Taking care of pets can be a great way to teach children responsibility, but it's important to be realistic (现实的). If you're keen on bringing an animal into your home and you've designed a plan for its proper care, here are some choices.
• FISH
First-time owners should consider getting cold-water fish as no tank (鱼缸) heater is required. They should research what kinds of fish get along in the same tank, and be aware of life expectancies-some goldfish can live up to 20 years.
• RABBITS
Though rabbits, or nickname bunnies, may seem like a lovely choice, they can live up to ten years and require an amount of care similar to that of a dog or cat. They have their special diet needs, and often don't behave well around small children. Each year, quite a lot of Easter bunnies become homeless when families feel tired of them.
• GUINEAPIGS (豚鼠，荷兰猪)
These small animals are ideal starter pets. Their cages must be cleaned daily, and they require toys to keep their ever growing teeth in check. Once they're used to the new way of life, guinea pigs need daily exercise in a small room without cracks or holes for escape. They don't want to be alone, but if you get two, make sure they're the same sex or they'll have babies.
• BIRDS
Fond of a fixed timetable, birds require feeding at the same time each day. Cages should be cleaned daily and disinfected (消毒) weekly. Birds clean themselves by bathing in dishes of water and grow in cages big enough to spread their wings and fly a short time.
44．All the following pets are recommended in the passage EXCEPT ________
A．Rabbits B．Cats C．Guinea pigs D．Birds
45．As a beginner to raise fish, you'd better ________ in a tank.
A．get some cold-water fish, which get along well B．get some warm-water fish, which get along well
C．get some cold-water fish and some warm-water fish D．get only one cold-water fish or warm-water fish
46．Rabbits can live up to ________ years, as long as dogs or cats.
A．five B．ten C．twenty D．thirty
47．________ are necessary for Guinea pigs to play with or grow.
A．Tank heaters B．Cages C．Toys D．Cracks or holes
48．The underlined word "fixed" from the passage means ________.
A．regular B．repaired C．full D．mixed
49．The passage is mainly written to ________.
A．officers working for SPCA B．staff from the local zoo
C．reporters for the Animal World D．kids hoping to raise pets at home
44．B
45．A
46．B
47．C
48．A
49．D
【解析】
这是一篇说明文，文章主要给想在家养宠物的孩子们建议了四种小动物。
44．细节理解题。根据“FISH”“RABBITS”“GUINEAPIGS”以及 “BIRDS”可知文中没有提到猫。故选B。
45．细节理解题。根据第二段“First-time owners should consider getting cold-water fish as no tank heater is required. They should research what kinds of fish get along in the same tank,”作为第一次养鱼的人，应该养冷水鱼，因为不需要鱼缸加热器，而且要研究哪些种类的鱼能和谐相处。故选A。
46．细节理解题。根据第三段“they can live up to ten years and require an amount of care similar to that of a dog or cat”可知生命可长达十年。故选B。
47．细节理解题。根据第四段“they require toys to keep their ever growing teeth in check”养荷兰猪，玩具很有必要。故选C。
48．词义猜测题。根据“birds require feeding at the same time each day”可知鸟需要在每天相同的时间喂食，fixed表达“固定的，有规律的”，相当于regular。故选A。
49．推理判断题。根据“Taking care of pets can be a great way to teach children responsibility”以及“If you're keen on bringing an animal into your home”可推断文章主要写给希望在家养宠物的孩子们。故选D。
B
D