searches for hidden treasure with his new friend and begins to uncover family secrets as well.

Are the characters believable?

The characters are believable because they don’t have cookie-cutter(雷同的) personalities. Adam is quiet and shy and finds girls difficult to understand. Alice is adventurous and unlike any girl he has ever met. Readers will likely see aspects of their personalities in the characters and recognize their friendship too.

Who would like this book?

Anyone who appreciates memories of family vacations or summertime in general will enjoy the vivid imagination that fills Three Bird Summer. Readers will fall into the story, almost as if they’re actually spending the summer exploring Three Bird Lake with Adam and Alice.

1.While spending his summer at his grandma’s cabin this year, Adam ________.

A. became friends with his cousins

B. developed a friendship with a little girl

C. annoyed his grandma occasionally

D. played with Alice in the fields nearby

2.The book is likely to appeal to kids because _______.

A. it describes country life.

B. it talks about school life.

C. it related to their experience.

D. it is written in simple words.

3.The text is written to __________.

A. praise a writer for his great work.

B. recommend a good book to readers.

C. encourage readers to do more reading

D. discuss how to spend summer holidays.

Memphis Meats, a San Francisco startup company trying to create lab-grown meat from animal cells(细胞), released a video on Tuesday that shows the world’s first cultured meatball getting fried up in a pan.

“We watched how the meatball reacted in the pan, we heard the sizzle, we smelled the meat and it was exactly how you would expect a meatball to smell,” Memphis Meats chief executive Uma Valeti said in the video. “This is the first time a meatball has ever been cooked with beef cells that didn’t need a cow to be killed.”

Memphis Meats grows animal muscle tissue(组织) using stem cells of cows and pigs and feeds them oxygen and nutrients(营养物质), according to the Wall Street Journal. While there are no animals killed in making the meats, the firm does use fetal bovine serum(胎牛血清) from unborn cattle's blood to start the process.

So far, the cells grow in extremely thin layers, which is very expensive. Now it costs about $18,000 to produce a pound of Memphis Meats beef--compared to about $4 for store-bought beef.

But the company, founded by three scientists, has been experimenting growing meat from stem cells from cows, pigs, and chickens and says it’ll be selling its animal-free products to high-end customers in three to four years.

The company’s first line of products will include hot dogs, sausages, burgers and meatballs.

Valeti said in the video that his company’s process also produces 90 percent fewer greenhouse gases than traditional agriculture.

“The meat industry knows their products aren’t sustainable(可持续的),” Valeti told the Wall Street Journal. “We believe that in 20 years, a majority of meat sold in stores will be cultured.”

It’s too early to say if we’ll all be cooking lab-grown meatballs, chicken wings, and pork chops. But for now, there is a big push to be the first to bring these foods to our plates.

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

A. Lab-grown meat is to hit the market.

B. Lab-grown meat smells as delicious.

C. Lab-grown meat is animal-free.

D. Lab-grown meat will replace traditional meat soon.

2.What’s the biggest disadvantage of the lab-grown meat?

A. It is difficult to grow.

B. It is too expensive.

C. It is difficult to be accepted by customers.

D. It doesn’t have many varieties.

3.What can we know about the lab-grown meat?

A. The layers where it grows are very expensive.

B. Cattle’s blood is needed to feed the cells.

C. Lab-grown meat has nothing to do with animals.

D. The growing process costs a lot.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A. Lab-grown meat tastes exactly like traditional meat.

B. Traditional meat industry is not sustainable.

C. Lab-grown meat is environmentally friendly.

D. Lab-grown meat is best suitable for frying.

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