Boo to the Rescue|狗儿听你说

Boo to the Rescue

by Rebecca A. Say

Sometimes, a dog is all that is needed to help someone out.

　　He may not stand out among the crowd, but Boo is a life-changer. It's not something he was trained to be. In fact, Boo was an extremely slow learner. His talents came naturally, which is why he's a great therapy dog for children with disabilities. There are many stories that make me proud of my dog Boo, but one in particular stands out.

　　One day, I got a call from a school teacher asking if Boo could help one of her students, Marc, who had selective mutism and had hardly spoken in his six years of life. I said it was worth a shot and added him to our session for kids with difficulties. On that day, everyone was excited, but Marc had an especially interested look on his face as I described how they could play with Boo. Then, when it was his turn to have time alone with Boo, he eagerly petted and hugged him. He even started mouthing words and whispering to Boo as he brushed his fur. As Marc left class that day, I saw a brightness in him that hadn't been there before.

　　Later that week, I got another call from Marc's teacher. She had heard from Marc's mother, and not only was the session with Boo a success, it had worked wonders. As soon as Marc got home, he happily opened up and told his mother every detail of his time with Boo. I was overjoyed. With each of the following sessions, Marc made progress. Today, he is as talkative as can be and is keeping up academically in school. I take no credit for the breakthrough with Marc because Boo was the one that helped him along. As I said, this wonderful animal is a life-changer.

     1.     What is the main idea of this article?

(A) A dog that rescues people from accidents.

(B) A dog that changed the life of an elderly couple.

(C) A dog that works with children to overcome difficulties in learning.

(D) A dog that can sense when people are going to pass away.

     2.     Why was Marc in need of special help?

(A) He didn't get along with any of his classmates because he had a short temper.

(B) He had a hard time getting his dog to behave properly.

(C) He was injured in an accident, which caused him to have a learning disability.

(D) He couldn't get over his shyness and thus rarely talked to his parents, teachers, or classmates.

     3.     Through whose perspective is this story most likely told?

(A) Boo the therapy dog's owner.

(B) Boo the therapy dog.

(C) Marc.

(D) Marc's teacher.

     4.     Who does Boo's owner think should take credit for Marc's breakthrough?

(A) Marc himself.

(B) Boo.

(C) Marc's teacher.

(D) Marc's mother.

狗儿听你说

有时候，如果想要帮助某人，唯一需要的就是一只狗。

　　小布可能称不上与众不同，但牠足以改变某人的一生。牠不是刻意被训练成那样的。事实上，小布学习事物的速度相当缓慢。牠的才华与生俱来，因此牠对残疾儿童而言是最棒的治疗犬。许多故事都让我以我的狗狗小布为傲，但其中有一则特别与众不同。

　　有一天，我接到一通来自学校老师的电话，询问我小布可否帮助她的学生马克，他患有选择性缄默症，出生 6 年来几乎从未开口过。我说这值得一试，可以把他放进我们为有障碍的儿童所设计的疗程中。当天，大家都很兴奋，但我谈到他们可以如何和小布玩时，马克的脸上流露出倍感兴趣之情。然后，轮到他和小布独处时，他热切地抚摸和拥抱牠。他甚至一边轻抚小布的毛，一边开始用口型示意和对牠低语。那天马克离开教室的时候，我在他脸上看到前所未见的光彩。

　　那个星期稍后，我又接到马克老师的电话。她收到来自马克妈妈的消息，原来那段与小布的疗程不但奏效，还缔造了奇迹。马克一回到家，便快乐地敞开心扉，巨细靡遗地将他与小布共度的时光描述给妈妈听。我真是乐极了。马克在接下来的每一段疗程也都有进步。如今，他可以畅所欲言，在校的学业表现也能跟上进度。马克的突破不是我的功劳，因为是小布帮助了他。就像我说的，这只美好的动物足以改变他人的一生。

答案： 1.   C   2.   D   3.   A   4.   B

 

　　狗狗是人类最好的朋友，但终其一生效忠主人的狗狗却常遭到丢弃，成为伤心的流浪狗。台湾动物辅助活动及治疗协会（简称台湾狗医生协会）成立Dr. Dog 训练中心，预计培育 1 百只流浪狗成为治疗犬，在经过 5 个月的训练课程后，这批治疗犬将定期探访老人。

　　无论是帮忙复健或安定情绪，动物疗法已被医界认同确有益处，而流浪狗成为治疗犬后，成功从社会的负担，转变为一股照顾老人的助力。此项计划完全没有犬种的限制，还特别挑选那些曾经受过伤害的流浪狗，让牠们重新找回对人类的信任，更重要的是，这些疗伤系狗狗安抚了每一位需要关爱的老人心灵。

（数据源：中时健康）