Heaven-sent horse

江西南昌十六中 李斯玥

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难词探意

1.pasture/'pæstʃə(r)/n.牧场；草原

2.palomino/,pælə'miːnəʊ/n.帕洛米诺马

3.paddock/'pædək/n.小围场

4.mane/meɪn/n.鬃毛

5.equine/'iːkwaɪn/adj.马的

6.neigh/neɪ/v.马嘶鸣

I was worried about my black-and-white paint horse,Storm.Two weeks earlier herpasturemate,Lightning,had to be put down after breaking his leg.Since then,Storm hadn't been herself.She wasn't eating well and didn't want to run or socialize like she used to.She just stood listlessly in the pasture.She was heartbroken.I understood.I've loved horses all my life and losing one of them was like losing a piece of myself.

I set out to find Storm a new companion.Money was tight so buying a horse wasn't an option.I considered adopting one.I looked at a number of adoptable horses online but none seemed like the right fit.One day I was out buying grain.The store owner told me about apalominoshow horse that needed a retirement home.The horse's name was Kado,and he lived in Holland,Michigan,which was just 10 minutes away.I couldn't believe it.I had always wanted a palomino!

One spring afternoon I went to Holland to meet him.The owner took me to thepaddock.There stood Kado,his golden coat and whitemaneand tail burnished by the sun.I approached him slowly,not knowing how he might react to a stranger.To my surprise,he came right up to me,putting his nose so close and I could feel his breath,theequineway of saying hello.I gently greeted him back.Heneighed,and my heart said,“I love you.”

I visited him every week and our bond grew.It was time to bring Kado to my farm so he and Storm could meet.I led Kado to the pasture.The horses touched noses and sniffed each other briefly.Then Storm took off,running for the first time since Lightning's death.She was showing Kado around the pasture!They ran around the whole property together.I watched,crying.My girl was happy again and Kado was home.

Now Kado has settled in and grown closer to both Storm and me.As a matter of fact,he'll take apple slices straight from my mouth,something I've let all my horses do.In the winter-time,my sweet palomino,who doesn't keep much heat,knows to stand by Storm to warm up.They're the perfect pair.

I have no doubt God brought us all together.Every day I go out to the pasture and visit my beautiful horses.I'm thankful that Kado came into our lives when we needed him most.What means even more is that he needed us,too.

Reading Check

1.Why did the author adopt a horse rather than buying one?

2.Who told “me” that Kado needed a retirement home?

3.How did the author strengthen the relationship with Kado before bringing him home?

4.What does the underlined word refer to in paragraph 4?

5.How does Kado warm up in winter?

Language Study

Complete the following phrases according to the text.

1.since ________自那时起

2.set out _______do开始做某事

3.consider _______考虑做……

4.react _______对……作出反应

5.as matter of fact事实上