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By Saving Animals, We Save Our Souls 拯救動物 拯救心靈
by Igor Bagrov |
No living being should be treated like a hobby.
沒有任何一種生命應該被當成一種業餘愛好來對待。
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In Kansas, USA, there is an organization called Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary, a shelter not only for parrots, but for other house animals as well, such as chickens, ducks, pigs, cats, and even tortoises▼. _(1)_ They end up suffering a miserable life on the streets or die from hunger and neglect.
The shelter helped save a parrot named Javi, pronounced in Spanish as "Ha-vee," from meeting such a terrible fate. She was barely alive when she was brought to the sanctuary. Feathers usually protect birds from the cold, but her body was almost bare with just a few feathers on the neck and wings. _(2)_ She was fed on bananas and other fruit, and her health rapidly improved. _(3)_ Javi can now recognize her name and repeat it happily. The original owners called the bird Hobby, but the staff decided to rename her because they believe that no living creature should be a hobby.
Parrots behave in a very peculiar▼ way when they find themselves in danger or distress. _(4)_ Conversely, these unique birds learn quickly if they're surrounded by caring and loving people. It should be no surprise, then, that Javi learned to pronounce the magic words, "I love you."
_(5)_ Instead, we should all regard them as living beings that deserve respect and care, and for whose well-being we are responsible.
(A) The shelter workers made little woolen sweaters to keep the bird warm until her new feathers grew back.
(B) They try to injure themselves by plucking out their own feathers.
(C) Westerners refer to their pets as "he" or "she" and treat them as if they were people.
(D) Javi's touching story shows how we must treat our pets, since they are not toys to play with and to get rid of later when they are no longer interesting to us.
(E) Her progress was closely watched by a professional vet.
(F) Sometimes, irresponsible and cruel owners get bored with their pets and abandon them.
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- 第一題空格應選 (F)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "... a shelter not only for parrots, but for other house animals as well, such as chickens, ducks, pigs, cats, and even tortoises."（……這是一間不僅屬於鸚鵡，還有其他像是小雞、鴨、豬、貓且甚至是烏龜等家庭寵物的庇護所。），而 (F) 項的句子提及 "Sometimes, irresponsible and cruel owners get bored with their pets and abandon them."（有時候，不負責任且殘暴的飼主厭倦了自己的寵物便將牠們拋棄。），前一句的 house animals（家庭寵物）與 (F) 項句子 pets（寵物）互相呼應，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(F) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
a. irresponsible a. 不負責任的
It was irresponsible of Tracy to leave the children alone in the car.
崔西把孩子們獨自留在車中實在很不負責任。
b. get / be bored with... 厭倦於……
同: be tired of...
= be fed up with...
After a while, I began to get bored with my job.
過了一段時間，我開始對我的工作感到厭煩。
c. abandon vt. 拋棄，遺棄
- 第二題空格應選 (A)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及"Feathers usually protect birds from the cold, but her body was almost bare with just a few feathers on the neck and wings."（羽毛通常能讓鳥兒禦寒，但她的身體幾乎光禿禿的，僅有幾根羽毛殘留在脖子和翅膀上。），而 (A) 項的句子提及 "The shelter workers made little woolen sweaters to keep the bird warm until her new feathers grew back."（庇護所的社工製作小件的羊毛衫好為這隻鳥兒保暖，直到她長回新的羽毛。），前一句的 cold（寒冷）與 (A) 項句子的 warm（溫暖）形成對比，故產生關聯。
b. 根據上述，(A) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
woolen a. 羊毛製的
Grace knitted a woolen scarf for John.
葛瑞絲為約翰織了一條羊毛圍巾。
- 第三題空格應選 (E)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "She was fed on bananas and other fruit, and her health rapidly improved."（他們給她吃香蕉等其他水果，因而她的健康狀況迅速改善。），而 (E) 項的句子提及"Her progress was closely watched by a professional vet."（她的進展皆靠一位專業獸醫的密切看護。），前一句的improved（改善）與 (E) 項句子的 progress（進展，進步）互相呼應，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(E) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
professional a. 專業的 & n. 專業人士
反: amateur a. 業餘的 & n. 業餘人士
- 第四題空格應選 (B)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "Parrots behave in a very peculiar way when they find themselves in danger or distress."（鸚鵡在覺得自己身陷危險或感到憂傷的時候會以一種非常奇怪的方式來表達。），而 (B) 項的句子提及 "They try to injure themselves by plucking out their own feathers."（牠們會拔光自己的羽毛試圖自殘。），前一句的 peculiar way（奇怪的方式）與 (B) 項句子的 plucking out their own feathers（拔光自己的羽毛）互相呼應，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(B) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
pluck vi. & vt. 拔，拉；撥（弦）
衍: pluck up the courage to V 鼓起勇氣（做）……
Today, I finally plucked up enough courage to see the dentist.
今天我終於鼓足勇氣去看牙醫了。
- 第五題空格應選 (D)
理由:
a. 空格後一句提及 "Instead, we should all regard them as living beings that deserve respect and care..."（相反地，我們都應該把牠們當作值得尊重和關愛的生命……），而 (D) 項的句子提及"Javi's touching story shows how we must treat our pets..."（哈維的感人故事說明我們應當如何善待自己的寵物……），前一句的 regard（把……看作）與 (D) 項句子的 treat（對待）互相呼應，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(D) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
get rid of... 拋棄……；擺脫……
同: keep... off
I wish I could get rid of this nagging cough.
