Wednesday, July 24, 2019

English lesson about pets - reading & listening



English lesson about pets for intermediate learners.

1. Listening

Listen to the podcast about pet owners. Try to get as much information as you can and answer the questions below:

a) What advantages do pets have over human friends?
b) Does Simon regret having two dogs? Why/why not?
c) How are cats different than dogs according to Emma?




2. Reading

Now listen again while you read the text below and check your answers.

Pet owners

Nowadays more and more people decide to invite a furry creature into their lives. Some will even gladly choose pets over human friends. After all, your pet will love you unconditionally. As long as you keep feeding it and giving it a bit of attention. They won’t argue with you or betray you. You can always expect a warm welcome when you come home. Have you noticed that they’re in a good mood almost 24/7?!


free English lessons dogs pets
Simon is a happy owner of two labrador retrievers

Here with me is Simon Green, a happy owner of two labrador retrievers.
- Tell me Simon, is it an easy job to take care of not one, but two large dogs? How do you manage?
- Hi! Well, I wouldn’t say it’s easy. Sometimes it feels as if I had two kids under my care. It is a lot of work. And it’s time-consuming. But, hey! It’s all worth the trouble. It’s amazing how well dogs can communicate. After you spend some time with them, it actually feels like you know them and they know you. Plus, I don’t think anyone has ever loved me as much as my dogs.
It has been proved that our furry friends can improve our health and even contribute to our happiness. Whether you're a dog person or a cat person, it doesn't matter.


britsh english listening cats pets
Emma prefers cats to dogs

My next guest is Emma Gilbert.
- Emma, you’re more of a cat person, aren’t you?
- Yes, I’m definitely a cat person.
- So tell us, what is so special about cats?
- People think that dogs are the only animals you can be truly close with but I think it’s a myth. Cats may not seem as extroverted or excited. But they do show love in their own way and they can become your genuine and loyal friends.


Glossary
pet owner – a person who owns a pet
furry – covered with fur
creature – any living thing that is not a plant
unconditional – not subject to any conditions
time-consuming – taking a lot of time to do or complete
24/7 – all the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
manage to do something – be able to do something
contribute to something – give to help achieve something
dog/cat person – a person who prefers dogs/cats
definitely – without doubt
extroverted – outgoing, socially confident
genuine - authentic
myth - a widely held but false belief or idea




Useful English phrases


to invite someone into your life
to love someone unconditionally
to give someone attention
to give someone a warm welcome
feels as if I had two kids (- that’s what having two large dogs makes him feel like, but in fact he has no kids)
it’s worth the trouble
improve someone’s health


3. Follow-up excercise
Leave a comment below and let us know:

a) Are you a cat person or a dog person? Or perhaps you prefer other pets, like rabbits or fish?
b) What do you think taking care of a pet teaches people?
c) Try to think of 4 advantages and 4 disadvantages of having a pet.

learn English listening dogs pets




4. Now you can repeat new vocabulary with the video lesson









Photos/graphics source: https://www.freepik.com

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