A feel-good story about a bulldog named Molly.
一則令人感到舒服的故事，內容在講述一隻名叫莫莉的牛頭犬。
For various reasons, children sometimes lose their parents. Fortunately, it is common to hear stories of such children successfully finding new homes and loving families to care for them. While this may seem like a statement about the goodness of humans, we are not the only species in the world to take in needy children.
A recent story about Molly the bulldog taking in a litter of orphaned kittens tugged at the hearts of many. Owned by 84-year-old Elbert Bristow, Molly is a white English bulldog who had given birth to her own litter of puppies right around the time the kittens were born. When the mother of the kittens, which was also one of Bristow's pets, accidentally passed away, Bristow didn't know what to do. Molly, however, had no trouble taking action and instinctively responded to the 6-week-old kittens by nursing them. The kittens took to their new mother quickly and even began following her around and cuddling with her. Likewise, Molly took as much gentle care of the kittens as she had with her puppies.
Like human adoptions, animal adoptions are common. Zoologists have gotten help from pet dogs with breeding programs of endangered species like tigers and pandas. Having an adoptive mother allows the biological mother to be able to become pregnant again more quickly and gives the zoologists the chance to keep close track of the babies' health without fearing an angry mother. Piglets, panthers, chimps, and monkeys have been successfully raised by dogs as well. Dogs make good adoptive moms because their milk can be digested by many animals. Thanks to these loving mothers, babies that are in need are getting all the love they deserve.
1. What is the main topic of this article?
(A) The effects of adoption on children in the US.
(B) Animals that adopt babies of other species.
(C) Elbert Bristow's many types of pets.
(D) Why having a family pet is good for children.
2. What happened to the kittens' mother?
(A) She was given away to another family.
(B) She became sick suddenly and inexplicably.
(C) She got lost and never came back.
(D) She was killed because of an accident.
3. According to the article, which is NOT an animal that has been adopted by dogs?
(A) Rabbits.
(B) Pigs.
(C) Chimpanzees.
(D) Pandas.
4. Why would zoologists choose to use an adoptive mother?
(A) Zoo animals are always aggressive with their babies.
(B) There's not enough room for a mother and her babies in the cage.
(C) The real mother will be able to have babies again sooner.
(D) It costs zoos less money.
精解字詞片語
1.various a. 各式各樣的
Nowadays, contact lenses come in various materials and colors.
時下的隱形眼鏡有各式各樣的材質及顏色。
2.take in... 收留……
The family took in three exchange students last year.
那個家庭去年收留了 3 名交換學生。
3.orphan vt. 使成孤兒 & n. 孤兒
orphanage n. 孤兒院
Five-year-old Bruce was orphaned when both his parents died in an accident.
5 歲的布魯斯雙親在一場意外中喪生，使他成了孤兒。
4.tug at sb's heart 觸動某人的心弦
= tug at sb's heartstrings
The sight of the starving child crying tugged at my heartstrings.
看到那飢餓的小孩在哭讓我很心疼。
5.take action 採取行動
The government took immediate action to stop the disease from spreading.
政府採取立即的行動來阻止疾病擴散。
6.respond vi. 回答；作出反應（與介詞 to 並用）
Police responded to the 119 call within five minutes.
警方接到 119 的電話後，於 5 分鐘內便作出反應。
7.take to... 喜歡……
Allen took to his new teacher from the very first class.
艾倫從第一堂課就喜歡上新老師了。
8.adoption n. 收養，領養
adopt vt. 領養，認養
The couple couldn't have children of their own, so they resorted to adoption.
那對夫婦因為不能生育，所以求助於領養。
Sue is in the process of adopting two children from India.
蘇正在辦理領養兩名印度孩童的手續。
9.breeding n. 繁殖
breed vt. 飼養，繁殖
The breeding of fish as pets has its origins in China.
將魚飼養用來當寵物源自中國。
10.keep track of... 記錄……；追蹤……
The nurse kept track of the patient's temperature.
護士把病人的體溫記錄下來。
11.digest vt. & vi. 消化
Protein and fat are digested slowly and therefore stay in the stomach longer.
蛋白質和脂肪消化得慢，所以待在胃裡的時間比較久。
12.be in need 在窮困（困難）中
Jill helped me out when I was in need.
在我窮困時，吉兒幫了我一把。
13.give away sth 贈送某物
give sth away 洩露某事
give sb away 洩露某人身份
As a way to get people interested in our new product, we gave away free samples.
為了讓民眾對我們的新產品感興趣，我們贈送免費樣品。
It was supposed to be a surprise party, but the children gave the secret away.
那本來是一場驚喜派對的，但孩子們把計劃洩露了。
John said he wasn't scared at all, but his high-pitched voice gave him away.
約翰說他一點都不害怕，但他尖銳的聲音使他露餡了。
14.room n. 空間（不可數）
= space
I cleaned out the fridge to make room for the birthday cake.
