Pet Therapy Quiz

According to “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other,” what is one health effect of petting a dog? Identify the choice that best answers the question.

• It strengthens heart muscles.

• It lowers blood pressure.

• It reduces stomach pain.

• It improves appetite.

According to “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other,” what is one major reason that interaction with animals is good for people?

• Animals do not judge people or engage them in pointless argument.

• Friendly animals release hormones that decrease human suffering.

• Dogs that have regular contact with humans are more likely to be adopted.

• Contact increases oxytocin, which makes people feel happy and improves health.

According to “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other,” which improvements were seen in an autistic boy who took part in therapeutic riding? Choose two options.

• improvements in speech

• improvements in balance

• improvements in eye contact

• improvements in reading skills

• improvements in musical ability

What does the context suggest is the most likely meaning of institutions in this sentence from “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other”? That helps explain the increasing use of animals—dogs and cats mostly, but also birds, fish and even horses—in settings ranging from hospitals and nursing homes to schools, jails and mental institutions.

• establishments

• authorities

• customs

• health

What does the context suggest is the most likely meaning of therapies in this sentence from “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other”? Take Viola, or Vi for short. The retired guide dog is the resident canine at the Children's Inn on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The inn is where families stay when their children are undergoing experimental therapies at NIH.

• occasional visits

• hospital locations

• scientific ideas

• medical treatments

Part A: What does the context suggest is the most likely meaning of veterans in this sentence from “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other”? Military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are providing shelter dogs with basic obedience training.

• animal doctors

• former soldiers

• activities

• uniforms

Part B: Which words from the context best support the answer to Part A?

• military; returning

• providing; basic

• shelter dogs

• obedience training

What is the main way in which Rebecca Johnson’s research is important to the central idea of “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other”?

• It focuses on common pets instead of therapy horses.

• It reveals the importance of keeping dogs at a proper weight.

• It shows that the benefit of human-animal interaction works both ways.

• It is the only research that shows the importance of bonding with animals.

Given the information in “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other,” how might a child psychologist most likely use a dog during a therapy session?

• The doctor might show the child that the dog is friendly.

• The doctor might have the child pet the dog while they talk.

• The doctor might ask the child questions about the dog’s actions.

• The doctor might suggest that the child draw a picture of the dog.

Part A: Given the information in “Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other,” which can you conclude is an important reason to continue research on human-animal interactions?

• to get more funding to reduce and prevent disease

• to prove to scientists how important animals can be

• to decide which kinds of animals help people the most

• to support opinions and observations with facts and proof