How do People Treat Animals?
Many people now keep animals as pets. Some people have cats and dogs in their houses. Other people like fish, caged birds, tortoises and even snakes, monkeys or lions. Millions of dollars and much time are spent every year on pet food, equipment, taming and medical treatment.
Of course, there are some people who do not look after their pets properly or are even cruel to them. For this reason a royal society was created in 1824 in Britain to prevent cruel treatment of animals.
In contrast to the love of pets is the fact that blood sports still exist in most conntries. People go hunting foxes, elephants, pandas, ducks, rabbits, pheasants and other animals, not because they need the meat to eat, but just for pleasure. In some countries, blood sports like bull fighting and cock fighting are common and huntig rare animals for commercial purposes has brought about an even more serious problem in the protection of the ecosystem.
It is strange that people love certain animals, but enjoy killing others, in cruel ways, too.
[点评]
文章运用了对比的写作手法说明了人们对不同动物所持的不同态度，令人深思。语言简单易懂，通畅，连贯。
[参考译文]
人们是如何对待动物的?
许多人如今把动物当作宠物养起来。有些人在家里养猫养狗，另一些人喜欢养鱼、鸟、乌龟，甚至蛇、猴子，还有狮子。每年上百万美元的金钱和大量的时间花在养宠物所需的食物，设施，驯养以及医疗保健上。
当然也有些人并不善待宠物，甚至虐待它们。为此，1824年英国成立了皇家动物保护协会防止人们虐待动物。
与人们对宠物的热爱相反，流血运动仍然存在于大多数国家。人们猎捕狐狸、大象、熊猫、野鸭、野兔、野鸡和其他动物，并不是因为要吃肉，而只是为了对开心。在有些国家，斗牛、斗鸡等流血运动还非常普遍，而猎捕珍稀动物以获取商业目的更是给生态系统的保护带来非常严峻的问题。
奇怪的是人们喜爱有些动物，却乐于残杀另一些，并且以残酷的方式。
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