Carrying messages could be a dangerous job. Some pigeons performed with such bravery that they became famous and were even awarded medals, such as England's Dicken Medal of Gallantry. In a few cases, pigeons even became prisoners of war. In 1918 American forces captured a pigeon named The Kaiser, which had been trained to fly special missions for Germany during battle. He was taken to America. Where he lived to the age of 32.

　　The most famous pigeon of all may have been Cher Ami. Stationed in France during World War I. he carried twelve important messages for American forces. On his last mission, though wounded, he carried a message that saved the lives of 194 American soldiers. For his extraordinary service, he was awarded the French” Croix de guerre”.

　　Carrier pigeons are a slightly different breed from the kind of pigeon you see on city streets. They ate much thinner and taller, with longer legs. Many people find carrier pigeons ugly because of their big wattle, a knobby buildup of skin on the beat; however, people who raise pigeons often enjoy this odd appearance and consider carriers the best of their breeds.

　　Today, modern communication methods can carry information from one place to another hundreds of times faster than a pigeon could do it. However, few people would argue with the fact that carrier pigeons—especially those that served in the military(军队)—have earned their place in history. Stories about brave pigeons such as Cher Ami, President Wilson, and Colonel's Lady have the power to inspire us as no fax machine or high-speed Internet connection could ever do.

【四川省成都市2016届高考英语阅读理解二轮提升训练（15）（含解析）】相关文章：

★ 重庆市2014高考英语阅读理解一轮（精品）训练题（12）附答案

★ 浙江省湖州市2014高考英语阅读理解一轮（暑假）精炼（12）含答案

★ 2017届高考英语二轮复习大题冲关秘籍语法填空：创新押题（含解析）

★ 【课堂新坐标】2017届高考英语（通用版）二轮复习书面表达专题训练：训练6 议论文＋记叙文（含解析）

★ 湖南省汝城二中2014届高考英语一轮复习阅读训练 (71)

★ 安徽省淮南市2014高考英语一轮单项选择及文章训练（15）及答案

★ 湖南省汝城二中2014届高考英语一轮复习阅读训练 (33)

★ 2017届高考英语二轮复习大题冲关秘籍阅读理解七选五：解题策略（含解析）

★ 2017高考四川省广安市英语阅读理解一轮系列训练：9（含解析）

★ （安徽专用）2014届高考英语一轮复习方案 作业手册（18）模块6 《Unit 18 Beauty》（含解析） 北师大版必修1