I was eight years old and wasn't aware of all the arrangements being made for our journey as a family to Lond on in 1950. My mother was in great pain and wished to visit specialists in London. My father reluctantly had to s ell our property in Queensland. The day before we boarded the ship, Father unwillingly said goodbye to his five-year-old cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father's friend Sandy was to be his guardian while we were overseas, as he had been getting to know Spider for many weeks.
Six weeks later, an air letter arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had run away just two weeks after we had sailed. Sandy had advertised constantly on ABC radio and other regional newspapers. Despite many "sightings", the dog was never found. It seems Spider just kept running and searching for us. As he was cattle dog, my father thought he would be shot or dingo-trapped, because of his appearance. But our family thought that Father held a secret hope that Spider was still alive.
We sailed back to Australia two years later and re-established our home. My father immediately began his own search for Spider. One cold winter's Saturday morning eight months after our return, my father had a call from an elderly lady living on her own on the outskirts of the town. As she told my father on the telephone, it was "just glimpses of a dingo-type dog in the shadows" of her disused tennis court. That was enough for my father to interrupt my homework.
We set off in his blue and black Jensen car which he h ad brought back from England. It was hardly the right vehicle for the rough roads we travelled that day. Five and a half hours later, we found the run-down old property. Sadly, she told my father that the "dingo dog" hadn't been around for a few days. My father had a strange look in his eye. He put two fingers to his lips and did his special whistle for Spider.
注意：
(1)续写词数应为150个左右；
(2)请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: Suddenly there was a sound in the bush.
Paragraph 2: Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him.
Suddenly there was a sound in the bush. Suddenly there was a sound in the bush. Out of the growth flew this battered dog right into my father's arms. Spider had leaped over the tennis court fence with great force and certainty. My father's eyes shone, and the old lady and I stood there with tears in our eyes. He kept licking my father's face and making choking noises. He smelt dreadful. We wrapped him in an old blanket and I held him on my lap on the way back. He never once took his eyes off my father as we drove home. Every so often I received a lick of gratefulness.
Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him. With tenderness, we meticulously inspected every part of the little dog that had been weighing on our hearts. After ensuring it was unharmed, my father gently plucked out the thorns from the bushes that had lodged in its fur. Following this, the rest of our family members placed it in a basin and gave it a warm bath. The puppy cooperated throughout, occasionally licking our fingers to express its long-held affection for us. Once everything was done, the puppy regained some of its former vigor, sparkling his eyes as it trotted towards my father, who tearfully smiled as he held it close. Watching this, I couldn’t help but think: this puppy was always a necessary member of our family, and we will live together joyfully and harmoniously forever.
