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.

56. 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.

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

A. Rich and powerful                     B. Modern and open

C. Peaceful and attractive                           D. Greedy and aggressive

58. The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______.

A. soil pollution                                          B. phosphate overmining                     

C. farming activity                                     D. whale hunting

59. 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.

60. 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.

第一节　　

The young boy and his father sat quietly watching the snow fall on a snowy Saturday afternoon.

“Dad, my friend told me that every snowflake is 36 　. But they look all the same to me. How can we tell?” the child asked.

Dad felt it was his 37 to give a more satisfying answer. “Son, snowflakes are like people. We are each 　38 in a very special way. We can test it right now,” he said.

The child stood up, put out his hands, and 39 as snowflakes landed on his gloves. “These snowflakes are all different on my gloves, but those in the yard look the same. Together they are even more_ 40 and striking. Then if people are like snowflakes, why don't they 　41 ?”

“Choice,”Dad said. "Their choices 42 them what they are.”

“ 43 choice is a bad thing?” the boy asked.

“Oh, no. Only when we choose the 44 things.”

“How do we tell right from wrong?" the child asked.

Dad was given the chance to build upon the foundation of his son's 45 . He reached down and began to 46 with the snow. He 47 the snow into two sides, three large snowballs on one side and several smaller ones on the other.

“Which side did the right thing?” he asked the boy.

The child looked at both sides but 48 answer. Then Dad placed the three larger snowballs on top of each other.

“It’ s a snowman! The side 49 made me snowman!” the boy replied with 50

Yes, all these people came together and recognized how special each of them was, so they joined in a(n) 51 to build up mankind,” Dad said.　　　　　　　　　　

The child then stood up and 52 an arm full of the smaller snowballs. One by one he began to throw them at the other small piles of snow. He said,”This is what happens when people can't work together. They have a(n) 53 .”

Dad was shocked. He stood up, lifted the boy and 54 him tightly, whispering to him, “I hope that your world will learn to work and live together. I hope you will make the right 　55

and learn to build the best snowman ever.”

36. A. similar 　　　　　　 B. different　　 　　　　　　 C. freezing　　 　　　　　　 D. special

37. A. challenge　　 　　　 B. trouble　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. responsibility　　 　　　 D. position

38. A. private 　　　　　　 B. associated　 　　　　　　 C. unique 　　　　　　　　　　 D. isolated

39. A. inspected　　 　　　 B. watched　　 　　　　　　 C. glanced　　 　　　　　　 D. glared

40. A. beautiful B. effective C. comfortable D. significant

41. A. get along　　 　　　 B. take care　 　　　　　　 C. cheer up　　 　　　　　　 D. break up

42. A. remain 　　　　　　 B. appear 　　　　　　　　　　 C. become　　 　　　　　　 D. make

43. A. Though 　　　　　　 B. However　 　　　　　　 C. So　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. While

44. A. exact　 　　　　　　 B. coincident　 　　　　　　 C. fortunate　 　　　　　　 D. wrong

45. A. interest 　　　　　　 B. concern　　 　　　　　　 C. worry 　　　　　　　　　　 D. faith

46. A. communicate　　　 B. work　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. mix　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. relate

47. A. separated　　 　　　 B. divided　　　 　　　　　　 C. distinguished　　 　　　 D. parted

48. A. couldn' t　　 　　　 B. shouldn' t　 　　　　　　 C. wouldn' t　 　　　　　　 D. needn' t

49. A. that　　 　　　　　　 B. what　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. how　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. when

50. A. disappointment　 B. frustration 　　　　　　 C. enthusiasm 　　　　　　 D. humour

51. A. power　 　　　　　　 B. effort 　　　　　　　　　　 C. organization　　　 　　　 D. attempt

52. A. gathered　　　 　　　 B. sorted 　　　　　　　　　　 C. threw 　　　　　　　　　　 D. formed

53. A. war　　 　　　　　　 B. debate 　　　　　　　　　　 C. agreement 　　　　　　 D. negotiation

54. A. trembled　　 　　　 B. swung 　　　　　　　　　　 C. pulled 　　　　　　 　　　 D. held

55. A. steps　 　　　　　　 B. turns　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. choices　　 　　　　　　 D. points

 There was a(n)________silence in the live interview，when no one knew what to say to the audience.

A. ashamed          B. disappointed          C. awkward         D. desperate

--Time and tide wait for no man.

--________. We should value our time.

　 A. Absolutely right　 B. I can’t agree with you　 C. Nonsense　　　 D. Certainly not

 ________ yesterday, our school organized a successful picnic in the countryside, with all the students and teachers taking part in.

A. As a fine day                    B. It was a fine day

C. It being a fine day                D. For it was a fine day

 —Do you have anything to say for yourselves?

—Yes, there is one point _________ we must insist on.

A. why                   B. where              C. how                      D. /

 It was in so poor light that I couldn't _________ what the newspaper said.

A. make out        B. let out              C. speak out          D. cry out

 Many people agree that never in history _________a more splendid opening ceremony than that of the Beijing Olympics

A. there were         B. has there been        C. there has been            D. were there

 With Christmas ________, the children in my class are becoming more and more excited.

A. approached        B. to approach                C. being approached   D. approaching

 Zhanglin was lost in computer games during his last year in high school, otherwise he

________ a student at Beijing University.

A. had been        B. can be               C. has been            D. would have been