Exercises
A. Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.
The main idea of the text is that _______. ( D )
(a) it was not easy for Buck, a dog from the south, to live in the north
(b) Buck, a dog from the south, began to learn lessons from the hard life in the north
(c) some people were evil enough to steal dogs and sell them for money
(d) Buck the dog was exposed to harsh experiences in the north
B. Comprehending the text.
Choose the best answer.
1. Buck was taken out of Mr. Miller's garden by the gardener ______. ( C )
(a) for a walk
(b) for a change
(c) for a deal
(d) for an evening out
2. When the fat man with a club called "red eyes", he was speaking to ______. ( D )
(a) a rabbit nearby with red eyes
(b) a man nicknamed "red eyes"
(c) Buck with sick eyes
(d) Buck with blood-shot eyes
3. One frightening surprise experienced by Buck was ______. ( A )
(a) Curly's sad death
(b) the meat in the fat man's hand
(c) the tent of Franois and Perrault
(d) the harness being taken off
4. The big, snow-white dog Spitz was seen by Buck ______. ( D )
(a) sharing in the killing of Curly
(b) crying over Curly's death
(c) tearing the tent of Francois and Perrault
(d) digging a hole for sleeping
5. Buck soon learned that Perrault and Franois ______. ( D )
(a) were as bad as the fat man who hit him with a club
(b) liked him as much as Mr Miller did
(c) knew only how to make dogs work for them
(d) were fair and honest men
6. The first night in the north Buck ______. ( C )
(a) couldn't find a safe place to sleep
(b) slept in a warm hole under the snow with Billee
(c) dug a hole and slept well in it
(d) slept with his masters
7. The end of the passage suggests that ______. ( C )
(a) the work was too hard for Buck
(b) all the dogs were working happily
(c) Buck didn't dislike the work he was doing
(d) Buck was working hard against his will
8. The author's primary purpose in telling this story is to ______. ( D )
(a) reveal some people's cruelty to animals
(b) remind us of the contribution of dogs in the exploitation of the north
(c) point out that dogs can also be good workers
(d) demonstrate how dogs, like humans, learn to adapt themselves to a new life
C. Understanding vocabulary.
Choose the correct definition according to the context.
1. Buck growled, and was surprised when the rope was pulled hard around his neck. ( D )
(a) became frightened
(b) felt pain
(c) was puzzled
(d) made a low, threatening sound
2. Then the rope was pulled again and Buck had to let go. ( D )
(a) give up
(b) worked
(c) weakened
(d) trembled
3. Again the club hit him and he crashed to the ground. ( A )
(a) fell violently and noisily
(b) rushed suddenly and speedily
(c) cried loudly and wildly
(d) climbed lazily and clumsily
4. "Well, Buck, my boy," he said in a friendly voice , "we've argued a little, and I think the best thing to do now is to stop." ( C )
(a) worked
(b) known each other
(c) quarreled
(d) misunderstood
5. Buck was beaten (he knew that) but he was not broken.( D )
(a) dead
(b) seriously injured
(c) losing courage
(d) crushed physically and mentally
6. Buck understood that a man with a club must be obeyed, although he did not have to be a friend. ( B )
(a) ruled
(b) listened to
(c) accepted
(d) recognized
7.One day was very like another, but Buck noticed that the weather was getting colder. ( D )
(a) could say
(b) felt
(c) thought
(d) saw
8.Two minutes later the last of the dogs was chased away.( A )
(a) driven off
(b) checked up
(c) pressed through
(d) caught
9. Growling, he threw himself at the snow, and a moment later, he had jumped upwards into the daylight. ( C )
(a) gave oneself up to
(b) rushed violently at
(c) significant
(d) remarkable
10. Neurohumoral processes of the brain are immensely intriguing to present-day research men. ( A )
(a) fascinating
(b) confusing
(c) given up hope
(d) stayed away
D. Discussing the following topics.
1. How do you understand the sentence "Buck was beaten (he knew that) but he was not broken"?
答案： With the words "beaten" and "broken", which give the effect of alliteration, this sentence contains profound meanings. Buck was fully aware that he was punished for his furious rebellion, clubbed cruelly by the fat man in a red coat. He was beaten up relentlessly, with bleeding wounds all over his body, but his spirit was not destructible at all. The wildness in him was still forceful enough to be developed in the northern wilderness. Outwardly Buck was now in a miserable shape and condition, but inwardly he maintained his firmness and steadiness.
2. What does the law of club and tooth mean?
答案： Here, of course, both club and tooth are used in their metaphoric sense. They are indicative of cutting and hitting, biting and beating, crushing and cracking, fighting and punishing. The law of club and tooth means that the rule in the wild north was that of coldness, toughness, harshness, and fierceness. There was no place for softness, or kindness, or gentleness, or politeness. Lenience had to give way to cruelty, friendliness to offensiveness, affection to indifference, tolerance to jealousy, sympathy to antipathy, love to hatred, generosity to hostility.
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