Question

2018 is the Year of the Dog. Although dogs are seen as friends and part of the family today, China and Western countries have different cultural beliefs about dogs.

In Chinese, some words about dogs have derogatory meaning, such as “Lead a dog’s life.” In English, however, the situation is different. People use “every dog has his day” to describe a period of good luck, “work like a dog” to describe a hard worker and “a gay dog” to describe a happy person.

The dog-human relationship goes right back to the beginnings of Western civilization. Perhaps the most moving example is from the 8th century BC, in Greek poet Homer’s The Odyssey. When Greek hero Odysseus finally returns home after 20 years away at war, no one but his dog Argos recognizes him. The Argos is an old, sick dog, and is about to die; but he is overjoyed to see his owner again after so many years.

In fact, people were close to dogs in away they weren’t close to cows, pigs or even horses. Farmers worked closely with dogs. But even after science came to agriculture and dogs lost their traditional roles, the relationship between men and dogs remained.

Nowadays in the West, millions of people keep dogs as pets. They are at the heart of family life. People feed them, take them on holidays and look after them. In return, dogs are loyal in a way that friends sometimes aren’t. This loyalty is the origin of the English saying, “A dog is man’s best friend.”

1.Which may be a saying about dogs in China?

A. A gay dog. B. Lead a dog’s life. C. Work like a dog. D. Every dog has its day.

2.The story of Odysseus and his dog is moving because .

A. the dog will die in two years B. he is overjoyed to see his dog again

C. only the dog recognizes him after the war D. he returns home after twenty years away at war

3.What happened to dogs after science came to agriculture?

A. Farmers worked closely with dogs. B. They still kept their traditional roles.

C. People preferred pigs and horses to dogs. D. Men and dogs remained in good relationship.

4.What can we know from the passage?

A. All people keep dogs as pets in western countries. B. In fact, dogs may be more loyal than some friends.

C. Argos was a great Greek hero in the 8th century BC. D. China and England have the same beliefs about dogs.

Answer 1