Breaking News English

New research shows that having a pet dog can help [to / for] reduce children's stress. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA [shows / shown] that petting a dog is a great way to help [stress / stressed] kids. Researchers looked at 643 children aged six and seven [under / over] an 18-month period. They found that children who have a pet dog suffer from less stress [then / than] children without a dog. The researchers said that just twelve per cent of children with pets showed [sign / signs] of stress. This compares with 21 per cent of children with [not / no] dog. The research will come as no [surprise / surprising] to the parents of children who have a dog. They have always [known / knowing] that a dog is great for helping a child's development and [mentally / ] mental health.

A researcher said there are [money / many] things about the research that she is still [unclear / clearly] about. She said she did not know if less [anxiety / anxious] children have pet dogs, or if it is the [another / other] way round and pet dogs make children less anxious. She said the research just [shown / showed] a link between pet dogs and children's stress. She said pet dogs help children start [conservation / conversations] . This can often [be / is] difficult for children to do and can cause them stress. The researchers also said a pet dog can be a [source / sauce] of comfort for children. The dog can also act as a friend to a small child, who tells the pet all his or her [secretly / secrets] and stories. Sometimes the dog is so [important / importance] that its name can be the first word the child speaks.