This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on whether zoos are cruel and exploitive or helpful for rare animals from the real IELTS exam.
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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Zoos and Rare Animals
Many people think that zoos are cruel. Others think they are helpful in protecting rare animals.
Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
Real Past IELTS Exam
Some concerned groups feel that zoos are cruelly exploitative while others argue they serve the vital function of protecting endangered animals. In my opinion, though zoos are inherently unnatural, their efforts are laudable overall.
Those activists who decry the existence of zoos often point out how animals live in the wild. A lion in the African Serengeti, one of the few remaining preserves for lions in their natural habitat, roams over miles of grassland, hunts for meals and competes with rival prides. This is how lions have lived for thousands of years and is the natural byproduct of a generational process of evolution. The same lion placed in a zoo paces a small cage, is tossed already dead meat to eat, and rarely has other lions to interact or mate with. The evidence for zoos as a cruel institution lies in the contrasting of a natural and unnatural lifestyle and turning proud beasts into scavengers.
Regardless, zoos are essential for the preservation and cultivation of endangered species. There are countless animals ranging from various big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and other sub-species), to pandas, rhinoceros, gorillas, pangolins and many more that depend on zoos for protection and safe breeding grounds. These animals have been driven to the brink of extinction either by loss of habitat due to rampant development and climate change or hunted for their fur or alleged medicinal properties. Responsible zoos are tasked with breeding them in order to stabilise falling populations and then re-introducing them into the wild. Without these zoos, many species would likely already have gone extinct.
In conclusion, zoos are fundamentally artificial but also a net positive because of their conservation efforts. To ensure this remains the case, these refuges must be well-regulated and governments should enact complementary solutions such as anti-poaching laws.
Analysis
1. Some concerned groups feel that zoos are cruelly exploitative while others argue they serve the vital function of protecting endangered animals. 2. In my opinion, though zoos are inherently unnatural, their efforts are laudable overall.
- Paraphrase the topic for the essay.
- Give a clear opinion.
1. Those activists who decry the existence of zoos often point out how animals live in the wild. 2. A lion in the African Serengeti, one of the few remaining preserves for lions in their natural habitat, roams over miles of grassland, hunts for meals and competes with rival prides. 3. This is how lions have lived for thousands of years and is the natural byproduct of a generational process of evolution. 4. The same lion placed in a zoo paces a small cage, is tossed already dead meat to eat, and rarely has other lions to interact or mate with. 5. The evidence for zoos as a cruel institution lies in the contrasting of a natural and unnatural lifestyle and turning proud beasts into scavengers.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea/reason at the end of the sentence.
- Begin a specific example.
- Develop the example.
- Continue developing it – here I switch to contrast the life of a lion in a zoo.
- Finish developing it and make an overall statement to relate back to the overall question.
1. Regardless, zoos are essential for the preservation and cultivation of endangered species. 2. There are countless animals ranging from various big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and other sub-species), to pandas, rhinoceros, gorillas, pangolins and many more that depend on zoos for protection and safe breeding grounds. 3. These animals have been driven to the brink of extinction either by loss of habitat due to rampant development and climate change or hunted for their fur or alleged medicinal properties. 4. Responsible zoos are tasked with breeding them in order to stabilise falling populations and then re-introducing them into the wild. 5. Without these zoos, many species would likely already have gone extinct.
- Another topic sentence with a clear main idea.
- Explain your main idea.
- Here I state the causes for animals to be in zoos because that supports the need for zoos.
- I further develop the main purpose of zoos.
- Conclude your paragraph with a strong sentence.
1. In conclusion, zoos are fundamentally artificial but also a net positive because of their conservation efforts. 2. To ensure this remains the case, these refuges must be well-regulated and governments should enact complementary solutions such as anti-poaching laws.
- Repeat your opinion.
- Add a final thought/detail to get full marks from the IELTS examiner.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?
Some concerned groups feel that zoos are cruelly exploitative while others argue they serve the vital function of protecting endangered animals. In my opinion, though zoos are inherently unnatural, their efforts are laudable overall.
