2021年1-4月 雅思口语 Part 3 Topic 40 野生动物

What are the differences between animals in zoos and those in the wild?

They serve different purposes. Zoos are much more of a business as most of them focus on generating income at the expense of the animals’ freedom. Animals in zoos serve as a source of entertainment for visitors. Animals in captivity are deprived of their freedom, which sometimes change their natural behavior. For instance, in the case of elephants, as they could not socialize, they’d lack emotional connection to other members of the family, hence many of them would show signs of distress. Furthermore, elephants in zoos are often chained in place and receive little to no exercise, while in the wild, they’d walk tens of miles a day. The lack of physical activity will pose several health risks for them.

Why should the staff in the zoos teach the public about animals?

Animals keep the ecosystem balanced and diverse. Sadly, there is still a part of our population who doesn’t know much about animals. It is also argued that plainly visiting the zoos would not provide enough educational experience. Therefore, zookeepers need to step up their game in educating the public about these animals, because visitors are only learning a few facts about them compared to what they need to know. The public can still find these information even without keeping them in the zoos.

Why are people keen on keeping pets?

I think this has something to do with the loneliness people feel in this busy world. People are constantly stressed out about either work or life in general, but we desire a living being to help us stay strong. So pets act as an antidote for this loneliness and take on the role of the best companion that will always stay by our side. Whether we want to pour our heart out to them or tell them our dirty little secrets, we know that it’s all safe with them as they won’t rat us out. Pets give us unconditional love and are always loyal. Seeing them after a long day relieves our stress and keeps us motivated for the next day.

How can the increase of human population influence wild animals?

Well, a greater human population means greater human activities and the expansion of human economic activities require exploitation of natural resources, one of which is land. When we develop land for houses and factories, we need to cut down trees that result to the destruction of animal habitats. The wild animals that are unable to adapt to this change face the danger of extinction. Therefore, increasing population is detrimental to wildlife but there is hope if could raise awareness.