PETS

Did you know that the average pet cat kills up to 40 small creatures every year? With almost 9 million domestic cats living in the UK that accounts for nearly 300 million deaths a year, according to The Mammal Society's recent survey. Unfortunately, many of the casualties are garden birds whose numbers are already diminishing. Some are even endangered species. Cat hunting might be a drop in the ocean compared to the threat posed by loss of habitat but it is still worth minimising through responsible ownership.

For children is nice to have a friend; a cat, a dog, a bird, a horse, a fish or even something small and furry.

Some people also take their pets to shows. For example in London, there takes place one of the biggest international dog shows called Crufts. You can see thousands of dogs there. There are also lots of local shows. Adult and children take their dogs, cats, birds or hamsters to these shows. There are prizes for the best animals.

And do not forget horse riding, which is very popular in Britain. Children go to riding schools, where they can learn how to ride and how to look after horses. There are also lots of horse shows with prizes for riding, jumping and other events. The same is in the Czech Republic, where one of the most popular races is the Great Pardubická steeplechase.

Well, animals were always our friends and it is worth to take care of them also in future. We can play with them, we can have fun with them, we can even learn lots of things from them but we have to also look after them and preserve mainly endangered species for our children.

Zdroj: BBC

Average = průměrný
Bark = štěkat
Be fond of = mít rád, milovat
Bite = kousat
Casualty = nehoda, neštěstí, úraz, nahodilá událost
Cherish = chovat v lásce, ochraňovat, starat se o, optarovat s láskou
Compared to = ve srovnání s, oproti
Creature = zvíře, tvor, bytost, stvoření
Cute = rozkošný, roztomilý
Domestic = domácí
Diminish = zmenšit, ubývat, snížit, redukovat
Drop in the ocean = kapka v moři
Feast on = pást po
Furry = chlupatý, srstnatý
Great Pardubická steeplechase = Velká pardubická
Habitat = lokalita, stanoviště, místo výskytu
Have fun = bavit se, užít si
Horse riding = jízda na koni
Endangered species = ohrožené druhy
Kill = zabít
Local = místní
Look after = starat se o
Loss of = ztráta něčeho
Minimise = zmenšit
Muffler = bačkory
Munch = žvýkat, hryzat, kousat, přežvykovat
Ownership = vlastnictví, majetnictví
Pose = představovat
Preserve = ochraňovat, uchovat
Prize = cena, odměna, zisk
Race = závod, dostih
Recent = nedávný, současný
Responsible = (z)odpovědný
Scratch = škrábat
Survey = průzkum
Take care of = starat se o
Take place = konat se, uskutečnit se
Threat = hrozba
Through = skrz, přes
Urge = naléhavost, nutkání, zvyk
Wild = divoký, neochočený
Worth = mající cenu, stojící za, cenný