外刊真题题源泛读3:专职宠物运输师Merebeth的暖心公路之旅(A篇题源 2022年1月浙江首考全卷)

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外刊泛读：专职宠物运输师Merebeth的暖心公路之旅（A篇题源2022年1月浙江首考全卷）

私家英语

一、基础信息

二、主要内容

本文讲述了65岁的美国自由职业者梅雷贝丝·维特的小众职业故事。2000年代末金融危机导致她失业后，一次偶然的小狗救助经历，让她开启了专职宠物长途运输的职业生涯。十余年来，她独自驾车穿梭美国各地，为宠物主人、救助中心、繁育者提供一对一专属宠物运输服务，避免宠物承受飞行的应激创伤。文章既讲述了她运输各类宠物的暖心趣事、工作中的挑战与治愈瞬间，也介绍了这份职业的由来、工作模式与收入特点，同时展现了她热爱动物、向往自由、忠于本心的人生态度，诠释了以热爱谋生、治愈自我与他人的生活方式。

三、英文原文（820词）

There’s one pet that Merebeth Veit can never forget. He’s a little French bulldog called Harley. A young couple from San Francisco found him online. He was at an animal rescue centre in St. Louis, Missouri, so they employed Merebeth to transport him by car to their home in California.

“I got so attached to that dog,” says Merebeth, wistfully. “I’ve got a tonne of pictures of him – super sweet.” Harley was one of her better behaved clients, so he had the honour of graduating from his portable kennel to a makeshift bed on the passenger seat. Together they travelled on a road trip through Colorado, Utah and northern Nevada. Merebeth felt mixed emotions when Harley was safely delivered to his new owners. “I told them that if for whatever reason things didn’t work out, I would drive back and collect Harley to look after him myself. After three nights travelling together I was so in love. It’s happened a few times.”

For nearly a decade now, Merebeth, 65, has been a self-employed pet transport specialist, travelling the length and breadth of the United States. She estimates that she drives 60,000 miles (100,000km) a year, moving about 100 pets. With her husband she lives in a town called Mountain Rest, in South Carolina, but her life is punctuated by these solo journeys. “I’ve done hamsters, cats, dogs of all sizes,” she says. “I haven’t done snakes, but I have done a turtle. I’ve done two guinea pigs. Oh, I took some angora rabbits to Minneapolis a few years ago.”

These are often animals spotted online, whose new owners want them delivered to their home, without subjecting them to the trauma of flying. Or it may be that the clients are forced to move for work – often it’s a military family, and the pet will be temporarily kept with a friend or family member.

A number of bigger businesses exist to transport pets long distances across the US. They usually depart on set dates, like a bus service, so they can find enough pets to take as a group. Merebeth’s more informal service comes at a premium, but provides one-on-one attention and can be organised at short-notice.

One of the highlights of the job, says Merebeth, is simply standing back quietly and watching while pets are reunited with their owners – with tears in her eyes.

Merebeth’s pet transport job was born of the financial crisis in the late 2000s. The downturn hit the real estate firm where she had worked for a decade as an office manager, and left her looking for a new job. Fate intervened, in the form of a dog.

Driving near her home, she saw a puppy wandering on the road, clearly lost. She stopped and took it to the nearest house, and learned that the dog was one of six. Sensing that the owner didn’t care about them, she persuaded him to let her have the litter. She took four to a shelter and the other two back to her own home. Her sister in Denver agreed to take one of them. This was a loving home for sure, but 1,600 miles away. It didn’t take long for Merebeth to decide to drive the dog there herself. It was her first canine road trip assignment.

“It’s a win-win, you see,” says Merebeth. “I love animals and I love to drive.” Merebeth enjoyed the experience so much she wanted to do more, so she tapped into a popular US website called UShip. It’s an online marketplace where people list items they need delivered, and others bid for the right to carry out the job in an auction. The object to be shipped might be a 10-tonne boat, or a 4kg tabby cat. Merebeth built up a five-star user-feedback rating, focusing on animal jobs. Over time she also developed relationships with breeders and rescue centres, who recommended her services. The car she bought in 2011 to use for pet transporting is now worn, with 334,000 miles on the clock.

