新托福口語練習(xí)材料——關(guān)于寵物的話題(1)

　　PetsAreGoodforyou

　　Thebasicmeaningof"pet"isananimalwekeepforemotionalratherthaneconomicreasons.(1)Apetanimaliskeptasacompanion,andweallneedcompanionstokeepusfeelinghappy.Butpetsofferusmorethanmerecompanionship;theyinviteustoloveandbeloved.Manyownersfeeltheirpetsunderstandthem,foranimalsarequicktosenseangerandsorrow.Oftenacatordogcancomfortusattimeswhenhumanwordsdon’thelp(2).Wefeelloved,too,bythewaypetsdepentonusforhome,forfoodanddrink.Dogsespecially,lookuptotheirowners,whichmakesthemfeelimportantandneeded.(3)

　　Apetcanbesomethingdifferenttoeachmemberofthefamily,anotherbabytothemother,asisterorbrothertoanonlychild,agrandchildtotheelderly,(4)butforallofuspetsprovidepleasureandcompanionship.Ithasevenbeensuggestedthattinypetsshouldbesentascompanionstoastronautsonspaceships,tohelpreducethestressandlonelinessofspaceflights.

　　InthisPlasticAge,(5)whenmostofusliveinlargecities,petsareparticularlyforchildren.Apetinthefamilykeepspeopleintouchwiththemorenatural,animalworld.Seeingananimalgivebirthbringsunderstandingofthenaturalnessofchildbirthofthenaturalnessofchildbirth,andseeingapethelpsachildtocopewithsorrow.(6)Learningtocareforapethelpsachildtogrowupintoalovingadultwhofeelsresponsibletowardsthosedependentonhim.Rightlyweteachchildrentobegoodtotheirpets.Theyshouldlearn,too,thatpetsaregoodforushumanbeings.

　　I.Listen

　　Listentothetextwiththehelpofthefollowingnotes.

　　1.Thebasicmeaningof"pet"isananimalwekeepforemotionalratherthaneconomicreasons:"寵物“的基本含義是，我們出于感情原因，而不是經(jīng)濟(jì)目的而飼養(yǎng)的一種動(dòng)物。

　　2.whenhumanwordsdon’thelp:人的語言安撫無濟(jì)于事時(shí)。

　　3.Dogsespecially,lookuptotheirowners,whichmakesthemfeelimportantandneeded:特別是狗對(duì)其主人的尊重使用權(quán)他們產(chǎn)生一種舉足輕重和不可缺少的感覺。

　　4.Apetcanbesomethingdifferenttoeachmemberofthefamily,anotherbabytothemother,asisterorbrothertoanonlychild,agrandchildtotheelderly:對(duì)家庭的每一個(gè)成員來說，一只寵物有著不同的作用：對(duì)母親來說，它是另一個(gè)孩子；對(duì)獨(dú)生子女來說，它則成了一個(gè)妹妹或弟弟；老人面前，它又變成了孫子。

　　5.InthePlasticAge:在這一塑料時(shí)代（即指當(dāng)今塑料制品取代了自殺的生活用品）。

　　6.Seeingananimalgivebirthbringsunderstandingofthenaturalnessofchildbirth,andseeingapetdiehelpsachildtocopewithsorrow:觀察一只動(dòng)物的分娩可以幫助人理解嬰兒出生的自然過程；而看到一只寵物的死去則可以幫助孩子怎能樣面對(duì)痛苦。