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1、ThePacificislandnationofNauru ThePacificislandnationofNauruusedtobeabeautifulplace.Nowitisanecologicaldisasterarea.Nauru’sheartbreakingstorycouldhaveonegoodconsequence—othercountriesmightlearnfromitsmistakes. Forthousandsofyears,PolynesianpeoplelivedtheremoteislandofNauru,farfromwesternci
2、vilization.ThefirstEuropeantoarrivewasJohnFearnin1798.HewastheBritishcaptainoftheHunter,awhalingship.HecalledtheislandPleasantIsland. However,becauseitwasveryremote,NauruhadlittlecommunicationwithEuropeansatfirst.Thewhalingshipsandothertradersbegantovisit,bringinggunsandalcohol.Theseelemen
3、tsdestroyedthesocialbalanceofthetwelvefamilygroupsontheisland.Aten-yearcivilwarstarted,whichreducedthepopulationfrom1,400to900. Nauru’srealtroublesbeganin1899whenaBritishminingcompanydiscoveredphosphate(磷酸盐)ontheisland.Infact,itfoundthattheislandofNauruwasnearlyallphosphate,whichaveryimpor
4、tantfertilizerforfarming.Thecompanybeganminingthephosphate. Aphosphatemineisnotaholeintheground;itisastripmine.Whenacompanystrip-mines,itremovesthetoplayerofsoil.Thenittakesawaythematerialitwants.Stripminingtotallydestroystheland.Gradually,thelovelyislandofNaurustartedtolooklikethemoon. I
5、n1968,Naurubecameoneoftherichestcountriesintheworld.Everyyearthegovernmentreceivedmillionsandmillionsofdollarsforitsphosphate. Unfortunately,theleadersinvestedthemoneyunwiselyandlostmillionsofdollars.Inaddition,theyusedmillionsmoredollarsforpersonalexpenses.Soonpeoplerealizedthattheyhadate
6、rribleproblem—theirphosphatewasrunningout.Ninetypercentoftheirislandwasdestroyedandtheyhadnothing.By2000,Nauruwasfinanciallyruined.Expertssaythatitwouldtakeapproximately$433,600,000andmorethan20yearstorepairtheisland.Thiswillprobablyneverhappen. 56.Whatmightbetheauthor’spurposeinwritingthe
7、text? A.ToseekhelpforNauru’sproblems. B.Togiveawarningtoothercountries C.Toshowtheimportanceofmoney D.Totellaheartbreakingstoryofawar. 57.WhatwasNaurulikebeforetheEuropeanscame? A.RichandpowerfulB.Modernandopen C.PeacefulandattractiveD.Greedyandag
