Everyone knows that a home should be "child-proof" to protect young babies and toddlers from illness and injury. pets are also in danger from many common household sources which many people don't realize. pets can chew and swallow seemingly safe things, resulting in disaster. it may seem perfectly harmless to toss a pet a grape or a raisin as a treat, but these can be very deadly. although the exact cause is not known, gastrointestinal problems result after a pet ingests grapes or raisins. kidney failure frequently occurs. small amounts of xylitol, an artificial sweetener used in sugar-free candy, chewing gum, cookies, and other baked goods, can cause low blood sugar and liver damage in dogs. all pet owners should educate themselves about these items and the effects that they have on pets. every effort should be made to "pet-proof" homes to provide safe and healthy environments for pets. what is the author's purpose in writing this article?

Match the definition to the word for a better understanding of the paragraph. 1 money does not buy happiness or security. 2john ringling, one of the five brothers of the ringling brothers circus, started out in 1884 with a trained horse and a performing bear. 3for over forty years, he worked hard at the family enterprise, bought up smaller circuses, and imported new acts. 4in the 1920s, he was rated as one of the world's wealthiest men and owned every sizable circus in the country. 5over 5,000 people were on his payroll, and over 240 railroad cars were in his retinue each time the circus moved. 6at the time of his death, however, he was a nervous, unhappy man; he was also bankrupt and beset by lawsuits. 7his carefully built circus empire passed into alien hands. 8all those years of work had turned to dust. 1. business organization alien 2. group beset 3. without funds to pay debts retinue 4. troubled or harassed enterprise 5. strange; belonging to another person, place, country, or thing bankrupt