Not all pets are model passengers like her beloved Harley. Merebeth recalls a tricky cat that bit her hand when she tried to open its cage – she bled profusely and had to get bandages from a local pharmacy. No dog has ever bitten her, she reflects. There was also a rescue cat called Traveller, who would only stop miaowing when the car was stationary. She phoned the rescue centre to check whether the name had been a joke.

She typically sleeps in the car with the animals, because it’s easier than taking them into hotels, where people may complain. Driving can become monotonous, especially on well known routes, but podcasts help to pass the time, she says. “With the pets it’s like I’m not alone,” says Merebeth. “Sometimes if they are nervous I talk to them, or put music on. A lot of the time the animals may be fussy at first, but once they are used to the rhythm of the car, they just sleep.”

The easiest customers are hamsters. “I once took two hamsters from Springfield, Virginia to Blairsville, Georgia. They were those teddy bear hamsters, really cute. Sometimes with these jobs I think I should pay these people – I didn’t need to do anything for them.”

The only thing that will interrupt her journeys – aside from exercise breaks for the dogs – is the sight of an animal in distress. She has rescued more than 30 cats and dogs, taking them to nearby shelters. She keeps four rescued pets of her own in South Carolina, including Millie, the lost dog who inspired her work.

Her love of animals comes from her upbringing, she thinks. She was raised in a suburb of Los Angeles that was far from rural, but as well as cats and dogs, her family kept chickens and a lamb – she raised rabbits, at the age of 10. All her siblings remain huge pet-lovers.

Merebeth’s pet delivery service also satisfies her desire to explore. It has taken her to every state in the US bar Montana, Washington and Oregon (and Alaska and Hawaii) she says proudly. If she wants to visit a new place, she will simply find a pet with transport needs there. There is also a thrill in battling the elements, she says. “I’ve driven through 55mph winds in Wyoming, heavy flooding and thunderstorms in Alabama and total whiteout conditions in Kansas.” A few times she’s had to outrun a storm. After a completed mission, she will treat herself to a hike or two.

This wanderlust is inherited from her father, she says. He moved their family from Canada to California when she was one year old, because he wanted them to explore a new place together. “My mom was always more of the homebody,” she says. “I’m glad I got my dad’s genes.” As soon as she graduated from high school she left home to live on Catalina Island on the Californian coast, away from her parents, where she enjoyed a life of sailing and off-road biking.

It turns out that pet transporting pays quite well at about $30,000 (£23,000) per year before tax. She doesn’t work in summer, as it would be unpleasantly hot for the animals in the car, even with air conditioning, she says. Instead she does seasonal work, cleaning holiday rental properties near her home. Every year, as autumn approaches, she says she feels “antsy” – the same old wanderlust returning. It’s a call she must heed alone, though.

“My husband has no interest in being on the road and works pretty much all the time, though he loves animals,” Merebeth says. “I’m sure he misses me, and I miss him too, sometimes. But when I’m on the road I’m just in my own world. “I’ve always been independent-spirited and I just feel compelled to help animals.”

四、生词中英文梳理

五、全文中文翻译

有一只宠物，是梅雷贝丝·维特永远无法忘怀的。它是一只名叫哈利的小法斗。旧金山的一对年轻夫妇在网上看中了它，当时它待在密苏里州圣路易斯的一家动物救助中心。于是，这对夫妇聘请梅雷贝丝开车，将小狗运送至他们位于加利福尼亚的家中。

“我特别喜欢这只小狗。”梅雷贝丝满心留恋地说，“我存了超多它的照片，特别可爱。”哈利是她运送过的最乖的宠物之一，也因此获得了特殊待遇，从便携狗笼升级到了副驾驶的临时小床。她们一路相伴，穿越科罗拉多州、犹他州和内华达州北部。当哈利平安交到新主人手中时，梅雷贝丝的心情五味杂陈。“我跟他们说，无论以后出现什么问题，要是他们没法继续饲养哈利，我会立刻开车回去接它，亲自照顾。相处的三个夜晚，我彻底爱上了这只小家伙。这种心动的感觉，已经发生过好几次了。”

