Question

    As humanity has got richer, animal’s roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and thieves meant less demand for dogs for protection; the internal combustion engine（内燃机）made horses unneeded; modern sanitation（卫生设备）kept rats in check and made cats less useful. No longer necessities, domestic animals became luxuries. Pet-keeping seems to kick in when household incomes rise above roughly $5,000. It is booming.

The trend is not a new one. Archaeologists（考古学家）have found 10,000-year-old graves in which dogs and people are buried together. Some cultures -- such as in Scandinavia, where dogs have long been both working dogs and companions -- have kept pets for thousands of years. But these days the pet-keeping urge has spread even to parts of the world which have no tradition of sinking into a comfortable chair with a furry creature.

The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food - waste - recyclers, fed with the remains that fall from their masters’ tables. Pet - food shelves are full of delicacies crafted to satisfy a range of appetites, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic or suffer from sensitive digestion; a number of internet services offer food, tailored to the pet’s individual tastes.

In the business this is called “pet humanisation” -- the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is evident in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex and Spot to -- in America -- Bella, Lucy and Max. It is evident in the growing market for pet clothing, pet grooming and pet hotels.

People still assume that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. Rather, new research suggests that dogs have evolved those irresistible “puppy - dog eyes” precisely to affect human emotions. It has worked. The species that once enslaved others now works very hard to pay for the care of its pets. Sentimental（多愁善感的）Americans often refer to themselves not as cat-owners but as the cat’s “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one further, describing themselves as cat “butlers”. Watch an unlucky dog-walker trailing “his” hound（猎犬）, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and you have to wonder: who’s in charge now?

1.Which of the following trends is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A.People’s needs for animal services are decreasing.

B.Both the pet number and the pet business are growing.

C.Pets are increasingly making their owners less anxious.

D.Pet foods are more various and customized than before.

2.Which of the following is referred to as evidence of “pet humanization?”

A.The names given to pets in American families nowadays.

B.Pet’s inbuilt ability to affect emotions of their owners.

C.Human beings ever rising urge for pet-keeping.

D.Pet’s roles as both working staff and companions.

3.Which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree with?

A.Pets should be treated as equals of their human masters.

B.Human beings are getting much benefit from their pets.

C.Pet-keeping is still restricted within certain parts of the world.

D.Some pet owners spend too much money on their pets.

4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A.The Changing Roles of Animals B.The Urge for Pet-keeping

C.Who Owns Whom D.Love Me, Love My Dog

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文，主要抨击了如今人们养宠物的现象，一些人甚至已经沦为了宠物的奴隶。

1.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“People still assume that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. Rather, new research suggests that dogs have evolved those irresistible “puppy - dog eyes” precisely to affect human emotions.”可知，人们仍然认为宠物必须以某种方式为人类工作，使人们更健康或更少焦虑，但这方面的证据并不充分，相反，新的研究表明狗狗进化出了那些不可抗拒的眼神，正是为了影响人类的情绪，因此“宠物越来越让主人不那么焦虑”这一说法是错误的，故C项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第四段中的“In the business this is called “pet humanisation” -- the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is evident in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex and Spot to -- in America -- Bella, Lucy and Max.”可知，在这个行业中，这被称为“宠物人性化”——宠物主人将宠物视为家庭的一部分的趋势，这一点在给狗起的名字中很明显，狗的名字从菲多、雷克斯和斯波特演变成——在美国的贝拉、露西和麦克斯，因此，现在美国家庭给宠物起的名字可以作为宠物人性化的证据，故A项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据第三段中的“The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them.”可知，宠物生意的增长速度甚至超过了宠物数量，因为人们在宠物身上花费的钱越来越多，由此可知，作者认为一些宠物主人在他们的宠物身上花了太多的钱，故D项正确。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文，特别是根据文章最后一句话“and you have to wonder: who’s in charge now?”可知，本文主要抨击了如今人们养宠物的现象，一些人甚至已经沦为宠物的奴隶，故C项（谁是老大？）最适合做文章标题。