B
We’ve all heard the stories of an actor’s struggles before a career breakthrough: living a hard life, working part time, being a couch potato before getting that major role. Shelby, the star of “A Dog’s Way Home,” has a hard-luck tale that could top them all. Before her big break, she was living in a landfill, rooting through garbage for her next meal.
Shelby’s big break came in April 2017, when animal-control officer Megan Buhler was driving in Cheatham County. Tennessee. Out on an unrelated call, Buhler spotted and approached what she recalled was a noticeably scared puppy emerging from the dump. “I knelt down and just said, ‘Oh, come here, baby,’” said Buhler. “She was so scared, but she came right up to me, and I was able to put her in my truck.” The pair headed to the county animal shelter, where the staff began calling the new resident Baby Girl.
Buhler and others didn’t know that 3,200 kilometers away, Hollywood was looking for a dog to play Bella in a film written by Cathryn Michon. The find-a-Bella job went to freelance trainer Teresa Ann Miler. Her mission was to search shelters nationwide for a dog that could play Bella. One day, Miller spotted Baby Girl’s adoption photo. “Honestly, it was a really good picture, and she was flat-out smiling,” Miller said. Then she met Baby Girl, and assessed her on personality and the ability to respond to simple commands. After assessment, she adopted Baby Girl from the shelter, renamed her Shelby and took her to California for training. Miller and Shelby trained for just over three months before filming began. Then they were together each day on the set.
Most of the film’s reviews have praised Shelby’s performance. Variety made the comments “an amazing dog, perfect performance!”
Shelby has come a long way from the dump. But Buhler said she saw Shelby recently had needed only a second to compare the movie star with the dog she found from piles of trash. “She’s exactly the same,” Buhler said.
4 Why does the author mention an actor’s struggle before a career breakthrough at the very beginning?
A. To make a sharp contrast between an actor’s struggle and a dog’s struggle.
B. To introduce a dog’s similar but even more striking experiences.
C. To attract reader’s attention by giving dramatic examples.
D. To clearly point out the main idea of the passage.
5. What finally helped Baby Girl get the big role in the film?
A. Her adoption picture. B. Her flat-out smiling.
C. her personality and ability. D. Her miserable experiences.
6. By saying “She is exactly the same” in the last paragraph, Buhler probably means _______.
A. the dog returned to the piles of trash where she found it
B. it took quite a lot of trouble for the dog to change her own fate.
C. she’s really excited to see the dog she helped live such a happy life
D. the dramatic change of the dog’s life hasn’t changed her inner quality
7. What do you think may serve as the best title of the passage?
A. The Success of “A Dog’s Way Home”
B. From a Landfill Puppy to a Movie Star
C. The Trainer and Her Star Dog
D. Shelby’s Hard-luck Story
【答案】4. B 5. C 6. D 7. B
