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Text A
Text B

Using the tabs above (Texts A and B), read the two extracts on the theme of dogs and their relationship with humans. Then answer the questions opposite.

Text A

From The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)

Buck the dog enjoys his new freedom after being rescued by John Thornton – a kind new master – having pulled a sled for thousands of miles.

Lying by the river bank through the long spring days, watching the running water, listening to the songs of birds and the hum of nature, Buck slowly won back his strength. It must be confessed that Buck waxed lazy as his wounds healed, his muscles swelled out, and the flesh came back to cover his bones. For that matter, they were all loafing – Buck, John Thornton, and Skeet – waiting for the raft to come that was to carry them down to Dawson. Skeet was a little Irish setter who early made friends with Buck, who, in a dying condition, was unable to resent her first advances. She had the doctor trait which some dogs possess, washing and cleansing Buck’s wounds. Regularly, each morning, after he had finished his breakfast, she performed her self-appointed task, till he came to look for her ministrations as much as he did for Thornton’s. To Buck’s surprise, Skeet manifested no jealousy towards him. She seemed to share the kindliness and largeness of John Thornton. As Buck grew stronger she enticed him into all sorts of ridiculous games, in which Thornton himself could not forbear to join; and in this fashion Buck romped through his convalescence and into a new existence. Thornton was the ideal master. He never forgot a kindly greeting or a cheering word, and to sit down for a long talk with them was as much his delight as theirs. He had a way of taking Buck’s head roughly between his hands, and resting his own head upon Buck’s, the while calling him names that to Buck were love names. Buck knew no greater joy than that rough embrace and the sound of murmured oaths. With his mouth laughing, his eyes eloquent, his throat vibrant with unuttered sounds, John Thornton would reverently exclaim: ‘God, you can all but speak!’ Buck had a trick of love expression that was akin to hurt. He would often seize Thornton’s hand in his mouth and close so fiercely that the flesh bore impress of his teeth for some time afterwards. And as Buck understood the oaths to be love words, so the man understood this feigned bite for a caress. For the most part, however, Buck’s love was expressed in adoration. While he went wild with happiness when Thornton touched him or spoke to him, he did not seek these tokens. Unlike Skeet, who was wont to shove her nose under Thornton’s hand and nudge till petted, Buck was content to adore at a distance. He would lie by the hour, eager, alert, at Thornton’s feet, looking up into his face, studying it, following with keenest interest each fleeting expression, every movement or change of feature. For a long time after his rescue, Buck did not like Thornton to get out of his sight. From the moment he left the tent to when he entered it again, Buck would follow at his heels. His transient masters since he had come into the Northland had bred in him a fear that no master could be permanent. Even in the night, in his dreams, he was haunted by this fear.

Using the tabs above (Texts A and B), read the two extracts on the theme of dogs and their relationship with humans. Then answer the questions opposite.

Text B

From The effect of pets on humans by Marie Carter (2016)

Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows they have the capacity for the kind of unconditional love that is seen otherwise only between a human and its offspring. The gentle nudge of a wet nose or a lick on the hand comes unbidden when we’re upset or feeling down. The bounding dash to the door to greet us is also a demonstrable sign of the strength of the human–canine bond, in particular. Dogs can be trained to recognise words through commands. Scientists agree that they can’t actually ‘understand’ the words; what they hear is the emotion of the voice. Studies have also shown that looking a dog in the eyes can boost levels of oxytocin (a hormone involved in social bonding), in both the person and the dog. From the dog’s perspective, it’s not just ‘cupboard love’ triggered by a hungry belly. There is in fact nothing artificial that could ever replace that sheer authenticity of feeling. Dogs are the only species that, like a human child, will run to their human when frightened, anxious or just pleased to see them. They are also the only animal, aside from other humans, that actively seek out eye contact with people, and truly want to be with us. Cats too come to us when we are down and will show they are pleased to see us with a lick on the hand or a gentle purr to express their own feelings of contentment. Pets give people so much in terms of love and emotional support. Simply stroking a dog, for example, can lead to lower blood pressure and can combat stress. The feelings are reciprocated, as our touch can have therapeutic effects for our pets, particularly if they are feeling out of sorts.

What does the writer of Text B say about the stare a dog gives its owner?