Here is a proposal that is sure to anger some people: Everyone— yes, everyone—should have a pet. I think we should require that everyone get a pet or else present a convincing reason why they can’t have one. There are almost too many arguments in favor of companion animals to list them all. The few arguments against pet ownership scarcely need to be mentioned.
First of all, a pet is good for your health. Many studies have shown the health-related benefits of pets. For example, people with heart problems have lower blood pressure when they’re petting a cat or dog. Seniors in long-term care facilities who feel sad and lonely find their spirits lifted by the arrival of pets.
Additionally, pets teach us important lessons about kindness and responsibility. When you have a pet, one fact cannot be avoided: That animal depends on you. It needs your love and care. It depends on you for its very life—for its food, its medical care, its shelter. Once you’ve cared for a loving animal, you are likely to treat human beings better as well. Every person who has a pet must care for it. Thus, all pet owners are caring people.
What’s more, countless animals need homes. It is an act of kindness to take in a homeless cat or dog.
But most important of all, pets teach us about love. They give love without reservation. They accept our love with gladness. They ask only for your attention. Imagine your pet patiently waiting at the window, its eyes glued on your front walk, its whole being focused on your arrival.
Think of the parrot that bobs its head and sings as you walk through the door, craning its neck for the touch of your fingers. Picture the cat that arches its back and rubs madly against your shins as it meows for its dinner, then climbs into your lap and fills the room with soft purring as you gently pet its head. Consider the sight of a dog, so devoted to you that it would give its life to help you, its tail wagging madly to see you, so overjoyed at the sound of your voice that it dances and barks.
And in the end, our pets have one final lesson to teach us—a lesson about loss. The pain of losing the beloved pet is the flip side of the coin of joy that the pet owner holds in his or her hand. We gain an acceptance and understanding of how beautiful and precious life truly is. We learn that all of our moments can be filled with joy if we only open our hearts to our pets. And we learn that love outlasts loss, which is the greatest legacy of the time we share with an animal.
12. Which of the following best describes the persuasive appeal used in the sentence “Once you’ve cared for a loving animal, you are likely to treat human beings better as well”?
a. emotional appeal
b. appeal to reason
c. ethical appeal ☺
d. appeal to humor
13. Which of the following statements is an opinion?
a. A pet depends on its owner for its very life.
b. Everyone should have a pet. ☺
c. Studies have shown the health-related benefits of pets.
d. Countless animals need homes.
14. Which of the following is the best indication that this passage is written in the first person?
a. The author uses the pronoun I. ☺
b. The author reveals a character’s thoughts.
c. The author is a nameless voice.
d. The author describes real-life events and people.
15. Which of the following is an example of faulty cause-and-effect reasoning in the editorial?
a. The few arguments against pet ownership scarcely need to be mentioned.
b. People with heart problems have lower blood pressure when they’re petting a cat or dog.
c. Every person who has a pet must care for it. Thus, all pet owners are caring people. ☺
d. Consider the sight of a dog so overjoyed at the sound of your voice that it dances and barks.
16. The author shows his or her bias most clearly by
a. providing several reasons why people should have pets. ☺
b. suggesting that people have much to learn from animals.
c. pointing out that many animals need homes.
d. failing to mention that there are opposing views.
17. Which question might help a reader better understand the sixth paragraph?
a. What is unusual about a parrot’s behavior?
b. How is the writer using persuasive appeals here?
c. Does the Internet have articles about pet behavior? ☺
d. What do parrots, cats, and dogs have in common?
18. Reread the last paragraph. Which of the following best clarifies the meaning of the sentence “The pain of losing the beloved pet is the flip side of the coin of joy that the pet owner holds in his or her hand”?
a. Pet ownership brings a person joy, but the person feels pain when the pet dies. ☺
b. A person should flip a coin when considering whether to buy a pet.
c. The best pets are small enough to be held in a person’s hand.
d. All pet owners are sad when their beloved pets die.
19. Review the fifth paragraph. The author’s main point is that pets teach people
a. that time heals all wounds.
b. how to manage their health.
c. that they will always be loved. ☺
d. about love that is freely given.
20. Which of the following is an appeal to reason?
a. Owning a pet is good for your health.
b. Pets help people live more joyfully. ☺
c. Pets make their owners better people.
d. Animals are focused on their owners.
21. Which is the best way to clarify the sentence “The few arguments against pet ownership scarcely need to be mentioned”?
a. Most people favor pet ownership, but the author believes that the arguments against it are strong.
b. Few people can provide reasons not to own a pet.
c. Most people favor pet ownership, so the author does not need to discuss arguments against it. ☺
d. Few people can provide reasons to own a pet.
I disagree with your answers for 16, 17, 19, 20. The others appear to be correct.
16. d
17. d
19. d
20. c
Are any of those right?