阅读理解
“Has anyone seen Charge?” I asked, only half expecting a
reply. The kids were running around the house, each doing their own thing, and
my husband was watching the football game. Since she had only been out of sight
for a few hours, I wasn't overly concerned. I thought she must be under one of
the kids' beds, hiding from all the mess that was normal for a Sunday afternoon
in our home.
①
Charge was not good-looking, to put it kindly. It wasn't her
fault; she was simply gifted with the worst appearance traits(特征)in her background.
My husband had found Charge wandering along the freeway one
day on his way home from work. She looked as though she hadn't eaten in weeks,
so he stopped and fed her with bits of his leftover lunch. Not knowing what to
do, he brought her home with the hope of finding her owners or at least a
loving family that would take her. However, once she was in the house, the kids
were determined not to let her go. After a day or two of begging, we
unwillingly gave in and told them we could keep her.
After observing her actions for days, I found she was
extremely distrustful and afraid of everyone. In time, though, she came to love
the kids and slept on their beds every night. I wondered if what she had
experienced had conditioned her to be protective of those who were hurting.
Every time the kids cried, Charge would run to them and gently offer her
comforting paw(爪子).
Unlike our cat, who had recently given birth to five kittens, Charge would have
been a great mother.
②
When I was finally able to get everyone's attention at the
dinner table, I asked again if anyone had seen Charge. After a unanimous(异口同声的)“No”, I decided to take a look around
the neighborhood.
③
“Charge!” I cried, because there she was in the closet! She
looked up at me from inside the little cats' box as if to say,“ Shhh, I just
got them to sleep!”
We usually kept the closet door open a bit so our mamma cat
could go in and feed her kittens, but she always left as soon as she finished
nursing. Obviously, Charge knew they needed more mamma time and was more than
willing to help out.
④
The kids smiled upon seeing the dog with the kittens. My
husband shook his head and said, “Only you, Charge. Only you!”
Charge continued to mother the kittens until they were
placed in their new homes. Charge may not have been an attractive dog, but she
truly had her inner beauty.