55-year-old Michael Smith spotted an injured baby bird lying on the roadside as he cycled home one evening in May. He picked up the tiny bird, now named Patch, and took him home, where he made him a little nest and fed him boiled eggs. Now he has recovered and is about 16 weeks old. Patch has spread his wings, but comes back to his rescuer when Michael calls.
Bird and man have such a close relationship that Patch gives his friend little beaky kisses and hitches lifts (搭便车) on his bike rides and walks. Michael loves Patch so much that he even slept in the open air one night when his feathered friend didn’t come out of a tree.
Michael, an ex-builder from Malvern in Worcestershire, said, “I love nature and animals, so I couldn’t leave him injured in the wild. He’s like my best friend now, and I spend as much time with him as possible. He is the talk of the town, and if I am not with him, everyone is asking after him.”
Michael thought Patch, who he thinks is a boy, had been attacked by another animal when he found him with a broken wing. After living in an old pigeon box Michael got from a friend, and being fed boiled eggs, bread and milk, Patch took four weeks to recover the use of his wing. Michael still feeds Patch worms, and fruit like cherries and grapes, but the now-recovered bird catches moths for himself.
Patch lives in a nest that Michael built in the garden, but comes in for playmates and occasional sleepovers (在外过夜) in the house Michael shares with his 78-year-old mother Mary.
Michael said, “People call me the bird whisper, or birdman of Malvern. It came quite naturally to me. And I remember all these tales I’ve heard about people rescuing birds and forming a bond. I was quite well known around here but I am even more so now: it’s a lovely thing to be known for it. Having him is such a lovely thing to happen.”
【小题1】How did Michael Smith treat Patch after finding him lying on the road?| A．He brought him home and fed him. |
| B．He handed him to a relevant department. |
| C．He did an operation on his wings by himself. |
| D．He had its wings treated in a pet hospital. |
| A．Patch was left injured in the nest. |
| B．He wanted to find Patch and take hold of him. |
| C．Patch sat in a tree and didn’t visit him. |
| D．He found Patch had spread his wings and flown away. |
| A．How Patch was attacked by another animal. |
| B．How Michael helped Patch get well again. |
| C．How Patch managed to catch moths for himself. |
| D．How Michael found a pigeon box for Patch to live in. |
| A．He lives with his mother who is old. |
| B．He hates it when Patch gives him a kiss. |
| C．He asked somebody to make a nest for Patch. |
| D．He is a construction worker and will retire soon. |
