Маргарита24012007

06.09.2020 02:03 •  Английский язык

Pets create a very special atmosphere at home, they add to the feeling of coziness and safety. they help us cope with stress and, being dependent and helpless in our world, make us feel important and worthwhile. (1) they wouldn’t survive in our flats and houses if we didn’t bring them food from the pet shops and essential vitamins from the vet clinics. they need us because a dog needs walking, a horse needs rubbing, and a goldfish wants the water in the tank to be clean and clear.

some psychologists say that people who are lonely and non-confident tend to keep exotic pets. those people hope that an unusual pet can add to their identity, put them aside from the crowd and help gain popularity with other people. (2) we pretend that we treat them as members of the family and try to impose our love on them. however, sooner or later the question emerges: do we have the right to sort out our own problems at animals’ expense? (3)

scientists and environmentalists speak strongly against the so-called pet lovers, who adopt a kitten or a puppy just to please the kid or because of some impulse. even the animals which have been living with people for centuries and have already adjusted to our world, need much more than their owner’s love. they need care based on knowledge, otherwise they’ll cause problems to you and their life will turn into a miserable experience. before adopting a little hamster you need to find out everything about its eating habits and peculiarities of the cage housing. you need also to be aware that the pet requires everyday care and that you may find it monotonous and boring.

(4) milagres, an australian koala, could be considered a lucky one as she got to the zoo in time for the vets to save her. a european tourist had illegally exported her from australia, as he was obsessed with the idea of keeping that cute animal in his backyard. “i was going to plant a eucalyptus tree in my back garden, and i thought that keeping a koala wouldn’t be such a problem”, explained he later. that was a dangerous misconception. (5) it can’t digest hard and thick eucalyptus leaves, and that’s why you need to have from one to six hundred eucalyptus trees to keep your koala happy and healthy. the number of trees depends on the climate — the more humid the climate is, the fewer trees you need (within the range given above). (6)

little koala milagres exemplifies a big problem caused by ignorant pet owners. wild animals are neither toys nor interior design accessories and putting them in a wrong environment makes them suffer and eventually kills them.

a. when exotic animals are kept as pets, ignorance is even more dangerous and cruel.

b. though koalas’ eating habits have been studied by scientists, the information about their diet is fragmentary and incomplete.

c. this is why lots of crocodiles, snakes and lizards, gorillas and cockatoos become inhabitants of densely populated, traffic jammed megalopolises.

d. do we have the right to keep a crock in the bath, or a dolphin in the swimming pool?

e. apparently, only zoo specialists are able to provide the animal with an appropriate menu.

f. we understand that the most fierce and dangerous creatures are vulnerable and helpless in people’s world.

g. in fact, the koala is very particular about the diet — it eats only very fresh green leaves, springs and sprouts.