The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.

For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived on the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.

However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.

Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which is a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.

A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.

In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.

Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.

1.What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?________.

A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems.

B．To give a warning to other countries

C．To show the importance of money.

D．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war.

2.What was Nauru like before the Europeans came? ________.

A．Rich and powerful                       B．Modern and open

C．Peaceful and attractive                   D．Greedy and aggressive

3.The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______.

A．soil pollution                           B．phosphate overmining

C．farming activity                         D．whale hunting

4.Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem? ________.

A．Its leaders misused the money

B．It spent too much repairing the island

C．Its phosphate mining cost much money

D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.

5.What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?_ _______.

A．The phosphate mines were destroyed

B．The ecological damage is difficult to repair.

C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans

D．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously.

任务型读写（共10小题； 每小题1分，满分10分）

   阅读下列短文，根据所读内容在文章后的表格中填入恰当得单词。 注意：表格中每个空格中只填入一个单词。

Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life. To what extend do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?

   In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be

more self-absorbed or self-concerned.

   Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences

. In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then. But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts.

 Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer, either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.

 In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficially relationship with others.

                Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish

A man wanted to make an investment. An idea struck him: “Why don’t I plant a small mango tree and enjoy the benefits when it grows into a big one?” So he went to the    , bought a small tree and took it home. To the pride of his family, he     it in the center of his     .

He read everything about      a mango tree. He got up early every morning, for he was determined to supply the tree with all the necessary nutrients. He watered it,      it with manure（粪肥），and took good care of its leaves by removing those      ones. He made sure the tree received enough care.

Many times he sat and      the beauty of the growing tree while dreaming about the      mangos that the tree would     . His mind was always filled with the wish to taste the first fruit of the tree.

Years went by     …Now, he had a big tree with its leaves shining and healthy, its bark（树皮）healthy and hard. It was a big attraction      it decorated his whole garden.

Then one day he noticed a small bud（花蕾）,which in a couple of days grew into a beautiful     .Now he could hardly wait for the fruit, so he started to      his supply of nutrients and care. Then one day the tree let out its first product—a small green fruit. The man was so     .

He waited for a few more weeks till the fruit grew in     .The day came when he decided to      the first fruit of the tree. He      the tree, picked the fruit and then came his     .The fruit was not like what he expected. It was hard, big and round. He was puzzled. He was sad.

Seeing this, his      came and asked him what happened. He told them that the fruit from his tree was not what he wanted. When the neighbors heard this, they did not know whether to      or comfort him, for what he planted years ago was not a mango tree. We can only reap（收获）what we plant.

1.A．city  B．farm    C．market         D．shop

2.A．grew         B．moved         C．planted        D．threw

3.A．garden     B．house C．village D．yard

4.A．buying      B．improving   C．keeping       D．raising

5.A．decorated        B．equipped    C．served         D．supplied

6.A．green       B．red      C．white  D．yellow

7.A．admired   B．drew   C．greeted       D．operated

8.A．beneficial         B．expensive   C．healthy        D．tasty

9.A．bear         B．burst   C．deserve       D．make

10.A．immediately   B．quickly         C．narrowly     D．suddenly

11.A．because          B．if          C．though         D．when

12.A．flower    B．fruit    C．leaf     D．nut

13.A．rise         B．increase      C．decrease     D．decline

14.A．greedy   B．happy C．nervous       D．sad

15.A．age         B．length C．size     D．width

16.A．observe B．sell      C．steal    D．taste

17.A．climbed B．cut      C．hid      D．killed

18.A．anxiety  B．cheer C．disappointment   D．opinion

19.A．children          B．friends         C．neighbors   D．relatives

20.A．complain        B．laugh  C．motivate      D．support

The three superstars were arriving at the airport and a large crowd of young people had already gathered there to welcome them．The police found it  36  to keep order after the plane landed and the performers 37 ．They smiled and waved cheerfully at everybody．Dressed in the same pink shirts and light blue trousers, with long hair and musical instruments over their shoulders, they all looked   38 ．

Although there were many policemen   39 , the Blare were not able to get to their waiting car _40__ at all. Word spread that they had composed a new song which would be _41  when they performed at the concert that evening．They were now 42 _ with loud cries of " Play your new song! Play your new song!"

