TOEFL essay:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement ?A zoo has no useful purpose. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

Zoos are often controversial because many people believe they are necessary or even harmful .If properly managed, I feel that zoos have a lot of value. In fact, I believe zoos are useful in two main ways: educating the general public and advancing scientific research.

Zoos can be wonderfully educational places. They provide a safe, controlled environment to learn about a specific species. Children can feel safe exploring the world of the chimpanzee there, and adults can learn about and see types of birds they’ve never seen before . Unlike in the wild , there’s no worry of being physically harmed by an animal.

Zoos are also important for the research opportunities they provide. Research is safer and easier to conduct than in the wild. Scientists can feel secure in the confined area of the Zoo. For example, while conducting a medical experiment in an open field ,scientists have to worry about both the animal they have to worked with, and also other animals nearby .In zoos, however ,they need only worry about the research subject.

In the wilderness, animals are also much harder to track and monitor. Zoos make research less time-consuming and expensive. Long term follows-ups are easier too, since even with monitors, wild animals often are killed and disappear. In zoos, researchers can observe an animal’s entire life span.

Overall , I feel that properly managed zoos provide excellent opportunities for education and research, and are therefore very useful .