Marie Williams，from West Mersea，Essex，said，"We were thinking about getting a dog but when we saw Alice was deaf，we just couldn't believe it. She was so beautiful and the fact that she was deaf just made us fall in love with her even more-we knew that she would fit right into our family. When we went to visit her at the centre，I had tears in my eyes because she was so attractive and we developed a special relationship at once."

　　Julie Stone，manager of the Blue Cross，said，"It was amazing to see how Marie，Mark and their children immediately got along well with Alice and how they knew just how to get her attention. They are an excellent match and Alice has found the perfect home where I know she'll get love."

　　The Blue Cross，which depends completely on public donations (捐助)，rehomes thousands of dogs，cats，horses，and other small animals every year through its network of adoption centres.

　　1．Marie Williams had her first son at the age of ________.

　　A．25　　　　B．28 C．30 D．36

　　2．Marie Williams and Mark Morgan adopted Alice because ________.

　　A．they could get along well with a deaf dog B．they wanted to teach her some sign language

　　C．their children wanted to have a dog as their friend

　　D．they needed a dog and also had pity on beautiful Alice

　　3．What can we learn about the Blue Cross?

　　A．It mainly adopts sick animals. B．All its money comes from public donations.

　　C．It earns money mainly by selling all kinds of pets.

　　D．It regularly receives money from the government.

　　4．It can be learned from the passage that a deaf dog ________.

　　A．is good at learning sign language B．is clever enough to learn all orders

　　C．can be trained and become a wonderful pet D．can easily get along well with deaf people

　　Ⅳ.完形填空

　　My old neighbour Dr Gibbs didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. When Dr Gibbs wasn't __1__ lives，he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres，and his life's __2__ was to make it a forest.

The good doctor came from "no pains，no gains" school of gardening. He had some __3__ theories about plant management.He __4__ watered his new trees.Once I