When the stars prepared to sing as the   43  for getting away, even the policemen looked   44 , too. The fans settled down and listened to the first  45 _ of the new song．Once it was over, everyone started jumping, clapping and shouting _46 . Several young women even fainted（昏倒） with excitement and were carried away immediately by the   47  standing by. The fans were greedy for more,   48  a repeat performance．Once again, the performers had no choice but to   49  , but when they were asked for still another song, they cheerfully but firmly refused．Closely 50  by the policemen, they walked towards their car some distance  51  . The fans pushed forward, but the policemen, _ 52  arm, prevented anyone getting trough. It took the stars quite a long time to reach their   53  !

Finally, however, they all got in and were just about to leave when a young woman, who had somehow  54  to get past the policemen, jumped onto the roof of the car．She shouted loudly and crazily as two policemen dragged her away and the car started to move very slowly through the   55  crowd．She had just wanted to have a photo taken with the stars !

1.                A．dangerous      B．terrible         C．impossible D．difficult

2.                A．arrived         B．appeared       C．left  D．settled

3.                A．famous         B．nervous        C．alike D．special

4.                A．present        B．enough         C．available  D．serious

5.                A．successfully     B．completely      C．easily D．directly

6.                A．heard          B．broadcast       C．received  D．tried

7.                A．covered        B．greeted         C．crowded  D．called

8.                A．way           B．excuse         C．gift  D．price

9.                A．pleased        B．surprised       C．puzzled   D．worried

10.               A．scene          B．part           C．sound D．performance

11.               A．loudly          B．madly          C．strangely  D．proudly

12.               A．doctors        B．fans           C．policemen D．workers

13.               A．signing         B．enjoying        C．suggesting D．demanding

14.               A．give cut        B．give away       C．give in D．give up

15.               A．surrounded     B．followed        C．watched   D．supported

16.               A．out            B．away           C．apart D．off

17.               A．stood          B．fought         C．protected  D．locked

18.               A．car            B．theatre         C．hotel D．group

19.               A．attempted      B．managed       C．started    D．rushed

20.               A．shouting        B．crying          C．cheering  D．pushing

FILM DESCRIPTIONS

Back to the Future   

With the help of a local inventor’s time machine, Marty travels back to the 1950s. There his 80s hipness stands out, and he inadvertently interferes with the fledgling romance of his parents-to-be. Can Marty keep them together? He’d better, or his own future will fade away. Featuring: Christopher Lloyd, Michael J.Fox. A universal Pictures release, 1 hr. 55 min.

Beethoven’s 2nd

In this sequel to the popular Beethoven, our canine hero falls for Missy, who soon has puppies. Missy’s greedy owner, Regina, who sees only money in the little purebreds, separates mom and pups from Beethoven. His owners rescue the puppies, but Regina still has Missy. Featuring: Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt. A Universal Pictures release, 1 hr. 26 min.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Despite the popularity of his treats, candy maker Willy Wonka shuts himself inside his factory. But then Willy holds a contest, offering five lucky children the chance to see his company. Poor but pleasant Charlie Bucket finds a ticket, as do four less-deserving children. Featuring:

Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore. A Warner Bros. Release, 1 hr. 56 min.

Cinderella Man

Based on actual events, this film follows the life of Jim Braddock, a boxer in New York City during the Great Depression. After a series of losses, Braddock is forced into retirement. But he never gives up his boxing dream, and neither does his manager. Featuring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger. A Universal Pictures release, 2 hr. 14 min.

Liar Liar  

Lawyer Fletcher Reede has never told the truth in his life. Then his son makes a birthday wish that his dad would stop lying for 24 hours. Suddenly, Fletcher’s mouth spouts everything he thinks. His compulsion brings disaster to courtroom, where he must defend a client whose case was built on lies. Featuring: Jim Carrey, Justin Cooper. A Universal Pictures release, 1 hr. 25 min.

Which of the following is probably the name of a dog?

A. Marty.    B. Missy.    C. Fletcher.    D. Charlie

Willy Wonka is _______.

A. a boxer who suffers a series of losses

B. a lawyer who has never told the truth

C. a man who runs a chocolate factory

D. a man who invents a time machine

Which film is about the life of a real person?

A. Beethoven’s 2nd      B. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

C. Cinderella Man        D. Liar Liar