D．the other staff made her feel uncomfortable

24.解析：细节理解题。根据文中，My colleagues were young and they didn't understand me because of my age，可知是因为跟同事的不合拍，所以辞职的，故选D。

25．Employees' Retraining Board is an organization __B__.

A．finding jobs for older people

B．teaching new skills to older people

C．training older people to make them healthier

D．providing older people with chances to earn money

25.解析：细节理解题。根据文中，These courses are specifically designed to encourage the older people back to work，可知这是教老年人学习新技能的，故选B。

26．According to Anthony Chong，young people __A__.

A．are more likely to give up than the older ones

B．are less experienced than the older ones

C．are fitter and stronger than the older ones

D．are able and reliable

26.解析：细节理解题。根据文中，I hire older people because they are able and reliable可知老年人要比青年人更靠谱，故选A。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B

Four days after Dad's 67th birthday，he had a heart attack. He was lucky-he survived. But something inside him had died. His enthusiasm for life was gone.

My husband and I asked Dad to live with us on our small farm，hoping the fresh air would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in，I regretted the invitation. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated.

One day I read an article about a nursing home. Several depressed patients' attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given dogs. So，I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. As soon as I got there，a pointer's(指示犬)eyes caught my attention. They watched me calmly，

A staff member said，"He got here two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." I turned to the man in horror."You mean you're going to kill him？"

"Ma'am，" he said gently."We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."

The pointer's calm brown eyes awaited my decision."I'll take him，" I said.

Glancing at the dog，Dad wrinkled his face and turned back towards the house. Then，suddenly，the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He sat down in front of Dad. Dad's anger melted，and soon he was hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together they spent long hours walking down dusty lanes and relaxing on the banks of streams.

Dad's bitterness faded，and he and Cheyenne went on to make many friends. Then，late one night two years later，I felt Cheyenne's cold nose searching through my bed covers. He bad never come into our bedroom before at night. I ran into my father's