高三英语二轮复习学案-名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选:A Canine Nanny

高三英语培优·名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 A Canine Nanny（答案在最后）

班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________

心灵鸡汤精选A Canine Nanny

话题归类

动物与家人和谐相处

阅读难度

五星

词数

809

【文章梗概】身为二孩妈妈，我既要照顾大女儿又要照顾刚出生三星期的二女儿。丈夫忙于

工作，父母远在千里之外，除了一条名叫“Two”的狗狗，我的身边再无亲人陪伴。有一天，

二女儿Abigail弄脏了自己的衣服，当我无奈地离开她去清洗时，Two承担起了保姆的职责，

安抚了Abigail。在Two的陪伴下，Abigail长成了一个细腻、体贴的的小女孩；而当Two

年纪大了，Abigail也反过来细心地照顾它。

The dog was created especially for children.

Henry Ward Beecher

I was physically and emotionally exhausted. At night, I was awake more than I slept, caring

for our three-week-old daughter, Abigail. By day, I chased our older daughter, Bridget, an active

two-year-old. My already taut nerves began to fray when Abigail developed a mild case of colic.

Bridget demanded attention each time her sister fussed. Our dog, a purebred Brittany named Two,

was constantly underfoot, and stumbling over her repeatedly did not help my state of mind.

I also felt isolated. We were new to the area, and I didn’t know anyone in town. My parents,

our nearest relatives, lived 150 miles away. Phoning my mother on the spur of the moment to ask

if she’d drop by and watch the kids for an hour while I got some much-needed sleep wasn’t

realistic. My husband helped as much as he could but needed to focus on his job.

One day Abigail woke from a nap. As babies sometimes do, she had soiled her clothing and

crib bedding. I tried to clean her up as fast as possible, but her cries developed into ear-shattering

wails before I was through. I wanted to comfort her, but I was at a loss. I had to wash my hands, I

couldn’t put her back into the crib and the floor hadn’t been vacuumed for days. Strapping her on

the changing table, I wedged a receiving blanket between her and the railing. I promised I’d be

right back. As her screams followed me into the bathroom, I neared complete meltdown. Women

had handled this for generations—why couldn’t I cope?

I had just lathered up with soap when Two trotted purposefully past the bathroom door. A

moment later the crying ceased. Hurriedly, I dried my hands and entered the nursery to find the

Brittany standing on her hind legs, tenderly licking Abigail’s ear. The baby’s eyes were opened

wide in wonder. Two dropped down and wagged her stubby tail in apology. With a canine grin and

her ears pushed back as far as they could go, she seemed to say, “I know babies are off limits, but I

couldn’t help myself.”

At that moment, I realized why I had been tripping over Two all the time: she wanted to help!

When Bridget was born, Two had enthusiastically welcomed the newest member of her family.

But because she had difficulty curbing her energy, we had watched her closely. Now, at six years

of age, with a more sedate disposition, Two understood she had to be gentle.

That day marked a turning point for me. During Abigail’s fussy moments, I laid her blanket

on the floor and placed her next to Two. Often Abigail quieted as she buried her hands and feet in

the dog’s warm soft fur. Although Two relished her role as babysitter, objecting only when Abigail

grabbed a fistful of sensitive flank hair, I still kept a vigilant eye on them, or Abigail would likely

have suffered a constant barrage of doggy kisses.

When Abigail turned four, we enrolled her in preschool. Her teacher as well as several of the

other parents commented on how she was always the child who reached out to those who were

alone. Extending an invitation to join in play, Abigail often stayed by someone’s side if she didn’t

get an answer, talking quietly and reassuringly. I like to think that Two’s willingness to remain

lying next to a screaming infant somehow contributed to our daughter’s sensitivity.

I admit I’ve spoiled Two since that first day when she comforted Abigail. If I leave the table

and a half-eaten meal disappears, I know who the culprit is. But I don’t have the heart to punish

her for being an opportunist. I’m indebted to her, and losing out on several bites of cold food is a

small price to pay.

Two is still part of our family, and although we all dote on her, there is an unmistakable

connection between her and Abigail. Now nearly twelve years old, Two has more than her share of

aches and pains. During winter, she often rests in front of the heat register. When Abigail wakes in

the morning, she covers her dog with her old baby blanket and fusses over her. And when Abigail

wanders away, Two trails after her, the tattered blanket dragging along on the floor. Two still

considers Abigail her special charge, and I’m happy to have her help. I hope they have many more

days together, looking after each other with such loving care.

【词汇过关】

请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

[tɔ:t] adj.___________________________

[freɪ] vi.___________________________

[ˈkɒlɪk] n.___________________________

[fʌs] vi.___________________________

e [ˈstʌmbl] vi.___________________________

[spɜː(r)] n.___________________________

[sɔɪl] vt.___________________________

[krɪb] n.___________________________

-shattering [ɪə(r)-ʃætərɪŋ] adj.___________________________

[weɪl] n.___________________________

[ˈvækjuːm] vt.___________________________

[stræp] vt.___________________________

[wedʒ] vt.___________________________

g [ˈreɪlɪŋ] n.___________________________

[ˈlɑ:ðə(r)] vt.___________________________

[trɒt] vi.___________________________

[haɪnd] adj.___________________________

ly [ˈtendəli] adv.___________________________

[ˈstʌbi] adj.___________________________

[ˈkeɪnaɪn] adj.___________________________

[kɜːb] vt.___________________________

[sɪˈdeɪt] adj.___________________________

ition [ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃn] n.___________________________

[ˈrelɪʃ] vt.___________________________

l [ˈfɪstfʊl] n.___________________________