Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use ONE word that best fits each blank.
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets _________ help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tell you _________ a comfortable life they live with a pet. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress levels and blood pressure in people - half of them pet owners –while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it _________ (well).Those tested with their animal friends had the smallest change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. _________ pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems that people feel more _________ (relax) around pets, says Allen,_________ thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only _________ (raise) your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year _________ (study) 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about 11 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Their dogs did even better, losing an average of 12 pounds, more than 15% of their body weight. Researchers say dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs,_________ they got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs - and found it worth doing.