【中级类英语听力】08

Blanca was a pretty fox terrier who lived on the fourth floor of a big apartment house, and the four kittens were her adopted family. For when the kittens' mother died and left them wee, helpless babies, Blanca at once proved the kindness of her heart by taking and caring for them as if they had been her very own. One day a great danger came to Blanca and her family, as well as to everyone else in the building. A blue mist began to drift through the halls, there was the smell of smoke, then someone cried "Fire!" and the people in the different flats rushed out of their rooms in a panic. Quickly a big, shiny, brass¹ fire engine rattled² up, followed by the hose cart, and the wagon³ loaded with long ladders if they should be needed. The firemen rushed in, dragging lengths of hose, the smoke grew thicker and the confusion worse. Some of the people were so frightened that they did not know what they were doing. But there was one who did not lose her presence of mind, and that was the little dog. When the first alarm was given, Blanca ran down to see what it all meant. But she was not satisfied to be safe herself, and leave her foster babies in danger. Up she went again, up the stairways filled with firemen and excited tenants⁴ to the top floor, and down she came jumping over hose pipe, dodging⁵ between firemen's legs, with a kitten in her mouth. This she carried out and laid down where it would be safe, then started back again through smoke and flame and heat. Four times she made the trip to the top floor, and each time she came back with a kitten in her mouth. Nor did she rest till they were all out of danger. All the people who had watched the little dog said how brave she was. And so we all say. But what made Blanca brave was because she thought of the kittens instead of herself.

1. What did Blanca, the fox terrier dog, adopt?

 Puppies

 Kittens

 Hamsters

 Birds

 

2. What danger did the family and the pets face?

 A tornado⁶ was coming

 There was an earthquake

 There was a fire in the house

 The pets were lost

 

3. How were the pets rescued?

 Blanca carried each pet to safety in her mouth

 The firemen grabbed each pet

 The pets could not be saved

 They all ran out of the house

 

1 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

2 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

3 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

4 tenants   

n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

5 dodging   

n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He ran across the road, dodging the traffic. 他躲开来往的车辆跑过马路。
• I crossed the highway, dodging the traffic. 我避开车流穿过了公路。 来自辞典例句

6 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。