Reading comprehension

Are zoos a good thing?

Zoos are hugely popular attractions for adults and children alike. But are they actually a good
thing?

Critics of zoos would argue that animals often suffer physically and mentally by being enclosed.
Even the best artificial environments can't come close to matching the space, diversity, and
freedom that animals have in their natural habitats. This deprivation causes many zoo animals to
become stressed or mentally ill. Capturing animals in the wild also causes much suffering by
splitting up families. Some zoos make animals behave unnaturally: for example, marine parks
often force dolphins and whales to perform tricks. These mammals may die decades earlier than
their wild relatives, and some even try to commit suicide.

On the other hand, by bringing people and animals together, zoos have the potential to educate
the public about conservation issues and inspire people to protect animals and their habitats.
Some zoos provide a safe environment for animals which have been mistreated in circuses, or
pets which have been abandoned. Zoos also carry out important research into subjects like
animal behaviour and how to treat illnesses.

One of the most important modern functions of zoos is supporting international breeding
programmes, particularly for endangered species. In the wild, some of the rarest species have
difficulty in finding mates and breeding, and they might also be threatened by poachers, loss of
their habitat and predators. A good zoo will enable these species to live and breed in a secure
environment. In addition, as numbers of some wild species drop, there is an increased danger of
populations becoming too genetically similar. Breeding programmes provide a safeguard: zoo-
bred animals can be released into the wild to increase genetic diversity.

However, opponents of zoos say that the vast majority of captive breeding programmes do not
release animals back into the wild. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos but also to
circuses or hunting ranches in the US or South Africa, where some people are willing to pay a lot
of money for the chance to kill an animal in a fenced enclosure. Often, these animals are familiar
with humans and have very little chance of escaping.

So, are zoos good for animals or not? Perhaps it all depends on how well individual zoos are
managed, and the benefits of zoos can surely outweigh their harmful effects. However, it is
understandable that many people believe imprisoning animals for any reason is simply wrong.

I.True or false?

1. Modern zoos can offer animals a living environment that is as good as their natural
habitats.
 2. One of the reasons zoo animals become distressed is because they are separated from
their families.
3. Dolphins and whales usually live longer in zoos than in the wild.
4. People who have visited zoos are more likely to support animal conservation and
protection.
5. Zoos protect animals from being used for scientific research.
6. Endangered animals kept in zoos are less likely to meet a mate and breed.
7. In their natural habitats, animals suffer problems related to human activity.
8. Endangered species often lack genetic diversity in their population.
9. Zoos promote genetic diversity by breeding animals and then releasing them back into
the wild.
10. If zoos have more animals than they can look after, they always give them to another zoo
or release them back into the wild.
11. Animals that have been bred in captivity quickly adapt to life in hunting ranches.
12. The author thinks that, on balance, zoos are generally a good thing.

II.Fill the gaps with the correct word from the box.

enviroment suicide wild species illnesses habitat tricks mate

1. Even the best artificial environments cannot come close to an animal's natural
…………………………..
2. Whales and dolphins in zoos are often made to perform …………………………
3. Distressed and depressed zoo animals sometimes try to commit
…………………………..
4. Zoos can provide a safe …………………….. for animals that have been mistreated or
abandoned.
5. Zoos carry out important research into how to treat ………………………..
6. International breeding programs are particularly important for endangered
……………………..
7. In the wild, some of the rarest species have difficulty finding a …………………………
8. One criticism of breeding programs is that they do not always release animals back into
the ……………………..

Grammar

Present Perfect Simple versus Past Simple

Folosim PrPS pentru actiuni care:

o Sunt din trecut dar influenteaza presentul: He has discovered America.

o Sunt inca in desfasurare: School hasn’t started yet.
 o Au fost finalizate recent : She has cooked dinner.
o s-au petrecut candva, in trecut intr-un moment nedeterminat: I have been to America
once.

Cuvinte semnal:

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now, since, for.

Structuri:

Af. S+have/has(III, Sg) +V-ed/V3

Neg. S+have/has(III, Sg) +not+V-ed/V3

Int. have/has(III, Sg)+ S +V-ed/V3

! already, ever, never, just vor fi puse in propozitie intre auxiliar si verb principal.

Exercitii:

I.Make the present perfect - it could be positive, negative or question.

1) (you / keep a pet for three years)

2) (you / eat Thai food before)?

3) (it / rain all day)?

4) (who / we / forget to invite)?

5) (we / not / hear that song already)

6) (he / not / forget his books)

7) (she / steal all the chocolate)

8) (I / explain it well)?

9) (who / he / meet recently)?

10) (how / we / finish already)?

11) (he / study Latin)

12) (I / know him for three months)

13) (where / you / study Arabic)?

14) (what countries / they / visit in Europe)?

15) (he / hurt his leg)

16) (she / leave her phone in a taxi)

17) (we / not / lose our tickets)

18) (she / call her mother)?

19) (he / take a taxi)?

20) (She / go / to the library today)

II.Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"

B: I don't know. I (see, never) ……………………. that movie.

2. Sam (arrive) ………………… in San Diego a week ago.

3. My best friend and I (know) ………………… each other for over fifteen years. We still get
together once a week.

4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) …………………. ten very creative short stories in the
last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.

5. I (have, not) ……………….. this much fun since I (be) ………………… a kid.

6. Things (change) ………………. a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start)
……………….. working here three years ago, the company (have, only) ………………. six
employees. Since then, we (expand) …………… to include more than 2000 full-time workers.

7. I (tell) ……………… him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander)
…………….. off into the forest and (be) …………… bitten by a snake.

8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) ………………… the bus this morning. You (be)
………………. late to work too many times. You are fired!

9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never)
……………… the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.

10. How sad! George (dream) …………… of going to California before he died, but he didn't
make it. He (see, never) …………….. the ocean.

11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) …………………. much easier and very
comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) ……………… two or three months to cross North
America by covered wagon. The trip (be) ……….. very rough and often dangerous. Things
(change) ………….. a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New
York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.

12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) …………… since the last time I (see)
…………….you. You (grow) ……………… at least a foot!

13. This tree (be) …………….. planted by the settlers who (found) ……………… our city over
four hundred years ago.

14. This mountain (be, never) ……………….. climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try)
……………. to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever) …………………... The climb is
extremely difficult and many people (die) …………………. trying to reach the summit.

15. I (visit, never) ………………. Africa, but I (travel) ……………….. to South America
several times. The last time I (go) ……………….. to South America, I (visit) …………… Brazil
and Peru. I (spend) ……………. two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) ……………… for a week
near Machu Picchu, and (fly) ……………. over the Nazca Lines.

Writing

Write a short story on whatever subject you like. Make sure it has at least 100 words.