Questions 26-30:
One of London Zoo’s recent advertisements caused me some irritation, so patently did it
distort reality. Headlined ‘Without zoos you might as well tell these animals to get stuffed’, it was
bordered with illustrations of several endangered species and went on to extol the myth that
without zoos like London Zoo these animals ‘will almost certainly disappear forever’. With the
zoo world’s rather mediocre record on conservation, one might be forgiven for being slightly
skeptical about such an advertisement.
Zoos were originally created as places of entertainment, and their suggested involvement
with conservation didn’t seriously arise until about 30 years ago, when the Zoological Society of
London held the first formal international meeting on the subject. Eight years later, a series of
world conferences took place, entitled ‘The Breeding of Endangered Species’, and from this point
onwards conservation became the zoo community’s buzzword. This commitment has now been
clearly defined in The World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS, September 1993),
which-although an important and welcome document-does seem to be based on an unrealistic
optimism about the nature of the zoo industry.
The WZCS estimates that there are about 10,000 zoos in the world, of which around 1,000
represent a core of quality collections capable of participating in coordinated conservation
programmes. This is probably the document's first failing, as I believe that 10,000 is a serious
underestimate of the total number of places masquerading as zoological establishments. Of course
it is difficult to get accurate data but, to put the issue into perspective, I have found that, in a year
of working in Eastern Europe, I discover fresh zoos on almost a weekly basis.
The second flaw in the reasoning of the WZCS document is the na?ve faith it places in its
1,000 core zoos. One would assume that the caliber of these institutions would have been carefully
examined, but it appears that the criterion for inclusion on this select list might merely be that the
zoo is a member of a zoo federation or association. This might be a good starting point, working
on the premise that members must meet certain standards, but again the facts don’t support the
theory. The greatly respected American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA)
has had extremely dubious members, and in the UK the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great
Britain and Ireland has occasionally had members that have been roundly censured in the national
press. These include Robin Hill Adventure Park on the Isle Wight, which many considered the
most notorious collection of animals in the country. This establishment, which for years was
protected by the Isle’s local council (which viewed it as a tourist amenity), was finally closed
down following a damning report by a veterinary inspector appointed under the terms of the Zoo
Licensing Act 1981. As it was always a collection of dubious repute, one is obliged to reflect upon
the standards that the Zoo Federation sets when granting membership. The situation is even worse
in developing countries where little money is available for redevelopment and it is hard to see a
way of incorporating collections into the overall scheme of the WZCS.
Even assuming that the WZCS’s 1,000 core zoos are all of a high standard- --complete with
scientific staff and research facilities, trained and dedicated keepers, accommodation that permits
normal or natural behaviour, and a policy of co-operating fully with one another---what might be
the potential for conservation? Colin Tudge, author of Last Animals at the Zoo (Oxford University
Press, 1992), argues that ‘if the world’s zoos worked together in co-operative breeding
programmes, then even without further expansion they could save around 2,000 species of
endangered land vertebrates’. This seems an extremely optimistic proposition from a man who
must be aware of the failing and weaknesses of the zoo industry-the man who, when a member of
the council of London Zoo, had to persuade the zoo to devote more of its activities to conservation.
Moreover, where are the facts to support such optimism?
Today approximately 16 species might be said to have been ‘saved’ by captive breeding
programmes, although a number of these can hardly be looked upon as resounding successes.
Beyond that, about a further 20 species are being seriously considered for zoo conservation
programmes. Given that the international conference at London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this is
pretty slow progress, and a long way off Tudge’s target of 2,000.
26. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the writer?
(A) London Zoo’s advertisements are dishonest.
(B) Zoos made an insignificant contribution to conservation up until 30 years ago.
(C) No-one knew how the animals were being treated at Robin Hill Adventure Park.
(D) The number of successful zoo conservation progrmmes is unsatisfactory.
27. What was the major objective of the WZCS document?
(A) to improve the ability of zoos world-wide
(B) to identify zoos suitable for conservation practice
(C) to provide funds for zoos in underdeveloped countries
(D) to list the endangered species of the world
28. Why does the writer refer to Robin Hill Adventure Park?
(A) to support the Isle of Wight local council
(B) to criticise the 1981 Zoo Licensing Act
(C) to illustrate a weakness in the WZCS document
(D) to exemplify the standards in AAZPA zoos
29. What word best describes the writer’s response to Colin Tudges prediction on captive
breeding programmes?
(A) disbelieving (B) impartial
(C) prejudiced (D) accepting
30. The writer mentions three factors which lead him to doubt the value of the WZCS document
except____?
(A) the number of unregistered zoos in the world
(B) the lack of money in developing countries
(C) the failure of the WZCS to examine the standards of the ‘core zoos’
(D) the unrealistic aim of the WZCS in view of the number of species ‘saved’ to date　  
key:
本项60 分，每题2 分
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. A
10. D
11. B
12. A
13. C
14. D
15. B
16. B
17. C
18. B
19. A
20. D
21. C
22. A
23. B
24. C
25. B
26. C
27. B
28. C
29. A
30. B