英语课程计划-Zoo Awareness Day（在线收听）

(ZAD) is a day on which people question the place and value of zoos in the twenty-first century. It is organized by the Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS), which says zoos are mainly for tourism rather than protecting animals. CAPS says that even though many zoos promote themselves as places of education, conservation and research, they are really just a tourist attraction. ZAD is to make people aware that animals in zoos suffer from physical and psychological problems because they are in cages. CAPS says the “protection of natural habitats is the only way to prevent further species decline”. The organization says people today can learn about animals from the Internet and by looking at high definition TV.

So what do people do on Zoo Awareness Day? CAPS hopes you are concerned enough about animal rights to join different campaigns. Suggestions include holding peaceful protests outside zoos, writing letters to newspapers and setting up information stalls to tell people that animals belong in the wild. CAPS says: “We don’t need zoos anymore….Keeping these beautiful creatures caged up and bored to tears for our sake is just plain wrong.” What do you think of zoos? Are they necessary in this day and age? Everybody agrees that we should protect animals and ensure their survival, but do zoos actually help this? Maybe some of the world’s zoos do play a role in conservation and education, but there are others in which animals do suffer.