Speaker A. Lots of people in big cities want to keep pets. I think that a cat or a dog in an urban flat is ok, but I strongly disapprove of people who want to have a tiger, a monkey or a large snake at home. The unnatural environment does lots of harm to the animals and it's very difficult to provide a balanced diet for them. It also may be inconvenient or even dangerous to the owner and people around them as wild animals are unpredictable.

Speaker В. Sadly, we seldom, if ever have an opportunity to see animals in the wild. There used to be lots of hares, foxes, deer and beavers in my region. My grandfather said that when a little boy, he regularly saw those animals in the nearby forest. Today's children are more likely to see an elephant in the Zoo than a hare or a squirrel in the forest.

Speaker С. My friends and I are fond of animals and it makes us feel worried and sad that lots of animals suffer because of people. We set up an animal lovers' club Mowgli that helps animals survive in the urban environment. We leave food for birds, find new families for homeless cats and dogs and raise money to provide medical care for animals injured in traffic accidents.

Speaker D. Life in big cities is really stressful and it may cause different illnesses. Some doctors believe that common pets we keep at home, like cats, dogs and birds, can prevent some illnesses. For example, people who have heart problems usually feel better if there's a dog in the house. It's partly because of the positive energy the animal gives and partly because regularly walking the dog makes people stronger.

Speaker E. I think that people should know more about nature and environmental problems. I like watching educational programmes about wild life on TV, but I don't think there are enough of them. There should be more feature films about animals and there should be more interesting books. If children learn to understand and love nature, they will never poison rivers and cut down forests for money when they grow up.