15 .

Zoos - Reading

Although most people visit zoos for entertainment, zoos also educate the public about
animal behavior, natural habitats, and the plight of animals in danger of extinction. Zoos
play a role in the conservation of threatened or endangered animals by developing
innovative breeding programs to maintain populations of species that are in decline. Zoos
also conduct scientific research on animal diseases, nutrition, reproduction, and behavior.
Key Ideas
* Zoos educate the public
- behaviour / habitat
- conserve
- positive

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By the second half of the 20th century zoos had begun to create exhibits designed more
for the benefit of the animals. Zoos constructed large enclosures in which landscaping and
terrain simulated the natural environments of the African savanna, North American prairie, or
Amazon rain forests. Large mammals, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, and bears, are now
often kept in these open-air enclosures ringed by deep ditches.
Main Point 1
* 2nd half of the 20th cen zoos designed for benefits of animals
- large enclosure
- landscaping natural environ.
- large animals open air enclosure

2
Zoos nowadays are not marketed as places of entertainment - they are places of education.
Most modern zoos have their main emphasis on conservation and education - the reason
that so many schools take children to zoos is to teach them about nature, the environment,
endangered species, and conservation. Far from encouraging bad treatment of animals,
zoos provide a direct experience of other species that will increase ecological awareness.
Main Point 2
* Education
- teach about nature / environ / endangered / conservation
- direct experience ecological awareness ^

3
One of the main functions of zoos is to breed endangered animals in captivity. If natural or
human factors have made species own habitat a threatening environment then human
intervention can preserve that species where it would otherwise certainly go extinct if there
were no intervention. There are certainly problems with trying to conserve endangered
species in this way but it is right that we should at least try to conserve them. And as long
as animals are treated well in zoos there is no reason why conservation, education, and
cruelty free entertainment should not all be combined in a zoo. There is also, of course, a
valid role for breeding in different environments such as large nature reserves.
Main Point 3

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 * Breed endangered species in captivity
- human intervention preserve endangered
- if animals treated well in zoos
- combined: conser / edu / ent

2
 15 . Zoos - Listening

Okay class lets talk about zoos today. Zoo, also known as zoological garden or
zoological park, an institution devoted to the exhibition, preservation, and study of animals.
Sounds nice huh? Do you think this is what zoos are really all about? Or is there something
more than meets the eye?! I believe zoos do more harm environmentally and socially than
good. Lets find out.
Key Ideas
* Zoos more harm
- environ / social

First, whatever the good intentions of zoo-keepers, animals in zoos suffer. They are
inevitably confined in unnaturally small spaces, and are kept from the public by cages and
bars. They suffer psychological distress, often displayed by abnormal or self-destructive
behavior. Aquatic animals do not have enough water, birds are prevented from flying away
by having their wings clipped and being kept in aviaries.
Main Point 1
* Animals in zoos suffer
- small space / cages / bars
- psy distress abnormal / self destructive behaviours
- aquatic not enough water
- birds wings clipped

Secondly, adults and children visiting zoos will be given the subliminal message that it is
OK to use animals for our own ends, however it impinges on the animals freedom or
quality of life; thus zoos will encourage poor treatment of animals more generally. People
do not go to zoos for educational reasons they simply go to be entertained and diverted by
weird and wonderful creatures seen as objects of beauty or entertainment. As a form of
education the zoo is deficient: the only way to understand an animal properly is to see it in
its natural environment the zoo gives a totally artificial and misleading view of the animal
by isolating it from its ecosystem.
Main Point 2
* Learn its ok to use animals for their ends
- poor treatment of animals
- only entertainment: weird / wonderful creatures
- artificial / misleading view

There are two problems with the claim that zoos are beneficial because they help to
conserve endangered species. First, they do not have a very high success rate many
species are going extinct each week despite the good intentions of some zoos. This is
partly because a very small captive community of a species is more prone to interbreeding
and birth defects. Secondly, captive breeding to try to stave off extinction need not take
place in the context of a zoo, where the public comes to look at captive animals and often
sees them perform tricks. Captive breeding programs should be undertaken in large nature
reserves, not within the confines of a zoo.
Main Point 3
* Conserving endangered species

3
- no high success rate / interbreeding birth defects
- captive breeding visitors learn tricks (natural reserve better)

4
 15 . Zoos Summary Writing

[Note-taking Point]
Reading Lecture
* Zoos educate the public * Zoos more harm
- behaviour / habitat - environ / social
Key Ideas - conserve
- positive

* 2nd half of the 20th cen zoos * Animals in zoos suffer

designed for benefits of animals
- large enclosure
Main Point 1
- landscaping natural environ.
- large animals open air
enclosure
* Education
- teach about nature / environ /
endangered / conservation
Main Point 2
- direct experience ecological
awareness ^
* Breed endangered species in
captivity
- human intervention preserve
Main Point 3
endangered
- if animals treated well in zoos
- combined: conser / edu / ent
- small space / cages / bars
- psy distress abnormal / self
destructive behaviours
- aquatic not enough water
- birds wings clipped
* Learn its ok to use animals for their
ends
- poor treatment of animals
- only entertainment: weird /
wonderful creatures
- artificial / misleading view
* Conserving endangered species
- no high success rate /
interbreeding birth defects
- captive breeding visitors learn
tricks (natural reserve better)

[Model Writing]
* iBT TOEFL Integrated Writing . .

There is controversy concerning whether zoos are as helpful to animals as they seem. While
the reading claims zoos provide a very necessary function as a haven for animals as well as
a learning tool for humans, the lecturer insists that zoos function only as a source of
amusement for humans.

First of all, the lecturer claims that caged animals suffer from psychological distress and
points out that small enclosures cause unnatural and self destructive behavior in the
animals. This refutes the readings claims that enlarged style enclosures are implemented in
modern zoos to provide animals with a more natural environment.

In addition, the lecturer believes that people visit zoos for mere entertainment. The lecturer
emphasizes that zoos only present a totally man-made and misleading view of the animal
by isolating it from its ecosystem. This view of the lecturer opposes the readings assertion
that zoos are wonderful places for adults and children to learn about animals and nature.

Finally, the lecturer proposes that zoo breeding programs and methods cannot ensure the
continued existence of endangered species. According to the lecture, the point is made

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that zoo breeding programs have not been successful and there are problems with captive
breeding in a zoo since those captive animals tend to lose their wild nature, suggesting that
the programs should be undertaken in a large natural reserve not in a zoo. This rebuts the
reading passages claim that zoos help conserve endangered species.

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[Reading /]

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plight <n> () , ,
extinction <n>
innovative <adj>
conduct <n>
reproduction <n> ,
construct <v>
enclosure <n>
rhinoceros <n>
conservation <n> ,
awareness <n>
endanger <v>
threatening <adj>
intervention <n>
cruelty <n>

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 [Lecture /]

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zoological <adj> ()
preservation <n>
unnaturally <adv> , ,
aquatic <adj> ,
avian <adj> ,
subliminal <adj> .
impinge <v>
captive <adj>

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[Summary Writing /]

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amusement <n>
implement <v> , (, , )
misleading <adj> ( ) ,
undertake <v> , , (~)