Zoos are under a lot of pressure these days to justify their existence. In the past, collections of animals were assembled largely to entertain the public or to satisfy a private desire. There was often little understanding of the animal's biological or behavioral needs, and even less perception of a responsibility to justify the collection in terms of science, conservation or popular education. For responsible zoos, this has changed dramatically.
By acting as a reservoir for species, zoos can act as a safety device in case the species become extinct in nature. Zoos can also provide the animals necessary to reintroduce species extinct in the wild once the threats to their survival have been controlled. A second important function of any good zoo must be the education of the visitor. Regardless of the scientific expertise (专长) of the individual, he or she can expect to learn something every time he walks through the zoo gate.
For many people, especially those living in towns, this is the closest they will come to see wild animals. Even with the high quality of the current wildlife films, there is no replacement for seeing the real thing. One must appreciate that for many people an animal simply isn't real if they only see it on a television screen. Zoos provide an opportunity to make the emotional and rational commitment essential to the future of conservation.
Finally, it should be appreciated that zoos provide a unique opportunity for research, the results of which may be crucial to the survival of species.
Apart from the debate over whether zoos perform. a valuable role in society, they are often attacked on animal welfare grounds -- that they are little more than prisons, exploiting their inhabitants for commercial purposes. Unfortunately there is a tendency to tar (玷污) all zoos with the same brush, regardless of fundamental differences in their philosophy, the quality of care given to their animals, and their contribution to science and conservation.
Nobody is arguing that zoos are perfect or that they are a substitute for the wild. But it is important to place them -- the responsible, good zoos -- in the overall context of conservation, and to recognize that they and the staff they support have a valuable role to play in the future.
What is the author's argument in the passage?
An important new role has evolved for good zoos: they are not prisons for animals but reservoirs of species.
B. Zoos should learn to justify their existence no matter how great the pressure is.
Criticism on zoos ought to be more specific because zoos are not graded on the same level.
D. The function of education of zoos becomes more important and practical.
1 Massive changes in all of the world's deeply cherished sporting habits are underway.Whether it's one of London's parks full of people playing softball, and Russians taking up rugby, or the Superbowl rivaling the British Football Cup Final as a televised spectator event in Britain, the patterns of players and spectators are changing beyond recognition. We are
witnessing a globalization of our sporting culture.
2 That annual bicycle race, the Tour de France, much loved by the French is a good case in point. Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair with France, Belgium and Holland, Spain and Italy taking part. But in recent years it has been dominated by Colombian mountain climbers, and American and Irish riders.
3 The people who really matter welcome the shift toward globalization. Peugeot, Michelin and Panasonic are multi-national corporations that want worldwide returns for the millions they invest in teams. So it does them literally a world of good to see this unofficial world championship become just that.
4 This is undoubtedly an economic-based revolution we are witnessing here, one made possible by communications technology, but made to happen because of marketing considerations. Sell the game and you can sell Coca Cola or Budweiser as well.
5 The skilful way in which American football has been sold to Europe is a good example of how all sports will develop. The aim of course is not really to spread the sport for its own sake, but to increase the number of people interested in the major money-making events. The economics of the Superbowl are already astronomical. With seats at US $ 125, gate receipts alone were a staggering $10, 000, 000. The most important statistic of the day, however, was the $100,000,000 in TV advertising fees. Imagine how much that becomes when the eyes of the world are watching.
6 So it came as a terrible shock, but not really as a surprise, to learn that some people are now suggesting that soccer change from being a game of two 45-minute halves, to one of four 25-minute quarters. The idea is unashamedly to capture more advertising revenue, without giving any thought for the integrity of a sport which relies for its essence on the
flowing nature of the action.
7 Moreover, as sports expand into world markets, and as our choice of sports as consumers also grows, so we will demand to see them played at a higher and higher level. In boxing we have already seen numerous, dubious world title categories because people will not pay to see anything less than a "World Title" fight, and this means that the title fights have to be held in different countries around the world!
Globalization of sporting culture means that______.
A. more people are taking up sports.
B. traditional sports are getting popular.
C. many local sports are becoming international.
D. foreigners are more interested in local sports.
Scarcely ______ those words when suddenly the monster was transformed into a very handsome
A. had he uttered
B. did he utter
C. he had uttered
D. he did utter