Last year, my oldest son Matthew went off to college. Things at home were not as “busy” as they used to be. We still had our 15-year-old Gabriel with us, but we missed having Matthew around. My wife soon had a crazy idea.“Let's get a dog,”she told me. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, but agreed. I mean, what better way to replace a kid that has gone off to college than to get a dog?
When we got to the animal shelter, it seemed like every dog was a pit bull (比特犬). I’d had many bad experiences with pit bulls as a child, so I didn't want to take one of them home with me. While I walked along the rows and rows of cold metal cages, a dog caught my eye. He was scared, and looked like he'd given up on life. There was only one problem: he was a pit bull.
As he looked at me with his big, beautiful eyes, I could see into his soul. I could see how scared he was and that he just wanted a happy life. I couldn't just walk away—I had to at least go over and look at him. I approached his cage, and he just sat there, looking at me. I stuck my finger through the hole in the cage and petted him on the head. I expected him to get mad, but he didn't. I knew that this dog had never felt love before, and he was enjoying every bit of the love I could give him in that moment. Tears began to stream down my face because I felt everything that this poor creature was feeling right then. He just wanted to be loved; he just wanted a home and a family.
It's been a year since we took the dog home, and our lives have been changed forever. Now, his favorite thing to do is give us kisses with his giant tongue every morning. He is always there to greet us when we come home with a huge smile. He's shown us more love than any other living creature on Earth ever had before. And every time I look into his eyes, I see love, compassion and gratitude—things I never thought that a pit bull was capable of feeling.
24. How did the author react to his wife's idea of getting a dog?
A. He became excited.
B. He thought it was a bad idea.
C. He found it acceptable.
D. It made him feel angry.
25. Why did the author adopt the pit bull in the end?
A. His wife liked the dog a lot.
B. He found the dog was more active than the other dogs.
C. He found the dog was similar to one he used to own.
D. He found he could understand the dog's feelings.
26. What was the author and his wife's life like with the pit bull?
A. They lived a life full of love.
B. They found it hard to get along with him.
C. They missed having Matthew around even more.
D. They regretted adopting him.
27. What is the main purpose of the article?
A. To give advice on how to keep a pet.
B. To stress the benefits of keeping a pet.
C. To suggest people keep a pet of their own.
D. To share a warm story about adopting a pet.
 24—27 CDAD