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Pets

Pets

Date: Mar 06 2009

Themes: Family, Pets

Grammar: Definite & Indefinite Articles

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

There’s a saying in English that dogs are “man’s best friend.” That’s because dogs usually make loyal, affectionate companions. Plus, they love to cuddle and they never talk back to you. So in that way, maybe they’re even better than a best friend.

Dogs and cats are the most popular pets, but there’s a huge variety of pets out there, from little furry animals like rabbits or gerbils to reptiles like lizards or snakes. Some people even keep rats or spiders as pets!

But not all people are pet-people, and not all countries have pet-owning cultures. Listen to Mason try to convince Ella that owning pets is a beautiful thing.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Ella

Ella

Mason:  Man, I gotta clean my rabbit’s cage. It’s been sittin’ there for like a week longer than it should have.

Ella:  That’s disgusting.

Mason:  Well, I mean, it’s one of the hazards that you go through when you’ve got an animal that you like.

Ella:  Really? Why? Why would you ever want a pet?

Mason:  Well, listen, the rabbit kind of fell into my arms. It was my sister’s and she couldn’t take care of it anymore. So I was like, yeah, alright, I’ll take your rabbit. But I mean, man, that thing has grown on me.

Ella:  I bet.

Mason:  Not like a cancer or anything, like something that blossoms in your heart.

Ella:  Well, I don’t know. I just think that animals should just be eaten. Why should we have them as pets?

Mason:  Animals should just be eaten, why should we have them as pets…I have eaten rabbit. That said, I don’t think I could anymore. You know, there’s definitely something that…Like, that caring instinct. And they’re cute.

Ella:  Have you ever had a dog or a cat growing up?

Mason:  We grew up with dogs in my family. Cats, I have no taste for cats.

Ella:  It’s a lot of responsibility?

Mason:  A lot of responsibility, no… I just don’t like their personality. They’re…They don’t need me. I like things that need me, that’s kind of the point of pets, in all honesty.

Ella:  Did you take it to the dog pound or get it euthanized?

Mason:  The dog, we did have euthanized. We had to put it down, and it was tragic.

 

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Discussion

Mason tells Ella that he needs to clean his rabbit’s cage. Cleaning up after pets is one of the many responsibilities of being a pet owner. Mason thinks it’s worth it, but Ella doesn’t understand why he would ever want to own a pet.

Mason explains that he didn’t want the rabbit at first. It belonged to his sister and she asked him to take care of it for her. Now it’s really grown on him.

When he was growing up, Mason had a dog. He likes dogs better than cats because cats aren’t as affectionate or needy as dogs. Mason was really sad when he had to take his dog to be euthanized.

Do you have any pets? Or do you think being a pet owner is too much responsibility?

 

Comments

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Nina__smith

Australia

i love pets,specially dogs and cats they are very very cute.

01:16 PM Oct 20 2012 |

KardelenF

KardelenF

Turkey

I very love pets.I have pet,sweet dog.It name is Lady :)


It is wonderful  animal.

02:31 PM Oct 18 2011 |

wwongsapun

wwongsapun

Thailand

Yes! I have pets, two dogs, It’s very pretty.

10:51 AM Jun 16 2011 |

arwenbike

arwenbike

France

I love pets. I have many cats, 8 sleigh dogs and 3 horses, all of them wonderful, specially the puppies.

08:41 AM Nov 18 2010 |

wendyliu01

wendyliu01

China

I have no taste for cats, too, but I love dogs very much. Yeah I think we must to know that we should have much responsibility if we want to be a good pet owner.

04:15 PM Jun 10 2010 |

nuna2300

nuna2300

Thailand

I like pets. I has a pet,lovely dog.

07:39 AM May 15 2010 |

CindyQuach

Viet Nam

oh. I love dogs and cats so much. I grow up with 2 dogs and 7 cats in my family. they're so adorable :)

07:32 AM Mar 21 2010 |

Rio choi

Rio choi

South Korea

I like pets too. I don't understand why your girlfriend hate pets. Anyway i live in boarding house with my friend and she also hate pets. Especially she disgust cat and dog.  

03:49 AM Mar 15 2010 |

Ellen_gaeng

South Korea

I don’t like pets, but i don’t understand Ella’s thinking.

03:49 AM Mar 15 2010 |

kartonka82

kartonka82

Ukraine

I love pets. I have dog. His name Chak:)

09:11 AM Mar 06 2010 |

skumpiya

Ukraine

i love pets so much)))espesially my cats and dog)
it's really amazing!!!

07:06 PM Feb 27 2010 |

Yakubridwan

Nigeria

What’s up

11:42 AM Feb 20 2010 |

Razty

Razty

Thailand

i like pet and i have 6 cat and 4dog 555

10:04 AM Feb 20 2010 |

vivivi^^

vivivi^^

China

I like pets.To play with them is a lot of fun!

I THINK there's nothing more we love more than pets.

08:54 AM Jul 13 2009 |

gl.gleice

gl.gleice

Brazil

I fall in love pets.

I take care my pets like human baby.

02:35 AM Jun 29 2009 |

Rufita

Rufita

Kazakhstan

hi everybody! i love pets, espesially cats, because cats very affectionate and clever. but when this pussycat grow up till 1 year, so happens it losts. i don't know what couse it. my last cat was espessialy clever, it followed me oa home, it codllied to me wen was winter, and i cried when my father found it. it was die on the road. hisname was Pakito.

so i desided i'll never get a cat at all

04:26 PM Apr 26 2009 |

s.sarya

United Kingdom

hi, before i came uk i just had cat in my life not more than 2 years…But at this moment i live in as a  small zoo, in this house which i work in we have three dogs, two cats, one parrot, two budgies, four chickens…And that house is in central london it is incredible i know , that said, i really like those animals and  they grew on me they are affectionate and loyal…especially the small dog is already my love…i like the animals more than children…. 

10:50 PM Apr 23 2009 |

Suresh Vathuluri

India

hi nan

its pleasure about ur naturality.

Simply you haven't interest to know about the gender of ur parrot.

is ur parrot speaking?

convey my regards to ur parrot.

bye with warm regards

07:42 AM Apr 22 2009 |

iamtotallyblonde

Lebanon

I don't have a pet and i never had. It is too much work although i like pets because i don't have  time for them.

12:03 AM Apr 17 2009 |

Nanynha66

Nanynha66

Brazil

I've had a parrot for more than twenty years. It's so cute! However, I don't know if it's male or female Tongue out.

01:16 PM Apr 14 2009 |

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