Question

Australia, the last continent, was discovered by ships belonging to European nations in the seventeenth century. These nations were less interested in changing it into a colony (殖民地) than in exploiting it. As in the early history of the United States, it was the

English who set up the settlements in Australia. This history and the geography of these two British colonies have some other things in common as well.

  Australia and the United States are about the same in size, and their western lands are both not rich in soil. It was the eastern coast of Australia and America that the English first settled, and both colonies soon began to develop towards the west. However, this westward movement took place more because the English were searching for better land than because the population was increasing. Settlements of the western part of both countries developed quickly after gold was discovered in America in 1849 and in Australia two years later.

  Although the development of these two countries has a lot in common, there are some striking (显著的) differences as well. The United States gained its independence from England by revolution while Australia won its independence without having to go to war. Australia, unlike the United States, was firstly turned into a colony by English prisoners and its economic development was in wheat growing and sheep raising. By 1922, for example, Australia had fifteen times more sheep than it had people, or almost half as many sheep as there are people today in the United States. Yet, in spite of these and other main difference, Australia and the United States have more in common with each other than either one has with most of the rest of the world.

40. In the early history of America and Australia, both colonies developed towards the west firstly for the reason that _____.

   A. the population was increasing rapidly in the east

   B. the English thought there might be richer land there

   C. gold was discovered there

   D. fewer people lived there

41. In the early 1920s, ______.

   A. Australia had one fifteenth as many people as sheep

   B. there were more sheep in Australia than in the United States

   C. the population in Australia was greater than that of the United States

   D. the United States had twice as many sheep as people

42. Australia, unlike the United States, ______.

   A. did not discover gold until the late 1840s

   B. was the last and biggest continent to be discovered

   C. was not rich in gold in its western part

   D. won its independence by peaceful means

43. In the last paragraph, the underlined sentence means _______.

   A. the United States and Australia do not have any main difference

   B. the United States and Australia have nothing in common with the rest of the world

   C. the United States and Australia have much more in common than they have with other countries

D. in common with the rest of the world, the United States and Australia have a lot of differences

Answer 1

40-43  BADC