Question

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments－mostly for entertainment purposes－is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals．How ever, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats （栖息地）．Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural bones．

Zoos claim （声称） to educate people and save endangered species（物种）, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty．Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range（分布区）．The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs．

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise．These results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoophobia．A worldwide study of zoos found that zoophobia is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages．Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain．

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered．Captive breeding（圈养繁殖）of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild．Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out．In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers．Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them．Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats．

1.How would the author describe the animals’ life in zoos?

A．Dangerous．

B．Unhappy．

C．Natural．

D．Easy．

2.In the state of zoophobia, animals _________．

A．remain in cages	B．behave strangely
C．attack other animals	D．enjoy moving around

3.What does the author try to argue in the passage?

A．Zoos are not worth the public support．

B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals．

C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings．

D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment．

4.The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _____．

A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do

B．using evidence he has collected at zoos

C．questioning the way animals is protected

D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats

5.Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that _______．

A．zoos have to keep animals in small cages

B．most animals in zoos are endangered species

C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos

D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.A

4.A

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：

1.B 推理题。根据文章倒数第三段后三行Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain．说明这些圈养在动物园里的动物很不开心，故B正确。

2.B 推理题。根据第四段第二行．These results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoophobia．说明这些动物在动物园里表现出了非同寻常的自戕的行为，这些行为是分词奇怪的。故B正确。

3.A 推理题。根据倒数第二段后三行Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out．In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers．Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?说明动物园的说法和做法是不一致的，并没有起到应该起的作用，故不值得支持。故A正确。

4.A 总结归纳题。作者通过指出动物园的安排有很大问题，来让人们接受他的观点。故A正确。

5.C 推理题。根据文章倒数第二段Captive breeding（圈养繁殖）of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild．说明动物园在保护濒危动物方面还是有一定的作用的。故C正确。

考点：考查新闻报告类短文阅读