Paper 1a
Decide which pet each summary is about and then fill in the blanks below. Use only one word for each blank. The word may or may not be in the passage.
It is quite difficult to see what pleasure anyone could get out of keeping a king scorpion as a pet, but it seems they are quite popular in the world of strange pets. They are large as scorpions go (about six inches long) and black. They do not like being handled. If you need to move them, you must use tweezers or forceps to gently lift them by the stinging end. These are not the most dangerous of the family and a sting is said to be not much more painful than a bee sting. They are nocturnal (a black pet that only emerges in the dark ...). They need a fish tank with a warm, humid atmosphere, a layer of soil to dig in and some rocks scattered around to hide in. You have to feed them about six large insects a week.
The North American skunk is a handsome furry creature said to be loyal, friendly and fun to be with. They can be house-trained with a great deal of patience. Skunks get lost very easily so you need to keep a close eye on them. You can take them for walks on a leash (though people might stare at you). Skunks like to dig so they will destroy your home if you are not supervising them. And, although I have left the obvious fact until last, they do, if upset, spray a disgusting smelling liquid all around (some have their stink gland removed, but others say it is cruel).
Although some of us spend a lot of time avoiding cockroaches, it seems they can be lovely pets. And if you are going to have a cockroach, why not have one that can make a noise, too? The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach grows up to three inches long, lives about three years and enjoys eating vegetables, particularly carrots. They will happily live in a fish tank with some wood shavings scattered around and a few nice hiding places to lie low in. A bit of cotton wool dipped in water should supply their liquid needs. They thrive in a warm environment.
There is a remarkable monk, Pra Acharn Chan, in Thailand who keeps about 18 tigers as pets. His motivation is concern for their welfare. Villagers take wounded or sick animals they find to his temple and he cares for them. He hates to see them locked up all day, so the tigers are given a great deal of freedom to wander around. Hard as it is to believe, the tigers seem to understand they are among friends and, being well-fed, do not hurt any of the people or other animals there. The monk believes in the power of love, but not everyone would feel comfortable with tigers strolling by.