Sample Answer
Are there many people keeping pets in China? What kinds of pets do people keep?
Yes, there are definitely lots of people who have pets in China. I think that in general, people have pets like cats and dogs because they’re easy to keep in apartments or small houses. For instance, my grandpa has two cats that love staying indoors. Pets like those are pretty low-maintenance depending on the breed.
Do you have any pets? / Have you had a pet when you were young?
No, I don’t have any now. I had several goldfish when I was very young. That was the only time I had animals. But unfortunately, they all died because of my carelessness. So even though I love animals, I tend to avoid keeping a pet in case I kill it again…
Which animals can be good pets? Which ones cannot be?
Personally, I think animals that are easy to take care of make good pets. A great example is a cat. They don’t need a lot of attention, so you don’t need to pet them so often, and they can stay indoors all day. But animals that need a lot of care, like big dogs, might not be great pets. You have to walk the dog every day; some dogs even need to be walked twice a day. And dogs bark really loudly. So I don’t think dogs are good pets for people like me who like being quiet.
What pet would you want to keep?
Um…I would love to have a small dog. I think that I’ll end up living in an apartment someday, so I would need an animal that doesn’t need to have a ton of space. Plus, small dogs are adorable. They’re so cute that just looking at them helps me take a load off.
Which kinds of pets do you dislike?
I don’t like reptiles for pets. They make my skin crawl. Snakes, frogs, and lizards are all super creepy. I would never want to hold them or spend time with them. Feeding them would gross me out as well. You know, snakes eat mice for food—I would freak out if I had to feed my pet a mouse.
Do you think children should have pets? Why?
Yes, it’s really important to let children keep pets. First of all, it teaches them how to be responsible. By taking care of a pet, they can eventually learn how to take care of themselves and stand on their own two feet. Also, keeping a pet can help children form important bonds.
Vocab Highlights
low-maintenance
breed
in case
make good pets
pet them so often
walk the dog
take a load off
reptiles
make my skin crawl
lizards
creepy
gross me out
stand on their own two feet
form important bonds