READING ACTIVITY.
A zoo in Cumbria has recently had its licence revoked as a result of 500 animals dying there over a two-year period. This closure, then, comes as no shock, but what does surprise me is that anybody could still think we should have zoos at all. However, we still love visiting them, along with safari parks and conservation centres, especially when we have small children with us. In the past it was agreed that such places had an educational merit, but nowadays there is no reason to need to see animals in captivity when nature documentaries show all the animals you could ever wish for in their natural habitat, with dramatic music narratives included.
On holidays recently, I was persuaded by my family to visit a marine theme park, which bombarded us with messages about preserving marine life from the moment we went in. We spent the afternoon seeing seals and penguins that looked to be in various stages of
depression before taking in the dolphins at a special performance which involved watching a two-minute video about saving dolphins and a 10-minute demonstration of how the park has managed to enslave them and get them to perform tricks. It was all a little contradictory, in my opinion.
It is true that such occasions can have a positive effect as well. After one visit to the Sea Life centre in Brighton a few years ago, my eldest son took a passionate interest in marine life that has stayed with him ever since. However, the idea that kids only get excited about things they see in the flesh is ridiculous. My kids are obsessed with dinosaurs, which no longer exist and with any number of fantastical beasts which never have.
I have no doubts that the people working in zoos, safari parks and conservation centres do care about animals, but can we justify the negative aspects? Do these institutions really protect endangered species? Moreover, they seem especially difficult to regulate. Have a look online and see the number of cases of animals being killed because of lack of space, horses being painted to look like zebras or creatures in aquariums showing signs of distress. These are reasons enough to convince anybody that zoos should be a thing of the past.
13 March 2017, The Guardian (Adapted)
EXERCISES: FILL THE QUESTIONS ONLINE AND SUBMIT IT BEFORE MAY 11TH:
https://forms.gle/oTih2k25N5koYeCC8
DESCRIBING PEOPLE- COLOURFUL CHARACTERS.
Alanis Morissette – Hand in my pocket
Practise adjectives, specifically adjectives that describe people with this song, Hand in my pocket, by Alanis Morissette
The lyrics of this song contain the following 28 adjectives that can describe people: broke, happy, poor, kind, short, healthy, high, grounded, sane, overwhelmed, lost, hopeful, drunk, sober, young, underpaid, tired, restless, free, focused, green, wise, hard, friendly, sad, brave, sick, & pretty. The song also includes the following more generic adjectives: fine, high, gone, wrong & alright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUjIY_XxF1g
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