高中英语教学：Local Hero.docx

Local Hero —By?Jeanna C. Godfrey? ? A meow massages the heart.——Stuart McMillan ? Tripod’s story started one spring morning as I was finishing morning surgery at the veterinary clinic I owned. I was writing up medical records of the surgery patients when my receptionist stuck her head into my office. “Dr. Godfrey, sorry to interrupt, but there’s a lady on the phone who says she just found a cat in her back yard with a badly injured leg.” “I’ll take the call,” I said, picking up the phone on my desk. “This is Dr. Godfrey. How can I help you?” “Doctor, I apologize for calling, but I don’t know what to do!” The women’s voice quivered. “There’s a big tomcat lying outside my back door with a mangled front leg. The poor thing looks terrible, but I’m not really a cat person, and I’m afraid to pick him up.” “Do you have any idea who might own him?” I asked. “Do you see any collar or tag on him?” “I didn’t get close enough to check for sure, but I don’t see any obvious collar.” The woman was close to tears. “I really think he must be a stray. He’s not been neutered, and he has some old scars on his head. The poor thing…” I assured the lady I was more than willing to help and I took down her address. It was only about ten minutes away. “I have two pre-vet students in the clinic today. I’ll send them right out to pick up the cat.” I went up front and explained the situation to the students. “If the cat’s wild, you may not be able to get close to him. But from what the woman said, he sounds pretty sick, so he may not be able to get away.” They eagerly accepted the challenge and ran to the clinic truck. I went back to my recordkeeping, but it wasn’t long before I heard the students returning with my newest patient. “Boy, Dr. G, we had to drive with the windows down because the smell from that leg is so bad. This guy’s in pretty bad shape.” We gently removed the large gray tabby from the carrier and placed him on a warm towel?on the exam table. He lay very still, his breathing ra