Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
小题1:The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “without _________”.
A．a message
B．a problem
C．introduction
D．delay小题2:Some cats and dogs may fight when _________.
A．they are cold to each other
B．they look away from each other
C．they misunderstood each other’s signals
D．they are introduced at an early age小题3:What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
A．They eat and sleep each other.
B．They observe each other’s behaviors.
C．They learn to speak each other’s language.
D．They know something from each other’s voices.小题4:It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs _________.
A．have common interests
B．are less different than was thought
C．have a common body language
D．are less intelligent than was expected小题5:What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A．We should learn to live in harmony.
B．We should know more about animals.
C．We should live in peace with animals.
D．We should learn more body languages.
