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. However, 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 homes.
Zoos claim 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. This results in unusually and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis 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.
In the state of zoochosis, animals  _________.

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

What does the author try to argue in the passage?

A．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animal

B．Zoos are not worth the public support.

C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

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

A．using evidence he has collected at zoos

B．pointing out the faults in what zoos do

C．questioning the way animals are protected

D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats

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

D．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos

科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等