China and Western countries may have different cultural beliefs(信仰) about certain animals, but when it comes to pigs, somehow(不知怎的) we have the same idea – we agree that pigs are ugly and lazy.

But the truth is that pigs do have some finer qualities. And maybe there’s no better time to clear their names than now, with the end of the Year of the Pig on January 24 this year.

For starters, science long ago proved that pigs aren’t stupid at all. According to a research, “pigs are as clever as dogs and chimpanzees.” They like to play. They can remember things for a long time. And they can decide who treat them well and who don’t.

There are lovable pig characters in cartoons too. Peppa Pig, an English animated (动画的) television series that begin in 2004, has now become one of the most popular cartoons in 180 countries and areas. The four members in the cartoon’s pig family teach children from all over the world to get on well with friends. Their daily stories show that family members are the most valuable persons to cherish (珍惜). And in China, the adventures(冒险) of McDull, a piglet who works hard towards his dreams even though he seldom succeeds, have been made into films since 2001. McDull is slow and patient, and not afraid of repeated failures. He has a heart of gold.

Perhaps these are the qualities of pigs to keep in mind when we say goodbye to the Year of the Pig—their intelligence (智力), cuteness, patience and innocence(无邪).

Mrs. Black is an old English woman. She likes cats. She has many cats at home. The students all like to come to her home. They like to play with her cats. More and more (越来越多的) cats come to the old woman’s home. Soon she has too many cats. The old woman can’t feed (喂养) them all. “The students like my cats,” she thinks. So she gives the students her cats. Then she is happy. The students are happy. And the cats are happy, too.

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold that the bird froze（冻僵了）and fell to the ground in a large field. When it was lying there, a cow came by and put some hay（干草）on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile（堆）of the hay, it began to feel how warm it was. The hay kept it warm! It lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to see what was going on. Following the sound, the cat found the bird under the pile of the hay. What happened next? The cat wanted to get warm from the hay. He wanted to go into it but he was too big to get into the pile of the hay.