A Dog's Eye View of Man

If Man has benefited immeasurably by his association with the dog, what, you may ask, has the dog got out of it? His scroll has, of course, been heavily charged with punishments: he has known the muzzle, the leash, and the tether; he has suffered the indignities of the show bench, the tin can on the tail, the ribbon in the hair, his love life with the other sex of his species has been regulated by the frigid hand of authority, his digestion ruined by the macaroons and marshmallows of doting women. The list of his woes could be continued indefinitely. But he has also had his fun, for he has been privileged to live with and study at close range the only creature with reason, the most unreasonable of creatures.

The dog has got more fun of Man than Man has got out of the dog, for the clearly demonstrable reason that Man is the more laughable of the two animals. The dog has long been bemused by the singular activities and the curious practices of men, cocking his head inquiringly to one side, intently watching and listening to the strangest goings-on in the world. He has seen men sing together and fight one another in the same evening. He has watched them go to bed when it is time to get up, and get up when it is time to go to bed. He has observed them destroying the soil in vast areas, and nurturing it in small patches. He has stood by while men built strong and solid houses for rest and quiet, and then filled them with lights and bells and machinery. His sensitive nose has caught at one and the same time the bewildering smells of the hospital and the munitions factory. He has seen men raise up great cities to heaven and then blow them to hell.

1. Which of the sufferings of dogs has not been mentioned in this passage?

A. Dogs have to be shown on the stage.

B. Dogs have to obey their masters.

C. Dogs have the freedom to choose their mates.

D. Dogs don’t have the liberty to eat whatever they want.

2. At the end of the first paragraph, why the author indicates that dogs are privileged?

A. Because dogs can have fun with their masters.

B. Because dogs can eat lots of food.

C. Because dogs are pets to their masters.

D. Because dogs live with the only creature that are reasonable and the most reasonable.

3. Why the author says that dogs get out of more fun than men while they live together?

A. Because men are more laughable.

B. Because men are less laughable.

C. Because men don’t know how to enjoy life.

D. Because dogs know how to enjoy life.

4. What’s the implied meaning of this passage?

A. Men often say one thing and do another.

B. Human beings are not good masters.

C. Dogs have a better understanding of the human world.

D. Men don’t know the real meaning of life.

[Keys]

1. C，文章中提到his love life with the other sex of his species has been regulated by the frigid hand of authority，意思是狗狗们的伴侣选择也被控制在人类的权威之下。

2. D. 文章原句是狗狗们privileged to live with and study at close range the only creature with reason, the most unreasonable of creatures.即本题答案。

3. A. 文章中原句是for the clearly demonstrable reason that Man is the more laughable of the two animals，显然狗狗们得到更多的乐趣，因为人类显然是更加可笑的那个。

4. A. 文章主旨题。文章是一个简短的寓言，读完全文，可以知道作者表面在说从狗狗眼中看到的人类世界，实则抨击人类社会的丑恶现象，如说一套做一套，人前一套人后一套，虚假行事。所以选择A。

[Cultural Background]

“dog”在英语文化中是一个中性偏褒的词，如我们称别人是lucky dog(幸运儿)，clever dog(聪明人)等。与dog有关的习语还有：

dog eat dog    残酷无情的竞争；损人利己的角逐

top dog   有权有势的人（或团体，国家等）；巨头

Every dog has his day.    凡人自有出头日。

You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.    上年纪的人学不了新玩意。