Question

    As a child, visiting the zoo was more a punishment than a treat. I didn’t find the chimps’(黑猩猩) tea parties funny, nor the bird shows entertaining. Feeding time for seals was less painful, but their performances still seemed like they belonged more in a circus.

And I hated circuses, especially the animal acts—men teasing lions, girls balancing on elephants and monkeys playing football. I knew that every trick a circus animal did was unnatural, achieved through strict training and quite possibly cruelty.

Happily, during my lifetime public attitudes and the law have changed. Circuses using wild animals are now almost extinct, and zoos have definitely evolved.

When my children were young, I occasionally took them to our local zoo. The elephants were in tiny cages and the gorillas(大猩猩) looked bored as they sat peeling bananas and staring at teasing visitors. Each cage had a sign which listed the animal’s name and where it came from. But, back then, there was little information included about the environmental challenges they faced.

As a result, environmentalists and animal lovers often oppose zoos. “Animals belong in the wild,” is a common and understandable complaint. But what do the animals themselves prefer?

Generally speaking, zoo animals have a longer life. But — you may protest — they are not free. What? Free to be hunted and killed, free to die of hunger or thirst? Maybe sitting in a cage eating bananas isn’t so bad.

Not that such conditions are acceptable in modern zoos, due to the work of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums(水族馆). These days every zoo requires BIAZA’s approval to operate, and the association sets the standards, observes conditions in zoos and develops animal-research programmes, both in the UK and abroad. BIAZA also organises the animal exchanges between zoos all over the world.

Consequently, today, most zoo animals are born and raised in zoos, live in large, comfortable enclosures(围场) and are cared for by well-trained, knowledgeable and caring zoo employees. Of course it’s no substitute(替代)for living in the wild but unfortunately this isn’t always possible. Meanwhile, why not visit your local zoo and decide for yourself?

1.The passage is mainly about ______.

A. how zoos have improved

B. whether a zoo should be closed down

C. a new environmental organisation

D. zoos and circuses

2.From Paragraph 2, we can guess that the writer believes circus animals ______.

A. had much shorter lives than those in the wild

B. were not treated well by their trainers

C. should have been placed in zoos

D. were not as intelligent as those in zoos

3.Which of the following roles are performed by BIAZA?

A. Organising animal study projects and training zoo workers.

B. Checking zoo conditions and arranging animal exchanges.

C. Designing zoos and approving zoo operations.

D. Caring for ill animals and setting zoo standards.

4.Which of the following statements about zoos would the writer agree with?

A. All of the zoo animals ought to be freed into the wild.

B. Zoos are much more popular now than those in the past years.

C. Zoo animals are a lot more restricted than in the past.

D. Zoos now provide better caring living conditions for animals.

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.B

4.D

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了现在的动物园已经不同于往日，条件改善了很多，动物被照顾得很好，生活得很舒适。

1.主旨大意题。通读全文，特别是根据最后一段中的“onsequently, today, most zoo animals are born and raised in zoos, live in large, comfortable enclosures(围场) and are cared for by well-trained, knowledgeable and caring zoo employees.”可知，本文介绍了如今动物园的条件有了很大的改善，动物被照顾得很好，生活得很舒适，故A项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中的“I knew that every trick a circus animal did was unnatural, achieved through strict training and quite possibly cruelty.”可知，马戏团里的动物都经过了严格甚至可能是残忍的训练，也就是说训练员对它们很不好，故B项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的“BIAZA’s approval to operate, and the association sets the standards, observes conditions in zoos and develops animal-research programmes”及“BIAZA also organises the animal exchanges between zoos all over the world”可知，该协会设立了标准，观察动物园的条件以及世界范围内动物园之间动物的交换，故B项正确。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“today, most zoo animals are born and raised in zoos, live in large, comfortable enclosures(围场) and are cared for by well-trained, knowledgeable and caring zoo employees.”可知，如今，动物们在动物园里被照顾得很好，生活得很舒适，作者认为现在的动物园为动物们提供了更好的生活条件，故D项正确。