The goose has made a comeback 天鹅归来

李恒

多年前，“我”與家人用爱呵护着被留下的小天鹅。多年后，天鹅归来了。它教给了“我”什么呢？

1 In 2000， all my family were coming back from a T⁃ball game. Unlike every other weekend， a surprise was waiting for us in our driveway—two adult geese and a small goose. Obviously startled by our return， the adults flew away in panic， with their baby left behind.

2 Hours passed before night eventually fell. It was apparent that the gosling needed protection， warmth and food to make it to the morning. We brought him to our backyard.

3 We slept with one eye open till morning came. And then another morning. And still another. Each morning， we would try to drive the goose away to his parents， who kept coming back to our yard. He wouldnt go to them， though， and neither would they come close enough to take him back. Realizing the young goose had clearly decided we were his family by then， we gave him a name， calling the little guy Peeper.

4 A year passed and we settled into a routine. Days turned into weeks， and weeks turned into months. Before we knew it， the little creature had grown into a big bird with two powerful wings. One day， when Dad threw Peeper into the air， he just flew away and didnt come back. With night falling， all of us became increasingly worried. We looked for him， called his name， and even peeped like him， anxiously expecting his return. But he never appeared again. It took a long time before we accepted the fact that he was missing. We could only pray he found his parents and went off on his natural way.

5 It came as a total surprise to me when， in 2019， an adult goose made his way back to my family home. He did all of the same things Peeper used to do！ Much to my surprise， he even responded to the name Peeper. It became clear to me that my old best friend had returned many years later.

6 This experience has been as meaningful to me as anything in my life. Looking beyond our reach high in the sky， birds have feelings like human beings， so do many other living things. We human beings should learn to get along well with them. We need each other's care and protection for a better world.

[Reading][Check]

Choose the best answers according to the text

Vocabulary    1. What does the underlined word “startled” in Para. 1 probably mean？

A. Puzzled.      B. Excited.      C. Delighted.      D. Frightened.

Detail 2. Why did the author and his family take the gosling to their backyard？

A. To take care of him.    B. To keep him as a pet.

C. To find food for him.    D. To obesrve him closely.

Inference    3. How did the author's family feel when they set Peeper free according to paragraph 4？

A. Anxious and sorrowful.           B. Relieved and happy.

C. Helpless and lonely.            D. Surprised and lost.

Inference    4. What does the author intend to tell us by this text？

A. Its never too difficult to raise a goose.

B. Love can work wonders and get repaid.

C. One never knows what will happen in the future.

D. Being friendly to creatures makes a harmonious world.

[Language][Study]

Discover useful structures in the text

1. It be apparent that...意為“显然……”，it在句中充当形式主语，代替that引导的主语从句。

It was apparent that the gosling needed protection， warmth and food to make it to the morning. 很明显，小天鹅需要保护、温暖和食物才能挨到早晨。

2. It takes a long time before...意为“过了好久才……”。

It took a long time before we accepted the fact that he was missing. 我们花了很长时间才接受了他失踪的事实。

3. It comes as a total surprise to sb when...意为“当……时，某人非常惊讶”，句中的it指代when引导的整个句子的内容。

It came as a total surprise to me when， in 2019， an adult goose made his way back to my family home. 2019年，当一只成年天鹅回到我家时，我非常惊讶。

4. It becomes clear to sb that...意为“某人很清楚……”，it在句中充当形式主语，代替that引导的主语从句。

It became clear to me that my old best friend had returned many years later. 我很清楚，我最好的老朋友多年后又回来了。