Complete the following gapped text with six of the ...



Complete the following gapped text with six of the sentences in the grid below it. Write the number of the gap next to the sentence of your choice, as in the example (0).

Animal Welfare in China

Off the Menu

BEIJING

The Right to Eat Cats and Dogs is Under Threat

A

t the National People’s Congress, the main Communist Party decides what laws to draft and when they get passed. (0)__________. An attempt to persuade the Congress to ban the eating of dog- and cat-meat has captivated the Chinese press and caused an uproar.

A proposed animal-rights law, circulated in draft last September by Chinese activists and legal experts, would be the first of its kind in a country where animal welfare rarely seems a priority. (1) __________. In safari parks visitors happily pay to dangle live chickens into lions’ dens, or even to have a live calf dragged by its legs behind a jeep past ravenous tigers. (2) __________.

This creates conflict with ancient eating habits. Dogs are a popular dish in many parts of China, not least among ethnic Koreans in the north-east. (3) __________. Many believe that eating dog helps keep the human body warm in winter. Cats are popular in southern China. The sweet-tasting meat has been served to your correspondent, diced into small cubes reassembled in feline form with fur stripped paws sticking in the air. The wretchedness of its foreshortened life was left to the imagination.

Dogs were once banned in many urban areas, but in recent years the government has caved in to soaring demand. (4) __________. They are nonetheless ubiquitous.

The proposed law would make the “illegal consumption or sale” of dog- or cat-meat punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 yuan ($730) or imprisonment for up to 15 days. (5) __________. Dog-eating, they argue, is a time-honoured tradition and China is not yet ready for Western-style prissiness about consuming such animals. Perhaps, they suggest hopefully, the word “illegal” could be taken to mean that there might still be a legal way of killing cats and dogs for the table. (6) __________. But this one is not yet on the agenda.

The Economist February 27th 2010

| |But a fast-growing middle class, despite enjoying gory outings, is also fond of pet dogs and cats. |

| |But the party does not leave it at that. |

|0 |But public pressure is beginning to count, too. |

| |But opponents are still many and vociferous both in the press and online. |

| |Displays of discontent outside the Great Hall of the People where the NPC convenes are another cause for concern. |

| |Dog restaurants are also common in Beijing. |

| |For each household Beijing still has a one-dog policy and decrees that they must not be taller than 35cm (14 inches). |

| |Online opinion polls seek votes on the topics of most interest at the meeting. |

| |Pigs destined for slaughter are often seen crammed excruciatingly tightly in cages on the backs of lorries. |

| |The Congress admitted two years ago that better laws were needed to prevent cruelty to animals. |

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