狗越来越“爱”咬人（二）
Dog bites on the rise

Whatever the exact numbers, medical, veterinary and insurance experts agree: dog bites are on the rise. One reason may be that more people are getting larger, more powerful dogs than in the past. The CDC considers dog bites a serious public-health problem for children. A Pennsylvania study found that 45 percent of children had been bitten. And not only children are at risk. Dog bites are no joke for letter carriers and delivery people.

*medical：这里不是指形容词“医疗的”，而是作名词，指“医生”。后面出现的“veterinary”则是“兽医”的意思，可简称为“vet”。
*insurance：保险，保险业。文章第二段中的“insurance policy”则意为“保险单”。

Dog attacks account for a whopping one-third of all liability claims under renter's or homeowner's insurance policies. The Insurance Information Institute says that dog-bite-related medical treatment costs $1 billion a year. Homeowner-liability claims paid about $250 million of that in 1996.

*whopping ：不平常的，非常的。比如：have a whopping good time （过得非常愉快）。
*liability：责任，义务。在租赁人或房主的保险单上，有1/3是有关狗伤人的索赔。

One provider of liability coverage, MetLife Auto & Home, refuses coverage to many homeowners who have dogs with a history of biting or to those who own a breed they believe most prone to bite, including German shepherds, pit bulls, Doberman pinschers, Rottweilers, chows, huskies and Alaskan malamutes. Although any breed can bite, these breeds tend to be responsible for the most bites, the worst bites, and many of the dozen or so dog-bite fatalities every year.

*coverage：（保险）承保范围；保险险别。一家保险公司对家里有咬人记录或倾向的狗的人，拒绝作相关承保。
*breed：品种，种类。
* prone to：有……倾向的，易于……的。比如：He is prone to be late for work.（他上班往往迟到。）另如，当你同意某人意见时，可以说：I feel rather prone to agree with you .（我很是同意你的意见。）
*fatality：（灾难、事故中的）死亡者；死亡事故。比如：The accident caused several fatalities.

How can you protect yourself and your children, and prevent your pet from becoming part of the problem?