Overweight Dogs | 狗狗过重是谁的错？

by Nadia Chung

It's no coincidence that overweight dogs have overweight owners.

过重的狗狗拥有过重的饲主不单单只是巧合而已。

You may have noticed that pets often share some physical characteristics with their owners, but have you ever noticed that they often mirror their owners' body shapes, too? It has been _(1)_ that over 45 percent of dogs in the US are overweight or obese. There are several reasons for this. First, owners of obese pets tend to humanize their animals and cannot resist _(2)_ table food when their pets start to beg. Second, modern dog treats are loaded with fat, sugar, and salt, _(3)_ create unhealthy cravings in pets, much like the case with snacks designed for humans.

Another reason, recently found by a Dutch study, is that overweight dogs often have overweight owners. This is _(4)_ a coincidence because people tend to transfer their own habits to their pets. Humans who do not conscientiously follow a healthy diet or exercise are usually lax with their pets in the same areas. Overfeeding dogs and neglecting to take them out for their daily walks translate into weight gain, _(5)_ they do for humans.

This is not a matter to be taken lightly because obesity in dogs can _(6)_ serious medical problems, premature death, and an overall diminished quality of life. To prevent this, owners need to identify obesity as a serious health problem as well as make having a balanced diet and getting regular exercise high _(7)_ for both parties. When this happens, the process benefits not only the pets but their owners as well.

1.    (A) convinced (B) informed    (C) estimated   (D) recommended

2.    (A) share (B) sharing (C) to share    (D) from sharing

3.    (A) which (B) that    (C) these   (D) what

4.    (A) simply    (B) exactly (C) mainly  (D) hardly

5.    (A) such as   (B) as soon as  (C) just as (D) as long as

6.    (A) pile up   (B) lead to (C) show off    (D) carry out

7.    (A) securities    (B) authorities (C) majorities  (D) priorities

　　你或许已经注意到宠物和饲主通常有某些相同的身体特征，但你是否注意到牠们也常反映出饲主的体型？在美国，据估计超过百分之四十五的宠物狗有过重或肥胖的问题。造成这个问题是有一些原因的。首先，拥有肥胖宠物的饲主往往把宠物当成人对待，当牠们哀求时，饲主无法克制不与牠们分享桌上的食物。再者，现代的狗零食充满脂肪、糖份和盐份，造成宠物不健康的食欲，就如同零食对人的影响一样。

　　再来还有一个原因，最近一份丹麦的研究显示，过重的狗儿，其饲主通常也有过重的情形。这几乎不能说是巧合，因为人们往往会把自己的习惯转嫁到宠物身上。不努力实行健康饮食或运动的人通常也会以同样的原则放纵宠物。过度喂食狗儿及每日疏于带狗儿出去散步都会让狗儿体重增加，就像是对人的影响一样。

　　这是个不能等闲视之的问题，因为狗儿的肥胖会导致严重的健康问题、早夭和整体性的生活质量下降。要避免这种情形，饲主需要将肥胖当作严重的问题，并且将与宠物一同进行均衡饮食和规律运动视为首要之务。当开始执行后，这些过程将有利于饲主以及宠物双方。

答案：1. (C)2. (B)3. (A)4. (D)5. (C)
6. (B)7. (D)

For Your Information

兽医与专家说，损害人类健康的垃圾食物与不良的饮食习惯，同样会伤害他们的宠物。比利时动物针灸师李柏特（Gerard Lippert）说，过敏与肥胖使全球以工业食品喂养的猫狗寿命缩减。而且宠物跟人一样，也是垃圾食物的受害者。

他检验 6 百只狗的遗体后，发现吃加工食品的狗比吃主人烹煮食物的狗还要早逝 3 年。他说：『狗食与猫食炸肉丸是过度烹煮的食物，会破坏维他命、微量元素与其他基本的营养素。』

宠物主人倾向于选择加工食品，因为要准备营养均衡的食物比较困难，理想的狗食应该包含约 50 种营养素，还须有肉、蔬菜、米与面食。动物的年龄、体重与运动规律也必须纳入考虑。（数据源：Yahoo奇摩新闻）