Please read the vocabulary lesson at your natural speed, though it should not be too fast so that I could hear what you speak naturally and imitate yours. Thank you.
We have been talking about animals and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.
EXPLAIN which animals make the best pets
Where I live, in the countryside, just about everybody has a dog. They are pets but they also double as guard dogs. If anyone comes near the house in the night especially, they start barking and growling and wake everybody up. As far as I know, dogs are popular all around the world and in just about every culture. I know some people like to have a cat, but they are much less domesticated than dogs. Dogs actually love being with people whereas cats seem to tolerate people as long as they get fed, but I don’t think a cat would ever defend its owner like a dog would. Actually, I’ve heard about all sorts of animals being kept as pets. Someone once told me that they had a snake at home, and lots of people keep fish in a tank. My auntie used to have a tortoise but I think it is illegal now. And when I was at school some children kept white mice at home.
EXPLAIN why some people don’t like pets
There are probably quite a few reasons why some people don’t like having animals in the house. One of the most important reasons is that pets are actually really difficult to look after. If I can give the example of a dog, you have to take it for a walk and make sure it gets enough exercise, you have to feed it regularly and brush its coat. Apart from that there is the question of cost. Sometimes you have to take pets to the vet and this can be really expensive. And some people say animals smell and make the place untidy, and it’s true, you do get dog-hairs everywhere and, especially if the animal isn’t well trained, there can be the occasional unpleasant accident in the house, if you see what I mean. On the whole though, I think a pet is a wonderful companion. I would love to have one though unfortunately in the house where I’m living now you’re not allowed to keep them
DESCRIBE ways in which animals help people
Throughout history animals have helped people in many ways. Dogs have probably helped humans more than any other species. They have been used to guard things, and as guides, by blind people for example. They are sometimes used to pull heavy loads and equipment, especially in the arctic circle. Obviously, other animals like elephants and donkeys and camels are regularly used to carry heavy loads and even people. Probably one of the most extraordinary ways in which animals have helped humans is carrier pigeons. During wars, for example, they have been used to send messages even from one country to another. The pigeon is trained to go to a particular location and a message is tied to its leg.
ASSESS whether animals play an important role in your culture
Yes, in some senses they do. As I’ve just mentioned, animals play a vital role in helping people, and it is no different in my culture. Many people have pets, particularly dogs, and they provide company, especially for older people and people on their own. In more rural parts of the country animals play a huge part in the economy. It’s a very agricultural area and horses and mules are used a lot. There are lots of sheep and cattle as well. Animals also play a symbolic role in the country. Our national emblem is the eagle. It appears on our flag and lots of other national symbols. When people see the eagle, they feel a sense of pride in the country and its achievements.
DISCUSS why and how we should protect endangered species.
I think it is beyond doubt that we should protect endangered species like polar bears, tigers, black rhinos and pumas. The difficulty is how to do it. Everyone says that they want to save the whale or the Siberian tiger but at the same time everyone wants to get a job, have a car and basically use up natural resources and cause pollution. It is precisely these things which threaten the existence of so many important animals. I strongly believe that we really have to make a choice between economic and environmental aims and at the moment we are choosing to develop economically at the expense of nature. I am genuinely concerned that this cannot continue and that very soon we will have reached a point where we have destroyed so much of our natural world that it will be impossible to recover.
Thank you so much for the help!