Content
8.4 Pet therapy
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Reading Activities
ESL Pets Reading Comprehension Passage
Many people like to keep pets. Some just have one pet while other people keep many different pets. This often depends on if they live in a big or small house. If a person lives in a small house, or even a flat or apartment, they cannot keep a lot of pets as there is not enough room. If people live in a big house that has a garden then they will be able to keep more pets and bigger ones.
For a person who lives in a small house a small pet is often good. They could keep a bird or two as these are very interesting pets. They have brightly colored feathers and make nice chirping sounds. If you have a parrot it can even learn to talk, but it takes a long time to teach it to say some words. If a bird is too noisy then they could keep some cute animals like mice, gerbils or hamsters. These are all nice and fluffy so you can take them out of their cages and play with them. Fish are also a type of pet for people without much space or time. They just need some food and their bowl or tank cleaning sometimes.
People that have more space and time to look after a pet could keep something bigger that needs more care, such as a dog or cat. Cats do not need to be looked after as much as a dog, but they get lonely if there is no one there with them. They often like to have someone to sit with and who strokes them. This makes them happy and they start to purr. If someone has a dog they need to take it out for walks so that it can get exercise. It is good to take a dog out twice a day. Dogs need exercise so they cannot be kept in the house all the time.
There are then pets that need a very large amount of space. These would be animals such as horses or donkeys, it could even be a domestic pig. For these animals a person needs more than a big garden, they need a field so the animal has space to move and run around, as well as grass to eat. These are types of animals that would generally not come into the house and the owners would only spend part of the day with them.
Click on the button below and complete the quiz regarding the reading.
Many people like to keep pets. Some just have one pet while other people keep many different pets. This often depends on if they live in a big or small house. If a person lives in a small house, or even a flat or apartment, they cannot keep a lot of pets as there is not enough room. If people live in a big house that has a garden then they will be able to keep more pets and bigger ones.
For a person who lives in a small house a small pet is often good. They could keep a bird or two as these are very interesting pets. They have brightly colored feathers and make nice chirping sounds. If you have a parrot it can even learn to talk, but it takes a long time to teach it to say some words. If a bird is too noisy then they could keep some cute animals like mice, gerbils or hamsters. These are all nice and fluffy so you can take them out of their cages and play with them. Fish are also a type of pet for people without much space or time. They just need some food and their bowl or tank cleaning sometimes.
People that have more space and time to look after a pet could keep something bigger that needs more care, such as a dog or cat. Cats do not need to be looked after as much as a dog, but they get lonely if there is no one there with them. They often like to have someone to sit with and who strokes them. This makes them happy and they start to purr. If someone has a dog they need to take it out for walks so that it can get exercise. It is good to take a dog out twice a day. Dogs need exercise so they cannot be kept in the house all the time.
There are then pets that need a very large amount of space. These would be animals such as horses or donkeys, it could even be a domestic pig. For these animals a person needs more than a big garden, they need a field so the animal has space to move and run around, as well as grass to eat. These are types of animals that would generally not come into the house and the owners would only spend part of the day with them.
Click on the button below and complete the quiz regarding the reading.
Speaking Activities
- Do you have a pet?
- If not, would you ever consider getting a pet?
- Did you grow up with pets in your home?
- What are the most popular pets in your country?
- What are the pros and cons of keeping a pet?
- What do you think is the best pet to own?
- Why do you think some people have pets instead of children?
- What can children learn by having a pet?
- What are some animals that live in your country?
- Are there any dangerous animals in your country?
- Are there any animals or insects that you are afraid of?
- If you had to choose one animal to be, which one would you be?
- Are there any problems caused by animals in your country?
- Which animal do you think is the most intelligent?
- What animals used to exist in your country but do not anymore?
- What animal ability would you like to have (e.g. flying, breathing under water etc.)?
- What is the most useful animal in the world?
Listening Activities
Listen to the conversations and answer the questions.