I’d like to share a little story with you about something that happened when I was four. I remember it clearly. Our loving family dog was nearing the end of his life. My father picked him up and put him in a little bed we had made for him. Our dog, my friend, whom we had cared for, bit (咬) my father when he tried to help him. How could he? Why? I couldn’t understand it. I didn’t like him anymore.
I hadn’t thought about that story for a long time, but something that happened last week brought it back to me. I went to speak with a friend. When I knocked on the door, I met an angry look and a few unkind words. When the door was slammed (砰地关上) in my face, I stood there shocked(震惊的), and suddenly, I was reminded of my dog biting my father 20 years ago or so. The same feeling of hurt brought that story back.
Both stories taught me something the next day. You see, when I got up in the morning and was told my dog had died, it became clear to me that he must have been in great pain. For him to have bitten a family member, he could not have been himself. Much the same for the other story when I learned that my friend had just lost his job the day before.
We are all living in our environments, our opinions and feelings. And all of those things can cause you to say and do things that can’t be understood by those who are not in the same situation with you.
If you meet someone either acting out of character or in a way that doesn’t seem to fit the situation, put out your hand and be patient when you think it is least possible for him to do so. You may turn around a story that has a sad ending simply by your actions.
【小题1】How old was the writer when his pet dog was nearing end of his life?【小题2】Did the dog bite the writer’s father when he tried to help him?
【小题3】What made the writer bring back the story of about 20 years ago?
【小题4】Why did the writer’s friend say unkind words?
【小题5】What does the story mainly tell us?