Those activists who decry the existence of zoos often point out how animals live in the wild. A lion in the African Serengeti, one of the few remaining preserves for lions in their natural habitat, roams over miles of grassland, hunts for meals and competes with rival prides. This is how lions have lived for thousands of years and is the natural byproduct of a generational process of evolution. The same lion placed in a zoo paces a small cage, is tossed already dead meat to eat, and rarely has other lions to interact or mate with. The evidence for zoos as a cruel institution lies in the contrasting of a natural and unnatural lifestyle and turning proud beasts into scavengers.
Regardless, zoos are essential for the preservation and cultivation of endangered species. There are countless animals ranging from various big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and other sub-species), to pandas, rhinoceros, gorillas, pangolins and many more that depend on zoos for protection and safe breeding grounds. These animals have been driven to the brink of extinction either by loss of habitat due to rampant development and climate change or hunted for their fur or alleged medicinal properties. Responsible zoos are tasked with breeding them in order to stabilise falling populations and then re-introducing them into the wild. Without these zoos, many species would likely already have gone extinct.
In conclusion, zoos are fundamentally artificial but also a net positive because of their conservation efforts. To ensure this remains the case, these refuges must be well-regulated and governments should enact complementary solutions such as anti-poaching laws.
Answers
concerned groups people who care
cruelly exploitative take advantage of badly
serve the vital function are important because of
protecting endangered animals keeping animals safe with low population numbers
inherently unnatural fundamentally artificial
laudable overall good in general
activists people who care about a specific issue
decry denounce
point out argue
African Serengeti grassland preserve in Africa
preserves conservation lands
natural habitat where they normally live
roams over miles of grassland walks around lots of fields
competes fights with
rival prides other groups of lions
natural byproduct the normal result of
generational process of evolution many years of adaptation
placed in put in
paces walks around
cage enclosure
tossed thrown
rarely sometimes
interact be around other lions
mate with breed, have children with
evidence support
cruel institution lies in evil zoos comes from
contrasting different
natural and unnatural lifestyle what are normal and artifical ways of living
proud beasts animals with dignity
scavengers animals that pick up already dead food
regardless nonetheless
preservation keeping safe
cultivation developing
endangered species animal at risk of going extinct
countless many
sub-species species within a species such as types of frogs, cats, etc.
pangolins a scaly mammal that rolls itself into a ball
depend on rely on
protection conservation
safe breeding grounds places where they can mate and have offspring
driven to the brink of extinction nearly all gone
loss of habitat no more home
rampant development changing a lot, industrialisation
climate change global warming
alleged medicinal properties supposed medical effects
responsible zoos good zoos
tasked with breeding have the duty of helping them mate
stabilise falling populations stop the numbers from decreasing
re-introducing them into the wild letting them go free
extinct all gone
fundamentally artificial at base not natural
net positive overall good
conservation efforts trying to keep them safe
To ensure this remains the case so that this is true
refuges places to be safe
well-regulated lots of oversight
enact complementary solutions pass laws to also protect animals
anti-poaching laws prevent people hunting animals
Pronunciation
Listen and repeat:
kənˈsɜːnd gruːps
ˈkrʊəli ˈɛksplɔɪt ˈrɛlətɪv
sɜːv ðə ˈvaɪtl ˈfʌŋkʃən
prəˈtɛktɪŋ ɪnˈdeɪnʤəd ˈænɪməlz
ɪnˈhɪərəntli ʌnˈnæʧrəl
ˈlɔːdəbl ˈəʊvərɔːl
ˈæktɪvɪsts
dɪˈkraɪ
pɔɪnt aʊt
ˈæfrɪkən ˌsɛrɪˈneɪd gɛt hiː
prɪˈzɜːvz