今年65岁的梅雷贝丝，已经做了近十年的自由职业宠物运输师，足迹遍布美国各地。她估算自己每年驾车行驶6万英里（约10万公里），接送约100只宠物。她和丈夫居住在南卡罗来纳州的芒廷雷斯特小镇，但独自长途运输的旅程，贯穿了她的生活。“我运送过仓鼠、猫咪、各种体型的狗狗，”她说，“没接过蛇类，但送过乌龟、两只豚鼠。几年前，我还送过几只安哥拉兔子去明尼阿波利斯。”

这些宠物大多是网友线上选购的，新主人希望专车送货上门，避免宠物乘坐飞机产生应激创伤。还有一部分客户是因工作调动被迫搬家，大多是军人家庭，宠物会暂时寄养在亲友家中，需要专人转运。

美国有不少大型企业承接宠物长途运输业务，它们像公交服务一样固定发车，凑齐一批宠物统一运送。梅雷贝丝的私人定制服务价格更高，但能给宠物一对一的专属照料，而且可以紧急临时安排，灵活性极强。

梅雷贝丝说，这份工作最治愈的瞬间，就是静静看着宠物与主人重逢，每一次她都会热泪盈眶。

这份宠物运输的工作，缘起于21世纪末的金融危机。彼时经济萧条，她工作了十年的房地产公司遭受重创，身为办公室经理的她被迫失业，急需寻找新的工作。而一只小狗的出现，改写了她的人生轨迹。

一次在家附近开车时，她看到一只迷路的小狗在路边徘徊。她停车将小狗送到最近的住户家，得知这只小狗是一窝六只幼崽之一。她察觉主人根本不在意这些小狗，便说服对方将整窝幼崽交给自己。她将四只送往救助站，剩下两只带回了家，还让丹佛的姐姐收养了一只。姐姐家的环境十分适合小狗生活，却远在1600英里之外。梅雷贝丝毫不犹豫，决定亲自开车送小狗前往，这也是她的第一次宠物运输行程。

“这是一件双赢的事。”梅雷贝丝说，“我热爱动物，也热爱开车。”这次美好的体验让她决心深耕这份事业，于是她入驻了美国知名的线上交易平台UShip。这是一个线上供需市场，用户发布各类运输需求，其他人竞价承接订单，运输物品从十吨重的船只到四公斤重的虎斑猫应有尽有。梅雷贝丝专注宠物运输业务，积累了五星好评口碑，久而久之，各大宠物繁育基地和救助中心都主动推荐她的服务。她2011年购置的工作用车，如今已行驶33.4万英里，早已磨损老旧。

并非所有宠物都像哈利一样乖巧听话。梅雷贝丝回忆起一只难缠的猫咪：她打开猫笼时被狠狠咬伤，手上血流不止，只能去药店买绷带包扎。好在从未有狗狗咬伤过她。还有一只名叫“旅行者”的救助猫，车子行驶时一直喵喵叫，只有停车静止时才会安静下来，她甚至特意致电救助中心，怀疑这个名字是故意调侃。

为了避免入住酒店遭到他人投诉，她通常全程和宠物一起睡在车里。长途驾驶，尤其是熟悉的路线，难免单调乏味，播客节目成了她打发时间的利器。“有宠物相伴，我从不觉得孤单。”她说，“宠物紧张的时候，我会和它们说话、放音乐。大多数宠物起初会焦躁不安，但适应了行车节奏后，就会安稳睡觉。”

最好照顾的宠物当属仓鼠。“我曾经送两只泰迪仓鼠从弗吉尼亚州斯普林菲尔德到佐治亚州布莱尔斯维尔，小家伙特别乖巧可爱。有时候我甚至觉得该给主人退费，全程根本不用费心照料。”

除了停车让狗狗活动放松，唯一能打断她旅程的，就是看到身处困境的小动物。至今她已经救助了30多只猫狗，送往就近的救助站。如今她在南卡罗来纳州收养了四只宠物，其中就包括改变她人生的那只迷路小狗米莉。

她认为自己的爱宠之心源于成长环境。她在洛杉矶郊区长大，并非乡村环境，但家里一直饲养猫狗、小鸡和小羊，她十岁时就开始养兔子，她的兄弟姐妹也都是资深爱宠人士。

这份工作也满足了她探索世界的渴望。她骄傲地说，除了蒙大拿州、华盛顿州、俄勒冈州以及阿拉斯加、夏威夷，她的足迹遍布美国其余所有州。想去新的地方，她就会承接当地的宠物运输订单。逆风前行、对抗恶劣天气也让她倍感充实。“我在怀俄明州遭遇过时速55英里的狂风，在阿拉巴马州经历过特大洪水和雷雨，在堪萨斯州遇上过大雪封路的白茫茫绝境。”有好几次，她都需要全速行驶躲避风暴。顺利完成运输任务后，她总会徒步爬山，犒劳自己。

