Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.

On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?

Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?

Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.

As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.

And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?

How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?

Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.

【小题1】What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Bring up.

B．Deal with.

C．Reflect on.

D．Look into.

【小题2】What happened to Flaco the owl after he was released from his cage?

A．He died a natural death.

B．He was caught and returned to the zoo.

C．He died from a collision with a building.

D．He lived a free life but faced many threats.

【小题3】What was the initial reaction of New Yorkers towards Flaco’s release?

A．They were excited and supportive.

B．They were worried about his survival.

C．They were indifferent and unconcerned.

D．They were angry and opposed to his release.

【小题4】What does the author want to convey through the story of Flaco?

A．The importance of protecting wildlife.

B．The risks and rewards of seeking freedom.

C．The value of overcoming challenges in life.

D．The need for more awareness about animal rights.