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1、ThePacificislandnationofNauruusedtobeabeautifulplace高考阅读答案 ThePacificislandnationofNauruusedtobeabeautifulplace.Nowitisanecologicaldisasterarea.Nauru’sheartbreakingstorycouldhaveonegoodconsequence—othercountriesmightlearnfromitsmistakes. Forthousandsofyears,Polynesianpeoplel
2、ivedtheremoteislandofNauru,farfromwesterncivilization.ThefirstEuropeantoarrivewasJohnFearnin1798.HewastheBritishcaptainoftheHunter,awhalingship.HecalledtheislandPleasantIsland. However,becauseitwasveryremote,NauruhadlittlecommunicationwithEuropeansatfirst.Thewhalingshipsandot
3、hertradersbegantovisit,bringinggunsandalcohol.Theseelementsdestroyedthesocialbalanceofthetwelvefamilygroupsontheisland.Aten-yearcivilwarstarted,whichreducedthepopulationfrom1,400to900. Nauru’srealtroublesbeganin1899whenaBritishminingcompanydiscoveredphosphate(磷酸盐)ontheisland.
4、Infact,itfoundthattheislandofNauruwasnearlyallphosphate,whichaveryimportantfertilizerforfarming.Thecompanybeganminingthephosphate. Aphosphatemineisnotaholeintheground;itisastripmine.Whenacompanystrip-mines,itremovesthetoplayerofsoil.Thenittakesawaythematerialitwants.Stripmini
5、ngtotallydestroystheland.Gradually,thelovelyislandofNaurustartedtolooklikethemoon. In1968,Naurubecameoneoftherichestcountriesintheworld.Everyyearthegovernmentreceivedmillionsandmillionsofdollarsforitsphosphate. Unfortunately,theleadersinvestedthemoneyunwiselyandlostmillionso
6、fdollars.Inaddition,theyusedmillionsmoredollarsforpersonalexpenses.Soonpeoplerealizedthattheyhadaterribleproblem—theirphosphatewasrunningout.Ninetypercentoftheirislandwasdestroyedandtheyhadnothing.By2000,Nauruwasfinanciallyruined.Expertssaythatitwouldtakeapproximately$433,600,
7、000andmorethan20yearstorepairtheisland.Thiswillprobablyneverhappen. 56.Whatmightbetheauthor’spurposeinwritingthetext? A.ToseekhelpforNauru’sproblems.B.Togiveawarningtoothercountries C.ToshowtheimportanceofmoneyD.Totellaheartbreakingstoryofawar. 57.WhatwasNaurulikebeforethe
8、Europeanscame? A.RichandpowerfulB.Modernandopen C.Peacefula