Task 8 Read the text and sum it up.

Dogs

The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures. There are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.

The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; colour varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; coats can be very short to many centimeters long, from coarse hair to straight curly, or smooth.

Modern dog breeds show more variation in size, appear­ance, and behaviour than any other domestic animal. Dogs are predators and scavengers, possessing sharp teeth and strong jaws for attacking, holding, and tearing their food. A dog can identify a sound location much faster than a hu­man can, as well as hear sounds up to four times the distance that human beings are able to.

Like most predatory mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, a cardiovascular system that supports both sprint­ing and endurance, and teeth for catching, holding, and

tearing.

The dog's ancestral skeleton provides the ability to run and leap. Their legs are designed to propel them forward rap­idly, leaping as necessary, to chase and overcome prey. Con­sequently, they have small, tight feet, walking on their toes; their rear legs are fairly rigid and sturdy; the front legs are loose and flexible, with only muscle attaching them to the torso.

Dogs have disconnected shoulder bones (lacking the col­lar bone of the human skeleton) that allow a greater stride length for running and leaping. They walk on four toes, front and back, and have vestigial dewclaws (dog thumbs) on their front legs and sometimes on their rear legs. In some cases, these claws are missing due to surgery, the rear dewclaws sometimes being removed to prevent the possibility of their being ripped off, or catching on something and breaking, es­pecially in dogs with loose dewclaws. This practice is illegal in some countries.

Task 9 Make up sentences using the vocabulary of the texts.

Task 10 How can you characterize a dog or a cat?

Task 11 Project work.

Using the Internet and/or newspapers and magazines, collect some data and characterize one of the mammals. You may use the information from Supplementary Reading. Present the result of your research in class.

SMALL ANIMALS

Task 12. Learn new words.

1. Refinement - изящество
2. Omnivorous -всеидний
3. Carnivorous - плотоядный, насекомоядный
4. Ancestry - древний
5. Set - различать
6. Chase - преследовать
7. Tightly - крепко
8. Substantial bone - firm bone - крепкие кости
9. Herd - пасти овец
10. Guard - ухаживать
11. Blind - слепой
12. Disable - больной, искалеченный
13. Encourage - подбодрить
14. Recover - выздоравливать
15. Be regarded- быть рассмотренным
16. Esteem - высоко ценить
17. Beast - зверь
18. Burden- грузоподъемная
19. Be sacred - быть святым, сакральным
20. Incisors - резец, передний зуб
21. Canine - клык, собачий
22. Molar - коренной зуб
23. Issue - проблема
24. Neglected - пренебрегать

25. Prone - extend - распространять
26. Get snagged - становиться шишкой или наростом
27. Rip - рвать
28. Ripped - раскалываться
29. Spayed - neutered - кастрированные животные
30. Endurance - выносливость
31. Claws - когти, лапы
32. Dewclaws - капельные когти
33. Digit or toe - палец на ноге
34. Pant - вздыхать
35. Lick - облизывать
36. Sweat -потиты
37. Benefit - преимущество, польза
38. Bowl - чашка

Task 13. Read and translate the text.

DOGS

All dogs belong to the family Canidae, along with their relatives – wolves, jackals, and foxes. They are members of the mammalian order Carnivora, or "Flesh Eaters". Dogs have played an important role in the history of human civilization and were among the first domesticated animals. When livestock were domesticated about 7.000 to 9.000 years ago, dogs served as herders and guardians of sheep, goats, and cattle. Nowadays these animals are employed as guides for the blind and disabled or for the police work. They are used in therapy in nursing homes and hospitals to encourage patients toward recovery.

Dogs are regarded differently in different parts of the world. Western civilization has given the relationship between human and dog great importance. Nevertheless, in some of the developing nations as well as in many areas of Asia, dogs are not held in the same esteem. In some areas of the world, dogs are used as guards or beasts of burden or even for food, whereas, in the United States and Europe, dogs are protected and admired. In ancient Egypt during the days of the pharaons, dogs were considered to be sacred.

Task 14 Answer the following questions:

1. What family do all dogs belong to?

2. What order do they belong to?

3. What role have dogs played in the history of human civilization?

4. What kind of work did dogs serve in ancient times.

5. How are these animals used nowadays?

6. Are dogs regarded in the same way in different parts of the world?

7. Are dogs held in the same esteem in all areas of the world?

8. Where are dogs protected and admired?

9. How were dogs regarded in ancient Egypt?