11．The Game of Love
Dad brought him home from a fishing trip in the mountains，full of cockleburs（苍耳） and so thin you could count every rib．
"My god，"Mom said．"He's dirty!"
"No，he isn't!he's Rusty，"said John，my eight-year-old brother．"Can we keep him？Please…please…please．"
Mom gave in，as she usually did with John．My little brother had a mild form of hemophilia（血友病）．Four years earlier，he'd almost bled to death from a routine tonsillectomy（扁桃体切除术）．We'd all been careful with him since then．
"All right，John，"Dad said．"We'll keep Rusty．But he's your responsibility．""Deal!"
And that's how Rusty came to live with us．He was John's dog from that very first moment，though he tolerated the rest of us．John kept his word．He fed，watered and cleaned the messy-looking animal every day．I think he liked taking care of something rather than being taken care of．
Over the summer，Rusty grew into a big，handsome dog．He and John were constant companions．Wherever John went，Rusty was by his side．When school began，Rusty would walk John the six blocks to elementary school，then come home．Somehow，he sensed that John shouldn't play like the other boys．He was very protective．When John and his best friend Bobby wrestled，Rusty monitored their play with a watchful eye．If John were on top，fine．If Bobby got John down，Rusty would hop over，grab Bobby's collar and pull him off．Bobby and John thought this game great fun．
In the spring，John got an afternoon paper route．He'd come home from school，fold his papers and take off on his bike to deliver them．He always took the same streets，in the same order．Of course，Rusty delivered papers，too．
One day，for no particular reason，John changed his route．Instead of turning left on a street as he usually did，he turned right．Thump!…Crash!…A screech of brakes…Rusty sailed through the air．
Someone called us about the accident．I had to pry John from Rusty's lifeless body so that Dad could bring Rusty home．
"It's my fault，"John said over and over．"Rusty thought the car was gonna hit me．He thought it was another game．"
"The only game Rusty was playing was the game of love，"Dad said．"You both played it well．"
John sniffled．"Huh!"
"I want him back，"John wailed．"My Rusty's gone!"
"No，he isn't，"Dad said，hugging John and me．"Rusty will stay in your memories forever．"
And he has．
56．We can infer from the passage thatA．
A．Rusty always protected John from being hurt．
B．Rusty just listened to and tolerated John at home．
C．Rusty was welcomed by the whole family at first．
D．Rusty walked John to school and then waited there．
57．From the passage we can see that Rusty is aA dog．
A．faithful（loyal ） B．tender C．mature D．merciful
58．Which of the following is NOT true？D
A．John and Bobby are quite fond of wrestling．
B．John delivered papers with Rusty in the spring．
C．Rusty thought it was a game when the car came towards John．
D．John deliberately changed the route that day to play with Rusty．
59．The underlined word"pry"in the last part probably meansB．
A．prevent B．separate C．seize D．protect．