ˈnæʧrəl ˈhæbɪtæt
rəʊmz ˈəʊvə maɪlz ɒv ˈgrɑːslænd
kəmˈpiːts
ˈraɪvəl praɪdz
ˈnæʧrəl ˈbaɪˌprɒdʌkt
ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃən(ə)l ˈprəʊsɛs ɒv ˌiːvəˈluːʃən
pleɪst ɪn
ˈpeɪsɪz
keɪʤ
tɒst
ˈreəli
ˌɪntərˈækt
meɪt wɪð
ˈɛvɪdəns
krʊəl ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən laɪz ɪn
kənˈtrɑːstɪŋ
ˈnæʧrəl ænd ʌnˈnæʧrəl ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl
praʊd biːsts
ˈskævɪnʤəz
rɪˈgɑːdlɪs
ˌprɛzə(ː)ˈveɪʃən
ˌkʌltɪˈveɪʃən
ɪnˈdeɪnʤəd ˈspiːʃiːz
ˈkaʊntlɪs
sʌb-ˈspiːʃiːz
pæŋˈgəʊlɪnz
dɪˈpɛnd ɒn
prəˈtɛkʃən
seɪf ˈbriːdɪŋ graʊndz
ˈdrɪvn tuː ðə brɪŋk ɒv ɪksˈtɪŋkʃən
lɒs ɒv ˈhæbɪtæt
ˈræmpənt dɪˈvɛləpmənt
ˈklaɪmɪt ʧeɪnʤ
əˈlɛʤd mɛˈdɪsɪnl ˈprɒpətiz
rɪsˈpɒnsəbl zuːz
tɑːskt wɪð ˈbriːdɪŋ
ˈsteɪbɪlaɪz ˈfɔːlɪŋ ˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃənz
riː-ˌɪntrəˈdjuːsɪŋ ðɛm ˈɪntuː ðə waɪld
ɪksˈtɪŋkt
ˌfʌndəˈmɛntli ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l
nɛt ˈpɒzətɪv
ˌkɒnsə(ː)ˈveɪʃən ˈɛfəts
tuː ɪnˈʃʊə ðɪs rɪˈmeɪnz ðə keɪs
ˈrɛfjuːʤɪz
wɛl-ˈrɛgjʊleɪtɪd
ɪˈnækt ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛntəri səˈluːʃənz
ˈænti-ˈpəʊʧɪŋ lɔːz
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
Some c______________________s feel that zoos are c_______________________e while others argue they s________________________n of p________________________________s. In my opinion, though zoos are i_________________________l, their efforts are l________________________l.
Those a______________s who d__________y the existence of zoos often p__________________t how animals live in the wild. A lion in the A______________________________i, one of the few remaining p________________s for lions in their n__________________t, r_____________________________d, hunts for meals and c_____________s with r_________________s. This is how lions have lived for thousands of years and is the n____________________t of a g____________________________________________n. The same lion p______________n a zoo p____________s a small c__________e, is t__________d already dead meat to eat, and r_____________y has other lions to i____________t or m_____________h. The e______________e for zoos as a c___________________________n the c________________g of a n___________________________________e and turning p__________________s into s____________________s.
R________________s, zoos are essential for the p__________________n and c_____________________n of e_____________________s. There are c_________________s animals ranging from various big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and other s_________________s), to pandas, rhinoceros, gorillas, p_________________s and many more that d_______________n zoos for p________________n and s______________________s. These animals have been d______________________________________n either by l_____________t due to r_______________________t and c__________________e or hunted for their fur or a_______________________________s. R_________________________s are t________________________g them in order to s___________________________s and then r______________________________d. Without these zoos, many species would likely already have gone e_____________t.
In conclusion, zoos are f_________________________l but also a n________________e because of their c__________________________s. T_____________________________________e, these r_________________s must be w_______________________d and governments should e_____________________________________s such as a__________________________s.
Listen and check:
Listening Practice
Listen more about the pros and cons of zoos here:
Reading Practice
Read more about how zoos are exploitative below:
Speaking Practice
Answer the questions below from the real speaking exam:
Pets
Have you ever had a pet?
What kind of pets do people like to have?
What kinds of pets are common in your country?
Do many people in your country have pets?
Real Past IELTS Exam
Writing Practice
Write about the related question below and then check with my sample answer:
Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more important environmental problems.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Real Past IELTS Exam
