Brownie and Spotty were neighbour dogs who met every day to play together. Like pairs of dogs you can find in any __36__, these two dogs loved each other and played __37__ so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their own houses.

One evening, Brownie’s family __38__ that Brownie hadn’t returned home. They went looking for him with no __39__. Brownie didn’t appear the next day, and, despite their __40__ to find him, by the next week he was still missing.

Curiously, Spotty __41__ at Brownie’s house alone, barking. Busy with their own lives, they just ignored (to pay no attention to) the __42__ little neighbour dog.

Finally, one morning Spotty __43__ to take “no” for an answer. Spotty followed Ted about, barking strongly, then running towards a nearby wood, as if to say, “__44__ me! It’s urgent!”

Ted followed the anxious Spotty. The little dog led the man to a __45__ spot a half mile from the house. There Ted found his beloved Brownie __46__, one of his hind legs stuck in a steel leg hold trap. Horrified, Ted now wished he’d taken Spotty’s earlier requirement __47__. Then Ted noticed something quite remarkable.

Spotty had done more than simply __48__ Brownie’s owner to his trapped friend. In a circle around the __49__ dog, Ted found some dog food---which was later __50__ as the remains of every meal Spotty had been fed that __51__!

Spotty had been visiting Brownie __52__, in a single-minded quest to keep his friend alive by offering his own comfort. Spotty had obviously stayed with Brownie to protect him from being hurt, snuggling (依偎) with him at night to keep him __53__ and touching him gently with its nose to keep his spirits up.

Brownie’s __54__ was treated by a veterinarian and he recovered. For many years afterwards, the two families watched the faithful friends frolicking (嬉戏) __55__ chasing each other down that well-worn path between their houses.

36. A. village B. story C. neighborhood D. film

37. A. together B. wildly C. separately D. happily

38. A. watched B. heard C. feared D. noticed

39. A. hope B. success C. failure D. information

40. A. wishes B. demands C. efforts D. worries

41. A. went up B. showed up C. took up D. put up

42. A nervous B. eager C. angry D. clever

43. A. decided B. refused C. wanted D. pretended

44. A. Love B. Hit C. Forgive D. Follow

45. A. beautiful B. distant C. wild D. clean

46. A. alive B. dead C. brave D. sleepy

47. A. immediately B. seriously C. directly D. honestly

48. A. asked B. ordered C. informed D. led

49. A. injured B. defeated C. frightened D. worried

50. A. regarded B. determined C. recognized D. showed

51. A. month B. day C. evening D. week

52. A. anxiously B. regularly C. sometimes D. calmly

53. A. fearless B. well C. warm D. hopeful

54. A. leg B. head C. body D. tail

55. A. but B. or C. so D. and

36—40 C A D B C 41—45 B A B D C 46—50 A B D A C 51—55 D B C A D