The number of hospitals and welfare facilities is increasing that let patients contact with companion animals as part of their remedy or rehabilitation programs. This kind of activity is called animal-assisted therapy. It originates from the horse-riding medical treatment that contributed to the rehabilitation of wounded Roman soldiers. An animal-assisted therapy expert psychiatrist says that the therapy has three main effects. 1) It physiologically works on people by lowering their high blood pressure. 2) It has the mental effect of encouraging them. 3) It helps them develop desirable social relationships with their acquaintances and therapy staffers. U.S. and European doctors and scientists have been earnestly researching the effects of animal-assisted therapy for about 20 years. Those research results show that among patients suffering from heart disease, some with dogs as their companions tend to live longer than those without any. [Vocabulary] ◇interaction 1 a process by which two or more things have an effect on each other and work together [+ of]: the interaction of the tones of demand and supply [+ with/between]: complex interaction between mind and body 2 the activity of talking to other people and understanding them [+ with/between]: the degree of interaction between teacher and student ◇companionship noun [uncountable] a friendly and comfortable relationship with someone : When Stan died, it was the companionship I missed. ◇introduce MAKE STH HAPPEN/EXIST to make a change, plan, system etc happen or exist for the first time : plans to introduce a new system of welfare payments The teachers' association wanted to introduce a new kind of test. ◇adopt adopt an approach/strategy/policy to start to use a particular method or plan for dealing with something : The courts have been asked to adopt a more flexible approach to young offenders. ◇therapy noun [countable, uncountable] 1 the treatment of an illness or injury over a fairly long period of time, especially without using drugs or operations 2 the treatment or examination of someone's mental problems by talking to them for a long time about their feelings ◇acronym a word made up from the first letters of the name of something such as an organization. For example NATO is an acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ◇originate verb [intransitive always + adv/prep, not in progressive] formal to start to develop in a particular place or from a particular situation [+ in/from/with] : a custom originating in Chinese culture How did the idea originate? ◇originally adverb in the beginning : The family originally came from France. The book was originally conceived as an autobiography, but it became a novel. [sentence adverb]: Originally, we had planned a tour of Scotland but we never got further than Edinburgh. ◇derive verb to develop or come from something else [+ from] : This word is derived from Latin. ◇Roman adjective connected with ancient Rome or the Roman Empire ◇therapeutic adjective intended to help treat or cure an illness : Nettles contain vitamins that have a therapeutic value. ◇wound verb [transitive] to injure someone, especially by making a cut or hole in their skin using a knife, gun etc: ◇wounded adjective injured by a weapon such as a gun or knife : a wounded soldier ◇injure verb [transitive] to cause physical harm to someone or to yourself, for example in an accident or an attack ◇injury noun [countable] a wound or damage to part of your body caused by an accident or attack ◇rehabilitate verb [transitive] to help someone to live a healthy, useful, or active life again after they have been seriously ill or in prison : a special unit for rehabilitating stroke patients ◇versed adjective be (well) versed in to know a lot about a subject or to be skilled in doing something : a woman well versed in the art of diplomacy ◇be (well) up on/in/with informal to know a lot about something ◇expert noun [countable] someone who has a special skill or special knowledge of a subject [+ on/in/at]: He's an expert in electronic music. ◇expert adjective having a special skill or special knowledge of a subject : Ministers depend on civil servants for expert advice. ◇cheer up phrasal verb [intransitive, transitive] to become less sad, or to make someone feel less sad : He'll cheer up if you get him a beer. cheer sb up : I'm taking Angie out to cheer her up. ◇access noun [uncountable] 1 the way by which you can enter a building or reach a place: Access is by means of a small door on the right. [+ to]: Access to the restrooms is through the foyer. 2 how easy or difficult it is for people to enter a public building or to reach a place [+ for]: We're trying to improve access for disabled visitors. | have easy/good access to (=be able to reach another place easily): The house is in a central location with good access to the shops. 3 the right to enter a place : have access to: The public don't have access to the site. 4 have access to to have the right to see official documents, especially secret documents: Access to the papers is restricted to Defense Department personnel only. 5 the legal right to see and spend time with your children, a prisoner, an official etc: My ex-husband has access to the children once a week. 6 have access to a phone/a computer etc to have a telephone, computer etc near you which you can use 7 gain/get access (to) to succeed in entering a place or in seeing someone or something: The police managed to gain access through an upstairs window. ◇relationship noun [countable] the way in which two people or two groups behave towards each other [+ between]: an improved relationship between the police and local people [+ with]: We have a good working relationship with the managers. ■■■ USAGE NOTE : RELATIONSHIP ■■■ WORD CHOICE: relationship, relations, relation, connection A relationship with someone or something is usually close, and may involve strong feelings: Jane's stormy relationship with her husband. What kind of relationship does she have with her mother? Relations between people, groups, countries etc are often about working together or communicating: Relations between industrialists and environmentalists have improved recently. Relations is a more official word: friendly relations in the workplace/between East and West A relation or relationship to someone or something, like a connection, is usually about a simple fact: Jane's relationship to/connection with Jeff is that he is her uncle/boss. | What relation has temperature to humidity? A relationship between people and other people or things may be either close and full of emotion, or simply a matter of fact: the relationship between bosses and workers | What's the relationship between temperature and humidity? ◇research verb [transitive] to study a subject in detail, especially in order to discover new facts or test new ideas : He's researching the effects of aerosols on the environment. ◇pet noun [countable] an animal such as a cat or a dog which you keep and look after at home : Rabbits can make very good pets. a pet tortoise ◇keep ANIMALS [transitive] to own and look after animals : We keep chickens and a couple of pigs. ◇own verb [transitive not in progressive] to have something when it is legally yours, especially because you have bought it, been given it etc : Who owns that beautiful house? | Mr Silver owned a large printing firm. ◇have OWN to own a pet or animal : He's a lovely dog - How long have you had him? ◇reportedly adverb [sentence adverb] according to what people say : He is reportedly not intending to return to this country. ◇cardiac adjective [only before noun] technical connected with the heart : cardiac arrest/failure (=when the heart stops working) ◇outlive [transitive] to live longer than someone else : She outlived her husband by twenty years. ◇survive [transitive] to live longer than someone else, usually someone closely related to you : Harry survived his wife by three months. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE) |
