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1、AThePacificislandnationofNauruusedtobeabeautifulplace.Nowitisanecologicaldisasterarea.Nauru’sheartbreakingstorycouldhaveonegoodconsequence—othercountriesmightlearnfromitsmistakes.Forthousandsofyears,PolynesianpeoplelivedontheremoteislandofNauru,farfromwesterncivilization.ThefirstEuro
2、peantoarrivewasJohnFearnin1798.HewastheBritishcaptainoftheHunter,awhalingship.HecalledtheislandPleasantIsland.However,becauseitwasveryremote,NauruhadlittlecommunicationwithEuropeansatfirst.Thewhalingshipsandothertradersbegantovisit,bringinggunsandalcohol.Theseelementsdestroyedthesoci
3、albalanceofthetwelvefamilygroupsontheisland.Aten-yearcivilwarstarted,whichreducedthepopulationfrom1,400to900.Nauru’srealtroublesbeganin1899whenaBritishminingcompanydiscoveredphosphate(磷酸盐)ontheisland.Infact,itfoundthattheislandofNauruwasnearlyallphosphate,whichisaveryimportantfertili
4、zerforfarming.Thecompanybeganminingthephosphate.Aphosphatemineisnotaholeintheground;itisastripmine.Whenacompanystrip-mines,itremovesthetoplayerofsoil.Thenittakesawaythematerialitwants.Stripminingtotallydestroystheland.Gradually,thelovelyislandofNaurustartedtolooklikethemoon.In1968,Na
5、urubecameoneoftherichestcountriesintheworld.Everyyearthegovernmentreceivedmillionsandmillionsofdollarsforitsphosphate.Unfortunately,theleadersinvestedthemoneyunwiselyandlostmillionsofdollars.Inaddition,theyusedmillionsmoredollarsforpersonalexpenses.Soonpeoplerealizedthattheyhadaterri
6、bleproblem—theirphosphatewasrunningout.Ninetypercentoftheirislandwasdestroyedandtheyhadnothing.By2000,Nauruwasfinanciallyruined.Expertssaythatitwouldtakeapproximately$433,600,000andmorethan20yearstorepairtheisland.Thiswillprobablyneverhappen.56.Whatmightbetheauthor’spurposeinwritingt
7、hetext?A.ToseekhelpforNauru’sproblems.B.TogiveawarningtoothercountriesC.ToshowtheimportanceofmoneyD.Totellaheartbreakingstoryofawar.57.WhatwasNaurulikebeforetheEuropeanscame?A.RichandpowerfulB.ModernandopenC.PeacefulandattractiveD.Greedyandaggressive58.TheecologicaldisasterinNaurures
8、ultedfrom___