这份热爱漫游的天性遗传自父亲。她一岁时，父亲就带着全家从加拿大搬到加州，只为一家人共同探索全新的生活。“我妈妈向来偏爱居家生活，我很庆幸继承了爸爸的性格。”高中毕业后，她便离开父母，定居加州卡特琳娜岛，过上了扬帆出海、越野骑行的自由生活。

这份职业的收入也十分可观，税前年薪约3万美元（2.3万英镑）。夏天天气酷热，即便车内有空调，也不适合宠物长途出行，所以她夏季停工，在家乡承接度假民宿的清洁零工。每到秋天来临，她就会心生躁动，骨子里的漫游渴望再次浮现。但这份奔赴远方的热爱，只能独自践行。

“我丈夫很喜欢小动物，但他不爱远行，常年忙于工作。”梅雷贝丝说，“我知道他会想我，我也会思念他。但在路上的时光，我完全沉浸在自己的世界里。我向来独立洒脱，也发自内心想要帮助这些小动物。”

六、语法填空

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Merebeth Veit is a 65-year-old self-employed pet transport specialist,56 has spent nearly a decade transporting pets across the US. She once transported a little French bulldog Harley from Missouri to California and got deeply57 (attach) to it. Her journeys are often solo, 58 (cover) countless states and various kinds of pets, from hamsters and cats to dogs and rabbits.

Different from big transport companies that work on fixed schedules, Merebeth provides personalized services at59 higher price, available for short-notice orders. The job60 (origin) from the financial crisis in the late 2000s, when she lost her previous job. It was a lost puppy61 inspired her to start the pet transport career.

Though driving long distances can be62 (monotony), Merebeth never feels lonely with pets around. She is willing to help animals in distress and63 (rescue) over 30 stray animals so far. Her love for animals and desire for exploration,64 (inherit) from her father, keep her going on the road.

She stops working in summer to avoid heat harm to pets and does seasonal work instead. Autumn always brings her the urge65 (travel) alone, pursuing her lifelong passion and freedom.

七、参考答案+详细解析

56. who

【考点：非限制性定语从句关系代词】

解析：先行词为指代人的Merebeth Veit，从句缺少主语，非限制性定语从句只能用who引导，不能用that。

57. attached

【考点：固定搭配+形容词化过去分词】

解析：固定短语be/get attached to 依恋、喜爱、依附于，为高考高频固定搭配，此处填attached作表语。

58. covering

【考点：现在分词作伴随状语（非谓语动词）】

解析：句子主语Her journeys与cover为主动关系，谓语动词为are，无并列连词，故用现在分词covering作伴随状语，表伴随状态。

59. a

【考点：不定冠词】

解析：a higher price 一份更高的价格，price为可数名词单数，辅音音素开头，用不定冠词a。

60. originated

【考点：一般过去时（时态变形）】

解析：时间状语in the late 2000s为过去时间，谓语动词用一般过去时，originate from 起源于，故填originated。

61. that

【考点：强调句型 It was...that...】

解析：本句为强调句型，强调主语a lost puppy（事物），强调句型中无论被强调部分是人或物，一律用that。

62. monotonous

【考点：词性转换（名词→形容词）】

解析：系动词be后接形容词作表语，monotony（n. 单调）转换为形容词monotonous（单调乏味的）。

63. has rescued

【考点：现在完成时】

解析：时间标志词so far（迄今为止）为现在完成时核心标志，主语She为单数，故填has rescued。

64. inherited

【考点：过去分词作后置定语（非谓语动词）】

解析：逻辑主语Her love for animals and desire for exploration与inherit为被动关系（天赋、特质被遗传），用过去分词作后置定语。

65. to travel

【考点：不定式作后置定语】

解析：固定搭配the urge to do sth. 做某事的冲动/渴望，不定式作后置定语修饰抽象名词urge。