Some animals are pets, some are wild, and many of them provide us with food. All have a different and important role in our lives.
It is easy to forget that the steak at the supermarket once formed part of a steer (肉用小公牛). But without domestic (驯养的) animals such as chickens and cattle, we would all be vegetarians, or a great deal of our time would need to be spent on hunting for meat.
Wild animals not only attract sport hunters. For some people they are even an important source of food. When urban people visit the wild, deer, bears and other wild animals remind them of an older way of life,
Pets, however, are the animals that are especially significant for most of us. They are undemanding companions. They share our sadness or endure our bad tempers without complaints or caring about what they will get from the owners. A pet can be a great comfort when life seems hard.
For children, pets can be both fun and instructive. If a child cares for a pet, he or she learns to take responsibility for another being. Watching kittens or puppies being born can be a natural form of sex education. For children, as for adults, pets are loving companions and a help in tough times.
As I recall, an Indian chief once said, "Without our brothers, the animals, we would all be very lonely." I believe that he is right.

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