🎪 Life in the Circus
Life in the circus is a terrible life for animals. It is hard to believe that in this day and age, we still accept animals being taken away from their natural environment and used for the sole purpose of entertainment. While some countries are taking steps in the right direction, far too many people still do not consider what a horrible way this is to treat animals. There is no question in my mind that the use of wild animals in circuses should be banned.
Most animals that are used in circuses are captured in the wild. They are taken away from their homes and families. Elephants in the wild live in herds, and numerous studies show that without their families, elephants often become depressed. Can you imagine being taken from your family and forced to travel and entertain others? Of course not; we would call this slavery. Animals also have emotions, and so humans have the responsibility to treat them fairly.
As part of the circus, the animals have to live in cages and travel all the time. Then they are forced to perform tricks that they would never do naturally. Perhaps people think that children can learn about animals by going to the circus, but what are they learning? That tigers will jump through a hoop if you make them? To get the animals to do these tricks, the trainers hit or poke them. The animals do the tricks out of fear, not because they want to do them. There is no reason in the world why people should be allowed to treat animals this way.
There are alternatives. Some circuses today do not use animals at all. The internationally famous Cirque du Soleil is a show with only people, performing acrobatic tricks of all kinds. It is much more astonishing to watch a show like this, seeing the amazing things that people are able to do; and it is also more enjoyable, knowing that every performer is there because they want to be. It would be a better world if all circuses were like this. Banning the use of wild animals in circuses is a no-brainer. In the meantime, it’s up to all of us to make the right choices and not to support any show that uses wild animals for entertainment.
🦁 Life in the Circus – Interactive Quiz
Instructions: Answer the questions below. Use the "Check Answers" button to see your score. If you're unsure, click "Show Answers".
📘 Multiple Choice Questions
- What is the main idea of the passage?
- Why do elephants often become depressed in circuses?
- According to the author, how are animals trained to perform tricks?
- What does the author compare the life of circus animals to?
- What is Cirque du Soleil known for?
✍️ Fill in the Blanks
- Most circus animals are captured in the .
- In circuses, animals live in and must travel constantly.
- The author says animals perform tricks out of .
- Elephants in the wild live in .
- The author calls banning wild animals in circuses a .
🎪 Life in the Circus
Life in the circus is a terrible life for animals. It is hard to believe that in this day and age, we still accept animals being taken away from their natural environment and used for the sole purpose of entertainment. While some countries are taking steps in the right direction, far too many people still do not consider what a horrible way this is to treat animals. There is no question in my mind that the use of wild animals in circuses should be banned.
Most animals that are used in circuses are captured in the wild. They are taken away from their homes and families. Elephants in the wild live in herds, and numerous studies show that without their families, elephants often become depressed. Can you imagine being taken from your family and forced to travel and entertain others? Of course not; we would call this slavery. Animals also have emotions, and so humans have the responsibility to treat them fairly.
As part of the circus, the animals have to live in cages and travel all the time. Then they are forced to perform tricks that they would never do naturally. Perhaps people think that children can learn about animals by going to the circus, but what are they learning? That tigers will jump through a hoop if you make them? To get the animals to do these tricks, the trainers hit or poke them. The animals do the tricks out of fear, not because they want to do them. There is no reason in the world why people should be allowed to treat animals this way.
There are alternatives. Some circuses today do not use animals at all. The internationally famous Cirque du Soleil is a show with only people, performing acrobatic tricks of all kinds. It is much more astonishing to watch a show like this, seeing the amazing things that people are able to do; and it is also more enjoyable, knowing that every performer is there because they want to be. It would be a better world if all circuses were like this. Banning the use of wild animals in circuses is a no-brainer. In the meantime, it’s up to all of us to make the right choices and not to support any show that uses wild animals for entertainment.
📝 Life in the Circus – Note-Taking Quiz
Instructions: Fill in the missing words from the reading passage. Then click "Check Answers" to see how many you got right. Use "Show Answers" if needed.
| Category | Your Answer |
|---|---|
| Position: The use of wild animals in circuses should be | |
| Environment – animals taken from | |
| Environment – animals become | |
| Environment – without | |
| Treatment – animals forced to do | |
| Treatment – trainers | |
| Not educational – tricks aren’t | |
| Not educational – _____ don’t learn about animals | |
| Alternatives exist – Example: |
🎪 Life in the Circus
Life in the circus is a terrible life for animals. It is hard to believe that in this day and age, we still accept animals being taken away from their natural environment and used for the sole purpose of entertainment. While some countries are taking steps in the right direction, far too many people still do not consider what a horrible way this is to treat animals. There is no question in my mind that the use of wild animals in circuses should be banned.
Most animals that are used in circuses are captured in the wild. They are taken away from their homes and families. Elephants in the wild live in herds, and numerous studies show that without their families, elephants often become depressed. Can you imagine being taken from your family and forced to travel and entertain others? Of course not; we would call this slavery. Animals also have emotions, and so humans have the responsibility to treat them fairly.
As part of the circus, the animals have to live in cages and travel all the time. Then they are forced to perform tricks that they would never do naturally. Perhaps people think that children can learn about animals by going to the circus, but what are they learning? That tigers will jump through a hoop if you make them? To get the animals to do these tricks, the trainers hit or poke them. The animals do the tricks out of fear, not because they want to do them. There is no reason in the world why people should be allowed to treat animals this way.
There are alternatives. Some circuses today do not use animals at all. The internationally famous Cirque du Soleil is a show with only people, performing acrobatic tricks of all kinds. It is much more astonishing to watch a show like this, seeing the amazing things that people are able to do; and it is also more enjoyable, knowing that every performer is there because they want to be. It would be a better world if all circuses were like this. Banning the use of wild animals in circuses is a no-brainer. In the meantime, it’s up to all of us to make the right choices and not to support any show that uses wild animals for entertainment.
🧲 Match the Colloquial Phrases to Their Neutral Equivalents
Instructions: Drag each **colloquial/emotional phrase** on the left and drop it into the matching **neutral/easy phrase** box on the right. Then click "Check Answers" or "Show Answers".