Question

Zoos divide opinion: there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.

To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about.  Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist.  Every single day, over one hundred animal species vanish.  Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.

Some animals are in danger because they are hunted.  Alarmingly the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent.  Other species are in danger because of a lack of food.  For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.

Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk.  These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful.  As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild.”

Unfortunately not everyone understands this important role zoos play.  For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public!  We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.”

However, this misses the point.  A zoo does more than display animals to the public.  It ensures their survival.  Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!

1.What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?

A. He shows no opinion either for or against them.

B. He thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel.

C. He believes they play an important environmental role.

D. He expresses a desire that more of them be built.

2.The underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.

A. remain          B. disappear

C. become rarer     D. get killed

3.According to the passage the world’s tiger population _____.

A. will rise by 5% next year

B. is relatively stable

C. is 95% smaller than in the past

D. has fallen to 95%

4.According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they _____.

A. are too expensive to run       B. put animals in danger

C. do not provide enough food     D. keep animals locked up

5.According to the writer, the most important function of the zoo is to _____.

A. make a lot of money        B. entertain visitors

C. ensure animals’ survival  D. educate the public

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.D

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：这篇文章讲述了一个动物园更重要的作用是保护动物的生存，离开了动物园，我们将不会看到这么多的动物。

1.C细节题。根据文章Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play.可知，作者认为动物园在保护动物方面发挥着重要的作用，故选C项。

2.B推断题。根据文章Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day，over one hundred animal species vanish.离开了动物园，我们对动物的爱和赞美将不复存在，每天，都会有一百多种动物消失。所以，vanish的意思是消失，故选C项。

3.C细节题。根据文章Alarmingly, the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent.可知，令人惊讶的是，老虎的数量已经下降了百分之九十五，故选C项。

4.D细节题。根据文章there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up 可知，一些人不认同动物园，是因为动物园将动物关起来是残酷的，故选C项。

5.C细节题。根据文章最后一段A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!可知，动物园最大的作用是他们保护了动物的生存，故选C项。

考点：日常生活类阅读。