VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

Vocabulary

blind date – xiang qin
i.e. I have a blind date today with an ugly man but I’m going to go for the free food.

pandemic – a fast spread disease
i.e. We are in a global pandemic right now.

canine – quan lei
i.e. Dog is the most typical canine animal on earth.

increase – to go up, become more, to add
i.e. The number increased last night.

ownership – to have something
i.e. I have ownership of this computer.

scratch – zhua
i.e. They scratch the sofa.

personality – personal quality
i.e. I really like your personality.

adorable – cute, very very cute
i.e. You have adorable eyes.

pooch – cute way to say dog
i.e. I want to get myself a pooch.

tag – shang biao
i.e. The price tag of this clothes is cut off.

breed – type, kind
i.e. What breed is this dog?

sharper – more sharp
i.e. This knife is sharper than a sword.

charity – non-profit organization, ci shan
i.e. I donated the money to charity.

smuggling – taking something or someone away
i.e. I am afraid of the kid smuggling incidents in this city.

encourage – gu li
i.e. I want to encourage you to be more confident.

rescue center – the place where they keep all the saved animals
i.e. I adopted a dog from the rescue center.

registered – official, have applied to be an official….
i.e. Our company is a registered company.

ill-prepared – not prepared
i.e. I am ill-prepared for this exam.

behaviorist – someone who studies the behavior of something
i.e. She is a human behaviorist.

surge – an increase of something
i.e. I can see a surge in the numbers.

fear-aggression – aggression out of fear

request – yao qiu
i.e. I have a request to meet you.

suffer – shou ku
i.e. I don’t want you to suffer.

separation anxiety – the feeling of anxious when loved one is not around
i.e. If I go to England, my mom will have separation anxiety.

economic – jing ji de
i.e. There are many economic problems nowadays.

afford – be able to pay for something
i.e. I cannot afford this car.

For some people, there’s no better companion than man’s best friend – a dog. This four-legged canine can bring comfort and joy and provide much-needed exercise for you when it needs walkies! This probably explains why dog ownership increased last year because people spent more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

It was demand for puppies in particular that saw the biggest increase. Who couldn’t resist their playful personalities, adorable eyes, and super-soft coats?

However, as demand for a new pooch increased, so did the price tag. Popular breeds, such as Cockapoos and Cocker Spaniels, saw even sharper price increases, and puppies have been selling for £3,000 or more.

Animal welfare charities fear that high prices could encourage puppy farming, smuggling or dog theft. And a BBC investigation found some breeders have been selling puppies and kittens on social media sites – something charities have called “extremely irresponsible”.

But despite some new owners purchasing a dog legally, maybe from a rescue centre or registered breeder, they’ve proved to be ill-prepared for life with a new pet, and the pet itself has found it hard to come to terms with life in a new home. Animal behaviourists in the UK have reported a surge in requests to help dogs suffering from fear-aggression after their lives have been turned upside down.

Looking to the future, there are concerns about the welfare of these much-loved pets. Ian Atkin, manager of the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary in the UK, told the BBC: “At the moment, the dogs are having a great time, but separation anxiety could still surface when people go back to work.” And Claire Calder from the UK’s Dogs Trust rescue charity says “the economic situation also means that some people may find they can’t afford to look after a dog.” The message is not to buy a puppy in haste and to pick one that fits into your lifestyle.