Many blind people use guide dogs to help them get safely from place to place and to warn them of danger. But what can blind people do if they are allergic(过敏的)to dogs or just don’t like them? For some people, the answer is provided by the Guide
Horse Foundation.
Janet and Don Burleson founded the organization in 1999. They began training miniature horses to help guide blind people. Miniature horses look just like regular horses, only much smaller. They are generally less than 34 inches tall.
Cuddles was the foundation’s first guide horse in full service(服务). She became 45-year-old Dan Shaw’s helper. Shaw has an eye disease and his sight is very poor. One night, while filling out a form to get a guide dog, Shaw heard a news story on TV about people training horses to guide the blind. Shaw loves horses and wanted a guide animal that would live a long time. He applied(申请), and a year later, Cuddles and Shaw began training as a team.
On a trip to New York, Cuddles helped Shaw safely tour Times Square, a very busy part of the city at night. The next day, Cuddles calmly rode the elevator with Shaw to the crowded top of the Empire State Building, a famous tall building. Cuddles even guided Shaw on the boat ride to the Statue of Liberty(自由女神像), and traveled on the subway system.
Shaw says that he is very lucky to have Cuddles. He believes that Cuddles has changed his life for the better by giving him the chance to do things himself and making him feel much more confident about himself.
The Guide Horse Foundation __________.
A.was set up by one person |
B.has different kinds of horses |
C.trains horses to guide blind people |
D.has a history of several hundred years |
According to the text, miniature horses __________.
A.live a shorter life than guide dogs |
B.are much smaller than regular horses |
C.are more friendly to people than dogs |
D.are different from regular horses in many ways |
We know from the text that Dan Shaw __________.
A.became blind at age 45 |
B.has a great love for horses |
C.heard about guide horses from a friend |
D.got a guide horse as soon as he applied |
Cuddles changed Dan Shaw’s life by __________.
A.making him famous |
B.helping to calm him |
C.giving him confidence |
D.helping him start an organization |
The text is written to tell us that __________.
A.special animals can help people do seemingly impossible things |
B.blind people are brave to face many challenges |
C.horses are better than dogs as guide animals |
D.New York City is a magical city |