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1、ThePacificislandnationofNauruusedtobeabeautifulplace阅读答案 ThePacificislandnationofNauruusedtobeabeautifulplace.Nowitisanecologicaldisasterarea.Nauru’sheartbreakingstorycouldhaveonegoodconsequence—othercountriesmightlearnfromitsmistakes. Forthousandsofyears,Polynesianpeoplelivedtheremo
2、teislandofNauru,farfromwesterncivilization.ThefirstEuropeantoarrivewasJohnFearnin1798.HewastheBritishcaptainoftheHunter,awhalingship.HecalledtheislandPleasantIsland. However,becauseitwasveryremote,NauruhadlittlecommunicationwithEuropeansatfirst.Thewhalingshipsandothertradersbegantovis
3、it,bringinggunsandalcohol.Theseelementsdestroyedthesocialbalanceofthetwelvefamilygroupsontheisland.Aten-yearcivilwarstarted,whichreducedthepopulationfrom1,400to900. Nauru’srealtroublesbeganin1899whenaBritishminingcompanydiscoveredphosphate(磷酸盐)ontheisland.Infact,itfoundthattheislandof
4、Nauruwasnearlyallphosphate,whichaveryimportantfertilizerforfarming.Thecompanybeganminingthephosphate. Aphosphatemineisnotaholeintheground;itisastripmine.Whenacompanystrip-mines,itremovesthetoplayerofsoil.Thenittakesawaythematerialitwants.Stripminingtotallydestroystheland.Gradually,the
5、lovelyislandofNaurustartedtolooklikethemoon. In1968,Naurubecameoneoftherichestcountriesintheworld.Everyyearthegovernmentreceivedmillionsandmillionsofdollarsforitsphosphate. Unfortunately,theleadersinvestedthemoneyunwiselyandlostmillionsofdollars.Inaddition,theyusedmillionsmoredollars
6、forpersonalexpenses.Soonpeoplerealizedthattheyhadaterribleproblem—theirphosphatewasrunningout.Ninetypercentoftheirislandwasdestroyedandtheyhadnothing.By2000,Nauruwasfinanciallyruined.Expertssaythatitwouldtakeapproximately$433,600,000andmorethan20yearstorepairtheisland.Thiswillprobablyn
7、everhappen. 56.Whatmightbetheauthor’spurposeinwritingthetext? A.ToseekhelpforNauru’sproblems. B.Togiveawarningtoothercountries C.Toshowtheimportanceofmoney D.Totellaheartbreakingstoryofawar. 57.WhatwasNaurulikebeforetheEuropeanscame? A.RichandpowerfulB.Modernandopen C.Peacefu