驯犬员出书悼念逝世的医疗犬

人们最初只是驯化犬进行捕猎，然而在长期的共处中，人们不断根据犬的天赋，将它们派上新的用场。近几年来，科学家根据犬与人强烈而特殊的依恋性，以及犬天赋的敏感性，训练医疗犬来协助医生治疗疾病。

医疗犬最突出的作用是心理治疗，主要选择那些性格随和、外貌可爱的狗训练而成。自闭症患者拒绝与他人沟通，但他们并不拒绝可爱的小狗。在与医疗犬的接触和玩耍中，患者开始逐渐培养起信心。犬天生善于与人类交流，当患者对医疗犬说话时，犬会盯着讲话者的面部，它们的听觉非常灵敏，会根据讲话者细微的音调变化、语速差别做出各种表情。当患者讲到激动开心处，医疗犬还会兴奋地用力摆动尾巴表示高兴，给自闭症患者以鼓励，而这一切都是人类医生很难做到的。

News Background新闻背景(Until his recent death at the age of 19, Baxter was America’s oldest working therapy dog,visiting patients in hospitals and hospices. In a new memoir, Moments with Baxter, MelissaJoseph shares stories about her trained assistance dog.)Baxter was about two years old when Melissa Joseph adopted him, and she and the goldenretriever-chow mix spent the next 17 years together.

At the time, Joseph says, she didn’t realize she was grooming and training Baxter to becomea therapy dog. (That happened eight years later.)News Item12Step by Step词汇加油站1 To get Baxter certified as a therapy dog, Joseph had to make surein all sorts of situations, and with all sorts of people. Then, hestarted a mission that at San Diego Hospice, which cared forpeople with terminal illnesses.

2 Which statement about Baxter is right? ( )A. Baxter was America’s oldest working therapy dog.

B. Baxter was about two years old when Melissa Joseph adopted him.

C. Melissa Joseph and the golden retriever-chow mix spent the next 17 yearstogether.

D. All of the above are right.

3 In the following descriptions about Baxter, which is not right? ( )A. One little boy who is 6 years old didn’t speak with anybody but all of thesudden, he started talking to Baxter.

B. Joseph says working with her therapy dog was so boring that she did not planto continue.

C. Joseph didn’t realize that she could train Baxter to become a therapy dog atthe beginning.

D. Baxter died at the age of 19.

To get Baxter certifi ed as a therapy dog, Joseph had to make sure he was comfortablein all sorts of situations, and with all sorts of people. Then, he started a mission that lastedmore than eight years at San Diego Hospice, which cared for people with terminal illnesses.

Baxter also connected with children, including one six-year-old boy, Josephrecalls. This little boy didn’t speak with anybody but all of the sudden, he startedtalking to Baxter. “I think it’s just the magical power of that love that’s for free.”

Such unconditional love and comfort, Joseph explains, is what makes therapydogs able to connect with people regardless of how young or how old they are.

Joseph says working with her therapy dog was such a rewarding experience that she plansto continue. She is looking for another dog she can train to become her next healing hero.

therapy n.

治疗，疗法hospice n.

收容所，养老院retriever n.

寻猎犬certify v.

颁发（或授予）专业合格证书terminal a.

晚期的recall v.

回忆，回想unconditionala. 无条件的，绝对的rewarding a.

值得的，有益的Listening Comprehension听力理解

1. he was comfortable; lasted more than eight years2. D 3. B Key