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Two Views on Zoos

8th grade reading

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Two Views on Zoos

TEXT A – "A Lifeline for Wildlife" Modern zoos are not the cramped menageries of the past. The best of them are centres for conservation, research and education. Breeding programmes in zoos have helped save species such as the Arabian oryx and the California condor from extinction, and some animals bred in zoos have been successfully returned to the wild. For millions of children who will never visit a rainforest or a savannah, seeing a living animal up close can spark a lifelong love of nature. Closing zoos would not free animals; it would abandon them. TEXT B – "Wild at Heart" No enclosure, however large, can replace a wild home. An elephant may walk dozens of kilometres a day in the wild; in a zoo, it may cover a fraction of that, and some show repetitive swaying or pacing that scientists link to stress. While a few breeding programmes have succeeded, most animals in zoos belong to species that are not endangered at all. If we truly want to protect wildlife, our money would do far more good protecting habitats where animals already live.

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Question 1
Read "Two Views on Zoos". What is the main difference between the two texts?
- A. Text A defends zoos; Text B argues against them.
- B. Text A is about elephants; Text B is about birds.
- C. Text B supports breeding programmes more strongly than Text A.
- D. Both texts argue zoos should close.
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Question 2
Read "Two Views on Zoos". Which evidence does Text A use to support its view?
- A. Breeding programmes have saved species like the Arabian oryx.
- B. Elephants sway and pace in zoos.
- C. Most zoo animals are not endangered.
- D. Habitats are cheaper to protect.
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Question 3
Read "Two Views on Zoos". How does Text B respond to the idea of breeding programmes?
- A. It says breeding programmes have never worked.
- B. It does not mention them.
- C. It agrees that they are the main purpose of zoos.
- D. It admits a few have worked but says most zoo animals are not endangered.
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Question 4
Read "Two Views on Zoos". On which point would both writers most likely agree?
- A. Zoos should all be closed.
- B. Protecting wildlife is important.
- C. Elephants are happy in zoos.
- D. Children should not see animals.
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Question 5
Read "Two Views on Zoos". What does the phrase "it would abandon them" suggest in Text A?
- A. Closing zoos would leave animals without care or protection.
- B. Zoos are like prisons.
- C. Animals want to leave zoos.
- D. Children would stop visiting.

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Answer key: Two Views on Zoos

1. A. Text A defends zoos; Text B argues against them.
- Comparing texts means finding where they agree and differ.
- A calls zoos 'a lifeline'; B says no enclosure can replace a wild home.
- So the answer is: Text A defends zoos; Text B argues against them.
2. A. Breeding programmes have saved species like the Arabian oryx.
- The best evidence directly supports the claim.
- Text A names the oryx and condor as species saved.
- So the answer is: Breeding programmes have saved species like the Arabian oryx.
3. D. It admits a few have worked but says most zoo animals are not endangered.
- Comparing texts means finding where they agree and differ.
- 'While a few breeding programmes have succeeded, most animals…are not endangered at all.'
- So the answer is: It admits a few have worked but says most zoo animals are not endangered.
4. B. Protecting wildlife is important.
- Comparing texts means finding where they agree and differ.
- Both discuss the best way to protect wildlife; they disagree only about how.
- So the answer is: Protecting wildlife is important.
5. A. Closing zoos would leave animals without care or protection.
- Writers choose words for their connotations and effects.
- 'Abandon' suggests deserting animals who depend on us.
- So the answer is: Closing zoos would leave animals without care or protection.