I never wanted a dog, but now I'm so glad I have one. About two years ago, my wife, Cathy, got a little dog with a face only a mother could love. We named her Gertie.
Gertie is the kind of dog that has to grow on you. So I dicided that the dog would be trained. This didn't quite go as planned. At 15 weeks old, she was nearly made to leave the Petsmart Training School. She spent every night lying in our bed-snoring (打鼾)so loudly that I hardly got a good night's sleep.
Then, about six months after she arrived, I felt that something in my heart was taking place, and I was unable to stop it. My behaviour(行为方式)began to change. I began to smile at people when passing them in a street. I returned(招手)from neighbours. I started calling my kids, and to my surprise, they started calling me. I even tried to speak to my grandchildren over the phone once. I even was glad to listen to laughter from a 10-month-old granddaughter. The point is that I was changing.
My wife and I both agree that it is Gertie who has changed my behaviour. Gertie is now nearly two years old and almost fully grown.I have come to like the pet little by little, though she is my wife's dog.
小题1:What did the man think of the dog at the beginning?
A．It looked very beautiful.
B．It wasn't very lovely.
C．It wasn't necessary to be trained.
D．It could change his life.小题2:When did the man's behaviour begin to change?
A．About two years ago.
B．When Gertie was nearly two years old.
C．When Gertie was 15 weeks old.
D．About six months after Gertie arrived.小题3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the man's change?
A．He began to smile at people
B．He liked helping his neighbours.
C．He started calling his kids.
D．He spoke to his grandchildren over the phone.小题4:What can we learn from this passage?
A．The dog has been trained very well.
B．The man has become more confident.
C．The man has become more friendly.
D．The man likes the dog better than his wife.
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:B
小题4:C
题目分析：这篇短文描述了一家的女主人得到一只可爱的小狗。在和这只小狗的接触中让自己家的男主人发生了改变，成为一个对人友好的人。
小题1:根据got a little dog with a face only a mother could love.得到一只小狗，长着一张只有母亲才会喜欢的脸。可知他认为这只小狗很可爱。故选B。
小题2:根据about six months after she arrived,……My behaviour(行为方式)began to change.描述,可知选D。
小题3:根据短文描述可知没有提到有关帮助邻居的事情，故选B。
小题4:根据短文第三段的描述，可知这位男主人变成了一个对人友好的人，故选C。
点评：本文浅显易懂，各个小题都能在文中找到适当依据。只要认真阅读短文，注意前后联系，就能顺利完成阅读。文章所设试题主要考察细节查找，做题关键是找出原文的根据，认真核查小题和原文的异同。