AT THE PET SHOP

Shop Assistant: Good afternoon, madam. Can I help you?

Customer: Yes. I'm looking for a pet for my grandson.

Shop Assistant: What kind of pet does he want? A traditional pet - a cat or a dog? Or something exotic?

Customer: Well, you know, he is a very strange boy, he likes snakes. But I hate them, they are very dangerous!

Shop Assistant: We've got a nice poodle at the moment.

Customer: A poodle? Is it big?

Shop Assistant: Yes, it is, madam.

Customer: I don't like big dogs. They are savage.

Shop Assistant: Oh, no, madam, not this one. It's very kind. Last week we had a small dog. It was only as big as your handbag, but it was as savage as a tiger. It bit me three times!

Customer: Perhaps not a dog, then.

Shop Assistant: How about a cat?

Customer: A cat? Hmm.. They aren't as friendly as dogs, are they?

Shop Assistant: No, but they don't eat as much as dogs either. And they're very clean. They wash themselves every day.

Customer: Hmm...

Shop Assistant: Or how about a bird?

Customer: Birds are too noisy, aren't they? I want a quiet pet.

Shop Assistant: A quiet pet? Well, how about a goldfish? It's

as quiet as a mouse...

Customer: A mouse? Have you got mice? I think I'll buy a pretty little mouse for my grandson.

Words and phrases

savage adj — злой; дикий

kind adj — добрый

bite (bit, bitten) v — кусать (ся)

quiet adj — тихий, спокойный

to be quiet — молчать

quiet as mouse— (идиом.) тихий как мышь

I'm looking for a pet — я хочу купить домашнее животное

PET NUTRITION

Feeding is an important factor in cats' and dog's life. A lot of research has been done to determine the nutrient needs of dogs and cats. In fact, probably more is known about pet nutrition than human nutrition.

Incorrect feeding of a growing little one affects body weight, height and constitution of an animal. If the feeding is incorrect, our pets can develop various serious diseases. Unbalanced feeding can also reduce fertilization ability.

Clever owner organizes feeding of domestic animals cor­rectly, regulates the amount of food in accordance with their physiological needs. Feeding must be full (that is, should take into account the quality of nutrition), well-balanced (that is, should consider the interaction of certain substances in food and in the organism) and rational (should consider correct consumption of forage sources when scheduling a diet).

Most pet owners today feed their pets on commercial foods which are well-formulated and have no nutritional defi­ciencies. It is difficult to prepare a homemade diet that con­tains all the nutrients the animal requires so in most cases it is easier and safer to feed a commercial food.

In general both cats and dogs are omnivorous. They can eat meat, fish, milk, vegetable and grassy food. From time to time they eat grass or houseplants. In this way they get minerals and vitamins.

Упражнение3. Переведите на русский язык: determine the nutrient needs; pet nutrition; a growing little one; incorrect feeding; develop serious diseases; un­ balanced feeding; reduce fertilization ability; in accord­ance with their physiological needs; take into account;
the interaction of certain substances; consumption of forage sources; scheduling a diet; nutritional deficiency­; a homemade diet; grassy food.

Упражнение 4. Объясните значение нижеприведенных слов и словосочетаний по-английски:

domestic animals; full feeding; well-balanced feeding; ra­tional feeding; commercial foods; omnivorous.

Упражнение 5. Сделайте сообщения по следующим вопросам:

a) Well-balanced feeding of domestic animals.

b) The advantages of commercial foods.

c) Problems connected with a homemade diet.

SUPPLEMENT

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