【推荐1】Most people agree that a pet adds joy to a person’s life. Scientists are now finding that having a pet may keep its owner_________ . And good health may add years to a person’s life.

Scientists have been ________the tie（关系） between pets and health for years. In 1990, a study was done with people aged 65 and older. It _________that pet owners went to the doctor less than people ________pets. Do pets make people _________? Are people able to handle their everyday lives better? Alan Beck, who is a researcher, says that _________the answer to the questions is yes, then having pets may be a good idea.

Can pets also help people live longer? Rebecca Johnson did a study to _________. Johnson teaches nurses how to care for ________people. Her study shows that having pets may cause people to _________more slowly.

The human body makes many chemicals. Some of the chemicals make people feel _________. Others make people feel bad. In Johnson’s _________, levels of the “good” chemicals ________when people were around pets while levels of the “bad” chemicals went down. The good ________seemed to slow the aging of cells. If this is ________, maybe people should spend more time with their ________. Then people might feel better and _________longer.

You might be allergic（过敏的） to pets. Or you may not want to ________a pet. Never fear. A robotic, or computer pet may be just the thing for you.                 Scientists are testing computer pets, like the robotic dog AIBO. They want to see if _______pets can help people the way _________dogs do.

Will a robotic pet ________the real pet sitting with you on the sofa? Something tells us that it will probably become a reality.

【推荐2】Five years ago, a friend asked me to look after his cat while he went on holiday, and I realized the idea had potential on a bigger scale. So I moved to London and decided to _______ cat sitting (猫咪代养).

For me, cat sitting is about _______ two groups of people who need what the other can offer. I get to stay in people’s _______ without rent while they’re on holiday. The owners get _______ cat sitting. It also means that there is someone to keep an eye on their homes while they are away. It seems a fairer _______ than just watering plants or walking dogs — I’m more of a cat person.

I have always loved cats, and their gentle temper makes them ideal _______ for someone working from home. Cats have such different personalities, so it’s not surprising that I _______ more with some than others. An owner once told me not to _______ her cat to sit on me, as it had happened only once. But just four days later, the cat came over and sat on my lap. I sent her a photo!

Cat sitting helps me with my _______ anxiety disorder, too. I want to be around people, but sometimes I can’t. Sometimes, this anxiety even ________ me from leaving the house. But since becoming a cat sitter my mental health has ________. Having my own ________ gives me the power to plan my day. I can recharge when I need to and can go out and meet people when I want. The cats have ________ helped.

Now I have stayed in 25 houses, ________ 30 cats and saved more than 10,000 pounds that would have gone on ________. One day I want to save up for a flat so I can have a cat of my own.

【推荐2】Who will you ask for help when you want to learn something? A friend? A tutor? These are all _____ways of learning. But it may well be that the learning you really want_____ somewhere else. I had the_____ of seeing this first hand on a_______

My daughter played on a recreational football team. Her team did very well this season and so ____a tournament, which normally was only for more skilled club teams. This led to some ____ experiences on Saturday as they played against teams_____trained. Through the first two games, her_____ did not get one serious shot on goal. As a parent, I _____ seeing my daughter playing her best, _____still defeated.

It seemed that something clicked with the______between Saturday and Sunday. When they_____for their Sunday game, they were______different. They had begun integrating(结合)the kinds of play and teamwork they had ______ the day before into their ______.They played aggressively and ______scored a goal.

It ______me that playing against the other team was a great ______ moment for all the girls on the team. I think it is a general principle. ______is the best teacher. The lessons they learnt from the games may not be_____what they would have got in school. But the lessons are certainly more personal and meaningful, because they had to work them out on their own.