FCE Paper 1 – Reading
You are going to read a newspaper article about dog owners. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A – H the one which fits each gap 1 -7. There is one extra sentence that you do not need to use.
A : All of this leads some people to suggest that dog fights should be prohibited.
B: These include working on farms, helping blind people navigate their way through life, and assisting the police
and security forces.
C : Dogs often give the impression that they know exactly what their owners want, without being told.
D : Owners then have to start counting calories and prepare simple dished with vegetables.
E : Some dog owners have become very selective when it comes to their pets’ diet.
F : It is true that the occasional dog can go wild and attack someone, sometimes causing severe injuries.
G: Examples of these include loss of appetite and even a tendency to bite people.
H : When you look at the extremes to which some owners go, it would certainly seem so.
A Dog’s Life
The old saying that a dog is man’s best friend has been around for centuries, and few people who have dogs of their own would argue with it.
Famous for their affectionate and loyal nature, dogs are often regarded as friends rather than pets. Children and old people are particularly inclined to develop close relationships with their dogs. (1)________ This sensitivity is what makes them seem almost human.
After centuries of being bred to be domestic animals, dogs have developed into safe companions. (2)_________ Such cases are rare, though, and almost always involve animals that have been trained to be aggressive. This doesn’t mean that dogs are naturally violent or dangerous, simply that they can be trained to perform a number of tasks. In fact, their capacity to learn and follow instructions is what makes dogs so valuable as working animals.
During the long history of mankind’s association with animals, the role of the dog has changed. At one time dogs were simply domestic animals that performed a useful function. Today, of course, the majority of dogs are kept as household pets, although there are still some animals engaged in important occupations. (3)___________
Many owners like to treat their pet dogs like human beings, but do some people go too far? (4)_______ Wouldn’t expensive, fashionable coats for dogs be a waste of money? Surely designer beds for dogs costing over £1,000 would be ridiculous. But these are just some of the items available from the exclusive dog boutiques to be found in many major cities around the world. This is clearly a luxury that average dog owners cannot afford. In France dogs are welcome in expensive restaurants, one of which has recently announced a new special menu for dogs. Dogs are such valued customers that they may be served before their master.
(5)__________Susan Brown buys fresh seasonal products for her Yorkshire terrier. The weekly menu consists of chicken, lamb and fish. ‘I spend hours preparing the food,’ she says. ‘I steam it, and go through it to make sure there are no bones. He loves shepherd’s pie, spring vegetables and low-fat yoghurt.’ Chef Max Oliver claims that breed should be taken into account when deciding on a dog’s diet. Boxers have delicate stomachs and they should feed on tinned food and croquettes.
It is not surprising that you can now find cookbooks with special recipes for exciting healthy dishes for dogs. Many fond owners pamper their dogs with delicacies, and the percentage of obese dogs has increased. Obese dogs are taken to the vet who puts them on a diet. (6)______ Restrictions on how much they eat make dogs feel miserable.
It is no wonder that dogs treated in such an excessive way can become nervous and unsure of themselves, acting in uncharacteristic ways. (7)_______ As a result, more and more owners are taking their confused animals to dog psychologists. These medical experts try to analyse and explain the dog’s moods. Psychologists advise the worried owners to remember that dogs basically want to run, bark and eat. Too much affection confuses them. Everything else just sends them barking mad.
(Answers: 1:C, 2:F, 3:B, 4:H, 5:E, 6:D, 7: G)
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