我清理了冰箱，騰出空間來放生日蛋糕。
單字小舖
1.loving a. 慈愛的
2.statement n. 聲明
3.species n. 物種（單複數同形）
4.needy a. 貧窮的
= poor
5.bulldog n. 牛頭犬
6.a litter of... 一窩（小動物）
7.accidentally adv. 意外地
8.instinctively adv. 本能地
9.nurse vt. 照料；給……餵奶
10.cuddle vi. 依偎
11.likewise adv. 同樣地
12.zoologist n. 動物學家
13.an endangered species 瀕臨絕種的動物
14.an adoptive mother 養母
15.a biological mother 親生母親
16.pregnant a. 懷孕的
17.piglet n. 小豬
18.panther n. 豹；黑豹
19.chimp n. 黑猩猩
= chimpanzee
20.deserve vt. 值得
21.inexplicably adv. 無法說明地； 難以理解地
22.aggressive a. 有侵略性的；好鬥的
片語小舖
1.It is common to V ……是常見的
2.care for sb 照顧某人
= take care of sb
3.give birth to... 產下……
4.pass away 過世（die 的委婉語）
5.have no trouble V-ing 做……沒有困難
中文翻譯
基於種種原因，孩童有時會失去雙親。幸運的是，我們也常聽到這些孩童成功找到新家，還有慈愛的家人會照顧他們。雖然這看起來像是一段和人類善行有關的敘述，但我們並非世上唯一會收留貧困幼童的生物。
最近一則有關牛頭犬莫莉收養一窩無父無母小貓的故事就讓許多人為之動容。莫莉是現年 84 歲的亞伯特‧布里斯托所養的白色英國牛頭犬，大約在那些小貓出生的同時，莫莉自己也產下了一窩小狗。生下那些小貓的母貓也是布里斯托的其中一隻寵物，當牠意外過世時，布里斯托不知如何是好。然而，莫莉絲毫不以為意地採取了行動，牠本能的反應就是餵那些 6 周大的小貓喝奶。這些小貓很快就喜歡上了新媽媽，甚至開始到處跟著莫莉並依偎在牠身旁。而莫莉也同樣細心地照顧這些小貓，就如同照顧自己的幼犬一樣。
如同人類的領養，動物間領養的情況也很常見。動物學家在瀕臨絕種的老虎和熊貓育種計劃中就獲得了許多寵物狗的協助。有了養母，就能讓生母更快地再次懷孕，並讓動物學家有機會密切追蹤動物寶寶的健康狀態，而不用害怕母親被激怒。小豬、黑豹、黑猩猩及猴子也都曾成功地被狗養大。狗是很好的養母，因為牠們的母奶能被許多動物消化。多虧這些有愛心的媽媽，那些在患難中的動物寶寶才能獲得牠們所有應得的愛。
1. 本文的主旨是什麼？
(A) 領養對於美國孩童的影響。
(B) 收養其他物種幼獸的動物。
(C) 亞伯特‧布里斯托所養的多種寵物。
(D) 家中養寵物為什麼對小孩有好處。
題解：本文第 2 段介紹了一隻名叫莫莉的牛頭犬收養一窩無父無母小貓的故事，第 3 段也提及了如同人類的收養，動物間的收養也很常見，故 (B) 項應為正選。
2. 那些小貓的母親發生了什麼事？
(A) 她被送給另一個家庭。
(B) 她突然沒來由地生了一場病。
(C) 她走丟了，再也沒回來。
(D) 她因為一場意外而喪命。
題解：根據本文第 2 段，生下那些小貓的母貓也是布里斯托的其中一隻寵物，當牠意外過世時，布里斯托不知如何是好，可知答案應選 (D)。
3. 根據本文，哪一種動物未曾被狗收養過？
(A) 兔子。
(B) 豬。
(C) 黑猩猩。
(D) 熊貓。
題解：根據本文第 3 段，小豬、黑豹、黑猩猩及猴子也都曾成功地被狗養大，可知 (A) 項應為正選。
4. 動物學家為什麼會選擇使用養母？
(A) 動物園的動物對寶寶總是有侵略性。
(B) 籠內沒有足夠的空間讓母親和寶寶同住。
(C) 生母將可以更快地再度懷孕。
(D) 動物園可以少花一點錢。
題解：根據本文第 3 段，有了養母，就能讓生母更快地再次懷孕，可知 (C) 項應為正選。
答案：1. B 2. D 3. A 4. C
文法一點靈
比較 as much as... / as many as... 的用法
這兩個片語皆可與數字並用，用法如下：
a. as much as... （量）多達……
（用於表不可數名詞的涵義中）
John earns as much as NT$1,000 per
hour.
約翰 1 小時賺的錢多達 1 千塊新台幣。
注意
one thousand dollars 為複數名詞，但其所代表的是不可數抽象名詞 money，當修飾 money
時要說 much money，而非 many money，故用 "as much as + 表金錢單位的名詞"。
b. as many as + 數字 + 複數名詞
數目多達……
（用於表可數名詞的涵義中）
As many as 50 people were at the protest.
多達 50 人在抗議現場。
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