Listen Up: Golden retrievers tie the knot as pet weddings rise in China

1. Which phrase can replace “tie the knot” at the beginning of the podcast?
A. part ways
B. call it quits
C. start dating
D. become husband and wife

2. What breed of dogs are Bree and Bond?
A. golden retrievers
B. golden doodles
C. German shepherds
D. Labrador retrievers

3. Which of the following best describes pet weddings in China?
A. They remain low in number.
B. They are declining.
C. They are becoming more popular.
D. none of the above

4. According to the podcast, what is the Chinese government trying to encourage people to do?
A. get married
B. own pets
C. adopt stray animals
D. marry at a young age

5. What was the total pet spending in China in 2023?
A. 279.3 million yuan
B. 279.3 billion yuan
C. 297.3 million yuan
D. 297.3 billion yuan

6. What did Bree promise in her vows?
A. always be loyal
B. always protect her family
C. always be gentle
D. always share her treats

7. How do Ling and Chen feel about getting married themselves?
A. eager
B. excited
C. indifferent
D. reluctant

8. If something is “custom-made”, it is ...
A. specifically designed and created.
B. created by a single person.
C. repurposed from another event.
D. bought from the store.

9. How much did Bree and Bond’s wedding cake cost?
A. only 10 yuan
B. slightly less than 100 yuan
C. almost 1,000 yuan
D. as much as 10,000 yuan

10. What do the toppers on the cake look like?
A. the two dogs
B. Ling and Gigi
C. Bree and Rye Ling
D. Ling’s child

11. What does Yang Tao’s bakery specialise in?
A. human wedding cakes
B. animal baked goods
C. cupcakes for young children
D. graduation cakes

12. How many pet weddings has Yang Tao catered for?
A. 15
B. 30
C. 50
D. information not given

13. According to the podcast, why did Ling want to have a pet wedding?
A. to promote pet bakeries
B. to be part of a rising trend
C. to give the animals a sense of ritual
D. to encourage pet adoption

14. According to the podcast, which age group is most likely to own a pet in urban China?
A. between 20 and 39
B. between 40 and 49
C. between 50 and 59
D. over 60

15. How many cats and dogs were there in urban China as of 2023?
A. less than 10 million
B. about 50 million
C. slightly less than 100 million
D. more than 110 million

1. D
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. C
14. A
15. D

Adapted from Reuters

Voice 1: It was a dream wedding, complete with a picturesque outdoor setting, white lace gown and a delectable cake. It was the perfect day for two golden retrievers – named Bree and Bond – to tie the knot in front of their closest human and canine friends.

Voice 2: Pet weddings are on the rise in China. However, government policies have had little success in encouraging more humans to wed. In this fast-ageing society, the population is declining, and marriage and birth rates remain low.

Voice 1: This wedding trend is driven by the popularity of pets and an increasing willingness to splurge on them. Industry figures show that spending on furry companions in 2023 rose 3.2 per cent to 279.3 billion yuan from a year earlier. This is equal to about HK$300 billion.

Voice 2: Bree’s owner, Rye Ling, shared that Bree had exchanged vows promising to always share treats and play with her husband Bond. Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen meticulously planned the canine ceremony for months – though the two humans are not in a rush to get married themselves.

Voice 1: Ling said he hoped the ceremony would give Bree and Bond a sense of ritual. The couple arranged professional photographers, designed wedding booklets and ordered a custom-made, 800-yuan cake complete with toppers that resemble Bree and Bond. Ling, who said he wanted only one child, also hopes to welcome puppies soon.

Voice 2: Yang Tao’s Shanghai-based pet bakery prepared the cake. The baker said she was initially surprised that customers wanted wedding cakes for their dogs. But now, she has catered several similar ceremonies since her bakery was launched in 2022.

Voice 1: As of 2023, there were more than 116 million cats and dogs in urban China, according to figures by research firm Acuity Knowledge Partners. If distributed evenly across China’s urban population, roughly one in eight Chinese people own a cat or a dog, with a majority of owners under 40.