1. Do you have a pet?

有：

Yeah, I have a pet dog, a super adorable teddy dog. She’s 2 years old now. And she’s like a little sister to me.

没有，但是想有。然后解释为啥没有的原因：

No, but I’ve always wanted one. I’m a cat person, and I’m dying to have a Ragdoll, a British Shorthair or a Scottish Fold. They are so fluffy and just like a ball of fur.

But my mom won’t allow it, ‘cause she thinks they are heavy shedders, and none of us have the time to groom them or keep the rooms clean and tidy.  

No, ‘cause I’m allergic to dogs and cats. I just won’t stop sneezing when they come too close to me, but I have to say, they are really cute to look at, I mean, with all those fluffy fur and adorable paws.

没有，也不想有：

No, they always bring back horrible memories from my childhood. I’ve been attacked by a fierce homeless dog / cat, so I was kind of traumatized. Since then, I just couldn’t stand the sight of dogs/cats, not even the cute little ones.

其实宠物不光有猫狗，常见的pet还有：turtle, rabbit, hamster, fish, snail, snake, spider等等。如果有的话就对号入座吧~

语言点解析：

be dying to do / for something = to want something or want to do something very much 例如：

I’m dying for a glass of water.    

I’m dying to know what happened.

heavy shedder = a kind of animal that loses its fur naturally and heavily 例如：

How often does a snake shed its skin?

trees that shed their leaves in autumn

groom = to clean or brush an animal 例如：

The horses are all well fed and groomed.

2. What is your favorite animal?

可以说个不现实的、不能做为宠物养的，甚至是已经灭绝的例如dinosaur……

Well, definitely giant pandas, but unfortunately, I couldn’t keep one as my pet.

如果你不是个animal lover也无所谓，挑个相对来说比较喜欢的就行了：

Well, to be honest, I don’t have a favorite kind of animal, but if I have to choose one, then maybe cats/spiders, ‘cause they are usually pretty cute/cool.

3. Do you think it’s good to keep a pet at home?

这道题的答案就比较老生常谈啦，咋想咋说就行：

Yeah, especially when there’re small children at home, it’s a good way to develop their sense of responsibility, you know, ‘cause they need to take care of the pet, like feed them and groom them, which actually takes a lot of efforts.

Oh, and also pets can be a perfect companion to senior citizens, especially to those who have lost their spouse, pets can be a great comfort.

语言点解析：

efforts = the physical or mental energy that you need to do something; something that takes a lot of energy 例如：

You should put more effort into your work.

It’s a long climb to the top, but well worth the effort.

Getting up this morning was quite an effort. (= it was difficult)

companion = a person or an animal that travels with you or spends a lot of time with you 例如：

travelling companions

Fear was the hostages’ constant companion. (figurative)

comfort = a person or thing that helps you when you are suffering, worried or unhappy 例如：

The children have been a great comfort to me through all of this.

It’s a comfort to know that she is safe.

4. Are there any disadvantages of keeping a pet?

Yeah, I guess. Um… one of the most common complaints I heard from those people who have pets is that pets like dogs and cats tend to wreck things at home, like furniture or slippers. They are like little troublemakers who always make a mess. And you just need to clean up after them.

And another downside is that pets tend to have a shorter lifespan, which means we have to accept the fact that they wouldn’t be able to keep us company forever. And when that day arrives, it would be heartbreaking.

语言点解析：

clean up = to remove dirt, etc. from somewhere 例如：

I’m always having to clean up after the children (= clean the place after they have left it dirty and untidy).

lifespan = the length of time that something is likely to live, continue or function 例如：

Worms have a lifespan of a few months.

吉林新东方朱博老师