我真希望可以擺脫這煩人的咳嗽。
＊nagging a. 令人心煩的
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▼ tortoise n. 陸龜
衍: turtle n. 海龜
▼ peculiar a. 奇怪的 |
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- end up V-ing 最終，到頭來……
同: wind up V-ing
John fooled around and ended up achieving nothing.
約翰成天鬼混，到頭來一事無成。
＊fool around 遊手好閒，鬼混
- die from... 死於……（多指外傷或事故）
比較 die of... 死於……（多指疾病）
The girl died from head injuries.
這名女孩死於腦部創傷。
The renowned actress died of breast cancer.
那位知名女演員死於乳癌。
- regard A as B 視 A 為 B
同: see / view / look upon / think of A as B
I regard Uncle Bill as a real gentleman.
我認為比爾叔叔是位真正的紳士。
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- hobby n. 業餘愛好，嗜好
衍: pastime n. 消遣，娛樂
Wendy decided to turn her hobby into a lucrative sideline.
溫蒂決定把她的業餘愛好轉變為賺錢的副業。
＊lucrative a. 有利可圖的
sideline n. 副業
Vincent's favorite pastime is playing video games at home.
文森最愛的消遣就是在家打電玩。
- sanctuary n. 庇護所
- miserable a. 悲慘的，痛苦的
衍: misery n. 痛苦，悲慘
make one's life a misery 使某人的日子不好過
Jasmine looked miserable after being scolded by her boss.
潔思敏被老闆罵過後看起來慘兮兮的。
The man harassed his favorite singer and made her life a misery.
這名男子騷擾他最愛的歌手，把她的生活搞得一團亂。
＊harass vt. 騷擾
- fate n. 命運
同: destiny n.
衍: be the master of one's own destiny 作自己命運的主宰
Without determination and hard work, how can you be the master of your own destiny?
若無決心和努力，你怎能成為自己命運的主宰呢？
- barely adv. 幾乎無法；勉強地
I can barely hear Dylan's voice from here.
我從這裡幾乎聽不到狄倫的聲音。
- bare a. 光禿禿的；空的；赤裸的
Ken is capable of lifting a motorcycle with his bare hands.
阿肯可以徒手舉起一臺摩托車。
- staff n. 職員，員工（集合名詞）
衍: a staff of + 數字 有……名員工
= 數字 + staff members
This travel agency has a staff of 300.
= This travel agency has 300 staff members.
這家旅行社有三百名員工。
- distress n. 憂慮；悲痛，痛苦
We were all sympathetic to the refugees' distress.
我們對那些難民的痛苦都相當同情。
＊be sympathetic to... 對……表示同情
- deserve vt. 應得
No one deserves the MVP award more than Hank because the team couldn't have won without him.
漢克最應該得到最有價值球員獎，因為球隊沒有他就贏不了。
- well-being n. 幸福；健康；舒適
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拯救動物 拯救心靈
沒有任何一種生命應該被當成一種業餘愛好來對待。
美國堪薩斯州有一間名為高桿草鸚鵡庇護中心的機構，這是一間不僅屬於鸚鵡，還有其他像是小雞、鴨、豬、貓且甚至是烏龜等家庭寵物的庇護所。有時候，不負責任且殘暴的飼主厭倦了自己的寵物便將牠們拋棄。這些動物最終就會流落街頭過著悲慘的日子，或是因饑餓且無人照料而死亡。
這間庇護所幫忙拯救了一隻名叫哈維的鸚鵡（西班牙文發音為『哈維』，編按：在西班牙文中，字母 j 發 h 的音。），使牠免於遭遇這種可怕的命運。哈維被帶到庇護所時已奄奄一息。羽毛通常能讓鳥兒禦寒，但她的身體幾乎光禿禿的，僅有幾根羽毛殘留在脖子和翅膀上。庇護所的社工製作小件的羊毛衫好為這隻鳥兒保暖，直到她長回新的羽毛。他們給她吃香蕉等其他水果，因而她的健康狀況迅速改善。她的進展皆靠一位專業獸醫的密切看護。如今哈維能夠認得出自己的名字，還會開心地重複念誦。原飼主把這隻鳥兒取名為哈比（編按：哈比為音譯，實表業餘愛好之意。），但工作人員決定幫她重新命名，因為他們認為任何一種生物都不該是一種業餘愛好。
鸚鵡在覺得自己身陷危險或感到憂傷的時候會以一種非常奇怪的方式來表達。牠們會拔光自己的羽毛試圖自殘。反過來說，如果牠們周遭有懂得付出關愛的人在身邊，這些獨特鳥類的學習能力便會很強。所以哈維學會了發出『我愛你』這句具有神奇魔力的話語，這樣應該就不足為奇了。
哈維的感人故事說明我們應當如何善待自己的寵物，因為牠們既不是拿來嬉戲的玩具，也不是當牠們不再令人感到有趣時，隨後便可拋棄的玩具。相反地，我們都應該把牠們當作值得尊重和關愛的生命，且為牠們的幸福負起責任。
答案： 1. F 2. A 3. E 4. B 5. D
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