关于动物园的托福作文范文

　　Some people believe that zoos serve useful functions. Other people believe that it is cruel and wrong to confine animals in zoos. Tell which point of view you agree with and explain why, using specific details and reasons.

　　If there were no zoos, some species of animals would not exist at all. That is one of several good reasons why I believe it is important to support zoos. Some people, however, have a negative view of zoos. They think zoos are unnatural and inhumane.

　　The idea that zoos are cruel to animals is somewhat understandable. People like to see wild animals in their natural habitats, living free in the way they have done for thousands or millions of years. They think of zoos as prisons for animals. They think that displaying animals in cages for the benefit of visitors and confining them in small, uncomfortable spaces takes away the animals' dignity. In part, however, these people's belief is based on a misconception. It's true that in the past, animals in zoos generally lived in cramped, dirty cages. Newer zoos,however, try to duplicate animals' natural habitats as much as possible and give animals a comfortable amount of space. Even many older zoos are upgrading their facilities for their animals.

　　There are a number of reasons why I think that zoo's functions are mainly positive. One reason is that zoos protect not only species of animals but also individual animals. Many species are endangered because of human development or other environmental problems. As mentioned, some species only exist in captivity. Zoos around the world have cooperative breeding programs to increase the number of endangered animals. In the future, it may be possible to re-introduce these species into the wild. Furthermore, some animals' native habitats have become dangerous for them, not just because of predators but also because of humans. Tigers, for example, are often killed because parts of their bodies are used in very expensive “medicines.” In zoos, at least these animals are protected.

　　Another reason to support zoos is that they provide an educational experience. How many of us would be able to see elephants from Africa, penguins from Antarctica, or koala bears from Australia if we did not see them in a zoo? Moreover, zoos provide information about which animals are endangered and tell us why these animals are in trouble.

　　All in all, I agree with the concept that zoos are desirable institutions. Opposition to zoos, I think, is mainly based on outmoded ideas of zoos. Today's zoos protect animals and educate people about animals and the environmental dangers they face.

　　如果没有动物园，一些动物物种就根本不会存在了。这就是我为什么认为支持动物园很重要的原因之一，然而，有些人对动物园持否定的观点，他们认为动物园有违自然规律，是残忍的。

　　认为动物园对动物而言是残忍的这一看法还是有些可以理解的。人们喜欢看到野生动物呆在其自然栖息地，像数千年或者几百万年以来那样自由自在地生活。他们想到动物园就如同是为动物而设的监狱一般。他们认为为了游客的利益而将动物关在笼子里展出并且将它们困在又小又不舒服的空间里夺走了动物的尊严。然而，部分地讲，这些人的想法是基于一种错误的认识。在过去，动物园里的动物通常确实是生活在又挤又脏的笼子里，然而新的动物园竭其所能复制动物的自然栖息地，给动物更舒服的空间，甚至很多老动物园也正在为动物们更新设施。

　　我之所以认为动物园的功能主要还是积极的是有多方面原因的。一个原因就是动物园保护的不仅是动物物种，而且还保护了个体动物。由于人类的开发或其他环境问题，很多物种濒临灭绝。如提到的那样，一些物种现在只存在于囚禁状态下了。世界各地的动物园有合作繁育的项目来增加濒危动物的数量。在将来，或许有可能将这些物种回放野外。另外，一些动物的原始栖息地变得对它们而言危险重重了，不仅仅是因为掠食动物的缘故，还因为人类。例如，老虎经常被猎杀，因为它们身上的某些部分可以应用到名贵的药里。在动物园里，至少这些动物受到了保护。

　　另一个支持动物园的原因是它们提供了教育的机会。如果不是在动物园里，我们中有多少人能够看到非洲大象、南极企鹅、澳洲考拉熊？再者，动物园提供了大量关于哪些动物濒临灭绝的信息，并告诉我们它们为什么身处困境。

　　总之，我同意动物园是非常必要的设施这一观点。对动物园的反对意见，我认为，主要是基于过时的观念。如今的动物园既保护动物，又教育人们关于动物的情况以及它们所面临的环境危险。