The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as fortable as possible.
A tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Why do you cry, Man?” the Cat asked. “Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The Man nodded “yes”.
“Pick up that piece of string from the floor. There, my ‘toy’. The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook his head.
“Close your eyes.” the Cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The Man widened his eyes in surprise. “Just do it,” the Cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string.”
Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed. The Man stroked(轻抚) the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.
One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely white cat. It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.
【小题1】Why did the Cat give the man a slightly annoyed look?A．Because the man’s tears made the Cat really anxious.B．Because the Cat didn’t know what made the man burst into tears.C．Because the Cat couldn’t go to sleep when the man was in low spirits.D．Because the man didn’t have to be so sad and concerned.【小题2】According to the text, which of the following is the reason why a cat licks paws?A．Licking paws can make a cat remain calm and have a clear mind.B．Licking paws will make a cat happy and energetic.C．Licking paws will make a cat find out many unknown secrets.D．Licking paws can make a cat stay tidy and healthy.【小题3】What does the underlined word “string” in paragraph 3 stand for?A．Life. B．Birth. C．Hope.D．Power.【小题4】What's the main idea of the passage?A．Pets play an important part in our life.B．Life has no end and death is just a new beginning.C．We should take a positive attitude towards life and live life to its fullest.D．It gives us some suggestions on how to relieve ourselves when a pet passes away.D
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(答案→)D
解析：本文通过猫的口吻告诉我们生命就是一个轮回，死亡是另外一个开始。人要正确面对着一切。
【小题1】D 推理题。根据第四段“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?可知cat对于主人的这种悲伤的情绪很不满意。认为他不必如此，故D正确。
【小题2】A 细节题。根据文章倒数第二段1,2行Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly.可知A正确。
【小题3】A 推理题。根据文章第四段“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string可知这里的string被比喻成生活，生活中生于死是轮回的。故A正确。
【小题4】B 推理题。根据“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string生活就是一个圆圈，死亡是一个新的开始，故B正确。