What impressed you in the story “If Only They Could Talk”? Share your own or someone else’s experience of treating a sick animal.

In this story vet faces problem of sick dog. He must make animals healthy again, but sometimes it is not possible. In this case he came in a house of an old man. His dog was very old and sick. Vet could not do something for this dog, because he had cancer and vet must give him an injection and dog was dead.

Of course for any loving owner the death of pet is the most tragic, traumatic, and emotionally devastating experience. In this story we can feel how the old man is going through this by the author's descriptions of his actions and gestures. “The old man looked bewildered and his lips trembled.”,

“He did not speak, but ran his hand again and again over the grey old muzzle and the ears, while the tail thump, thump, thumped on the floor.”

It was very hard for him to lose his pet, but even harder to see him in pain. As people say, better to put your pet to sleep a day too early then a day too late. “That’s right, we could not have let him suffer,…” the old man said finally and he knew that " He is out of his pain now".

My best friend had the same case. He had to put his dog to sleep because of cancer in August 2011. He stopped eating, he wasn't interested in sniffing and he stopped being protective over the house. He lost so much weight, he couldn't lift himself up to do anything or go anywhere. It is very hard but it has to be done. Six months later, he bought a puppy, with which help he was able to survive this difficult time.

10. What do you think of the competitive nature of sports and the feelings of rivalry involved? (“Where Have All the Fans Gone”, ‘The Sporting Spirit”)

Nearly all sports nowadays are competitive. Winning has become the most important thing. People play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win.

Many people are fond of sport. And maybe the competitive nature of sports attracts us most of all. It is regarded as one of the main causes of international rivalry. They say almost all sports are competitive today. Winning has become the most important thing. And there is too much violence on the field. Especially as soon as the question of prestige arises, you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose.

At the international level, the worst thing is that people really believe winning at sports shows the country is better.

But the significant thing is not the behavior of the players but the attitude of the spectators.

As soon as strong feelings of rivalry are aroused, the notion of playing the game according to the rules always vanishes. People want to see one side on top and the other side humiliated. They forget that victory, gained through the intervention of the crowd is meaningless.

Unfortunately, the competitive spirit nowadays is an inseparable part of sport. It is war without shooting.

Talk about different attitudes to sports in modern Western society. (“I he Sporting Spirit”, “Americans’ Appreciation of Sports”)

It’s common knowledge that sport nowadays is increasing its popularity. There are different attitudes to sport in our society nowadays. For some people it’s a wonderful way to get rid of tension and to let off steam. Sport provides an opportunity for people to express themselves in a way that is not always possible in work life. It gives a challenge and can break down economic and social barriers. Many people overwhelmingly appreciate sport in their culture. They think that spectator sports have a positive impact on society, that competitive sports help children to learn valuable life lessons. A lot of people consider sports participation to help people get along with those from different racial or ethnic groups. Sports involvement is also thought to help people in the business world and to get along better with people of the opposite sex. At the same time there is a growing evidence of the flip side. And to my mind the number of negative views has increased. To begin with sport has become too connected to big business. Sometimes it seems less to do with enjoyment and more with making money. More and more people come to think that sport can’t create good relationships between nations. Some international competitions end in orgies of hatred because of nationalism and racism. Nearly all kinds of sport nowadays are competitive. People don’t enjoy the game as they try to do their utmost to win. For example, on the village field where it’s possible to play just for fun people don’t do that because the question of prestige arises. At the international level sport sometimes looks like a mimic warfare. It’s horrible that nations can work themselves into funnies over these absurd contests and seriously believe that they are tests of national virtue. Many people are convinced that professional sport has nothing to do with fair play because it’s bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all the rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence.