Reading .d on the reading which are based a Hexrshould spend that 20 minutes on OM ations 1-13. passage be slow. Questions 1-6 The ve, wading passage has seven sections, A-€ | : 1s passage has seven section! sat of headings below Choose the correet heading for each seetion from the TS . | ‘Example “Answer List of Headings | | Section A e | Why children do not always trust pets — Using pets to help with psychological conditions 1 Section B The physical and social benefits of having pets 2 Section © | Providing homes for pets in need 3 Section Choosing the right pet 4 Section E A statistical analysis of health benefits 5 Section F How pets can help children 6 Section @ Different types of pet-owner relationships The origins of a long-lasting relationship ‘Advantages of pets for the sick and those in special homes, CW... “f... ms ‘A. Humans have been keeping pets for almost as long as we have been living in houses. Even in the Greek legend of Odysseus, his dog Argus gets a mention ~ the faithful hound is the only one who recognizes him after his lengthy voyage. Most animals were originally brought into households to work, as hunting dogs or using cats to catch mice for example. But the advantages of keeping a pet go far beyond simply using them as labour. Pets are widely accepted as having a beneficial effect on your health, but animals can also have a positive impact on your emotional and mental well-being, too. B in 1995 the Australian National People and Pets survey discovered that pet owners visited their doctors less often than their pet-less friends, and were at less risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes. However, the major reason given. for pet owners’ better physteal health was that they are more active than the rest of the population, Dog owners in particular take more recreational walks, which improves their overall fitness levels. But the survey also uncovered the social benefits of having a pet. saying: ‘Over 60 per cent of pet owners say that having a pet around when people visit-makes It easter to get into conversation and create a friendly atmosphere.” © So, does it matter what type of pet you have? Do different pels have different health benefits? Dr McNicholas says st depends what kind of relationship you want! hhave with your pet. The first is the ‘human’ type of relationship. Ha shoes fee partie commpanicmiy ae ETE role. Dogs or cats would fall into this eategory, The sro ta oping o pate noctel nacel: DOGS always meet other dog walker, fr example. The third relationship is when your pet fs also Your hobby ~ such as Keeping exotic animals. In this category, you benefit from the calming effect of warchung che animals ‘but also gain from the social aspect of joining clubs or societies.a a ee eee eee ‘The health benefits of pets have become so widely accepted that many animals are now used in hospitals as part of patients’ recovery programmes. The charity Pets as Therapy (PaT) has 3,500 dogs and 90 cats currently ‘working for them. The animals make weekly visits to nearly 5,000 hospital wards, residential care homes or special care schools in a bid to boost patients’ well-being, The animals may be used to help stroke victims regain the use of their limbs. Patients want to stroke the animals so this encourages them to move thelr arms or hands again,’ says Maureen Hennis, chief executive of Pa, Both the Pa dogs and cats are taken into care homes to provide comfort for the residents. Many of them may have given up thetr own pets before going into homes, so the animals help bring a sense of normality to their lives, PaT animals also work with people suffering from depression. ‘They can sometimes get through the barriers these patients put up, where humans have failed in the past,’ says Maureen. PaT is currently working with a psychologist from Sunderland Royal Hospital treating children with animal phobias. The results so far have been ‘very encouraging. 'We are enabling these children to rejoin the community,’ says Maureen. ‘They can now wale to ‘school or go to the park when previously they were too frightened to do so.” ‘SeeSaw, a bereavement charity set up especially for children, also uses animals to build emotional bridges. Kathy Moore, a counsellor and project co-ordinator for Macmillan Cancer Relief, takes her dog Do-Good with her when she meets children who have a parent or sibling who is dying from a terminal illness, Most children are unwilling to open up to a stranger, but Kathy says Do-Good helps them learn to trust her. ‘He can provide such a good way Into my first contact with a child,’ she says. ‘Even ifthey are a little wary of me, most children can't resist Do-Good = he's got such a great personality and we all go on walks together. Despite the growing body of eviclence that pets are beneficial for our health, scientists have not been able to answer one crucial question - are dogs better than cats? Dr MeNicholas says it does not matter what type of pet, you have, as long as it fits into your lifestyle. ‘If you hate long walks but have ‘bouncy’ dogs that need walking, that is going to push your stress levels way up,’ she says. You need to do your homework beforehand, so both you and your pet benefit from the relationship. Animals really can give you unconditional love. They don't care if you are having a bad har day - you can just be yourself. Questions 7-10 ‘Complete the sentences below. ‘Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. 7 Walking a dog generally increases people's . 8 Some owners find that their pets provide both .. 9 PaT uses cats and dogs to .. 10 Children can be helped to... bereavement. and support in a Variety of locations. with the use of pets when dealing with Questions 11-13 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write: TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there no information on this 11 Humans have been keeping pets since people started living in houses. ‘12 Many patients notice an improvement in their mobility after stroking animals. 13 Children's fear of animals is being successfully overcome in one PaT programme.