1. (2022高三上·嘉定期中) Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

A. They can be endlessly improved as we better understand how to treat animals. B. Experts have broken fresh ground in breeding captive animals. C. Yet critics(评论家，批评家) suggest that animals should not be kept in cage. D. Studies have clearly shown that captive animals will live longer and be more active kept in an environment close to their native surroundings. E. This, therefore, puts severe pressure on the legs and feet of these giants and causes long-lasting injury in some captive animals. F. Evidences indicate that some animals depend greatly on surroundings.

Are zoos bad for animals?

Zoos have existed since ancient times and were features of the great courts of Egypt and China. The display of unusual animals from foreign countries was, for a long time, a show of wealth and power. Today, zoos focus on the preservation of animal species and the education of the public.  

Some animals are distinctly unsuited for life in a zoo, however noble the aims of the organization. Keeping elephants in captivity (囚禁) has long caused argument among animal rights activists. Elephants in the wild wander constantly, covering a wide territory on a daily basis. In captivity, they have no choice but to stand still for long periods of time.  Yet elephants are a threatened species in their native environments and are heavily caught for ivory (象牙), leather and meat illegally. To protect the species from extinction, some experts feel that captive breeding programmes may be the best strategy for future survival. Many elephants in captivity were rescued from circuses (马戏团), saved from natural disasters or removed from the wild due to injury or abandonment.

 The chances are, if a zoo has nothing but cement floors and metal enclosures, the animals will not do as well. Many famous zoos now construct enclosures allowing animals freedom of movement and native vegetation. Some zoos have even begun housing species of animals together that normally interact in the wild, such as certain types of monkeys.

Zoos are not a perfect solution for preservation.  They are undeniably helpful in repopulating declining animal species and encouraging a preservationist outlook, but they are unquestionably primary in their treatment of some animals. Hopefully, animal activists and zoo advocates will continue to work together, finding ways to create the best environment for captive animals in breeding and repopulation efforts.