Oink! The Year of the Pig is coming. How much do you know about pigs? Do you like them? Many people don’t because they believe that pigs are naturally fat, lazy and dirty. But are any of those things true?
It is true that pigs are fat. They eat a lot. But they are useful to us. We get more than just pork from pigs. We can use their skin to make shoes. We can use their hair to make brushes. Pigs also provide us with ingredients for drugs like insulin (胰岛素). Insulin can treat diabetes (糖尿病)
People sometimes say, “You are as stupid as a pig.” But pigs are not stupid. In fact, pigs are one of the 10 smartest animals. They have a good memory and can tell different shapes apart. Many experts think pigs are easier to train than dogs or cats. In France, people teach pigs to find truffles (松露). With their good sense of smell they can find truffles even faster than dogs.
When you see pigs, they are usually in dirty water or mud. That’s because pigs have no sweat glands (汗腺). On hot days, they have to cool themselves in water or mud. This keeps insects of them as well. Mud can also protect their skin from sunburns.
These stereotypes about pigs often make us hold a negative view about the animal. For example, if someone eats a lot, we say that they have “pigged out”. If someone’s room is very mess, we might say his or her room looks like a pigsty (猪圈).
But people in ancient China really liked pigs. People thought the pig’s big head and ears were a symbol of good luck. If someone had a round and chubby (胖乎乎的) face, he or she was thought to be blessed (有福气的). People also believed the animal stood for wealth, as humans use every part of the pig. Piggy banks are a symbol of this. Most children have a piggy bank that they can use to save money.
1.People can use pigs’ skin to ______.
A.make clothes. B.make insulin. C.make shoes D.make brushes
2.According to the passage, pigs can ______.
A.tell one hundred different colors apart.
B.find truffles with their good eyesight.
C.be of great help to people like dogs.
D.get away from insects with their masters’ help.
3.Which of the following best explained the underlined word “stereotypes?
A.fixed ideas B.feelings C.mistakes D.descriptions
4.Why did the people in ancient China like pigs?
A.People thought the pig’s big head and ears were a symbol of good luck
B.People believed the animal stood for health.
C.People knew pigs were one of the 10 smartest animals.
D.People thought pies were blessed by god.
5.The writer wrote this passage mainly to ______.
A.tell readers that pigs are not stupid, dirty or fat at all
B.criticize people who don’t really know about pigs.
C.point out that pigs can do a lot of things for people.
D.help people know more about the pigs.
