on Tubby's back. All went well until the snap of the camera shutter sent Tubby charging off on a run, with me holding on for dear life.

　　I lasted for about 30 feet before I hit the ground. Mom was quick enough to shoot a follow-up picture, so we had photos of me both on and off Tubby!

　　When summer had passed, the day arrived for poor Tubby to fill our freezer. I must have been somewhere else with my Mom on the fateful day, because I have no memory of how it happened. All I knew was that the barn was empty, and that we had plenty of meat for dinners.

　　I hadn't lived on a farm like my mother, so I didn't understand that what happened to Tubby was not unusual. Livestock aren't meant to be pets, and most farm kids know and accept that truth.

　　Whenever we had beef for dinner, I would tearfully, "Is this Tubby?" This went on for a couple of weeks until Dad had finally had enough and declared, "No more cows!" That made me feel a little better about poor Tubby.

4. The writer's parents bought Tubby so that ____.

A. the family would have enough meat to eat

B. It would provide their children with milk.

C. they would have more cows in the future

D. they would no longer feel lonely on the farm.

5. Which word can be used to describe the author's mom?

A. Serious. B. Strong-willed.

C. Careless. D. Quick-minded.

6. We learn from the passage that _____.

A. Steve was not so fond of Tubby as his younger brother.

B. the author's mom thought it natural to kill a cow for meat.

C. the author had much trouble with Tubby in the summer.

D. the author was pleased to see their freezer filled with beef.

7. We can most probably read the text above in a website on ____.

A. pets B. education

C. diet D. animals