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 in 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 was 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(露天矿). 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 was Nauru like before the Europeans came?| A．Rich and powerful |
| B．Peaceful and attractive |
| C．Modern and open |
| D．Greedy and aggressive |
| A．whale hunting |
| B．phosphate overmining |
| C．farming activity |
| D．soil pollution |
| A．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
| B．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously. |
| C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans. |
| D．The phosphate mines were destroyed. |
| A．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war. |
| B．To seek help for Nauru’s problems. |
| C．To show the importance of money. |
| D．To give a warning to other countries. |
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【推荐1】Most of Bangladesh is at or below sea level. Rising seawaters linked to climate change has severely affected the country. High water from storms in coastal areas also adds salt to soil. The land is becoming salty. Crops are less productive and many areas of cropland in the country are becoming unfit for farming. These are big problems for the small country. More than 155 million people live in Bangladesh. Growing crops is the most common way Bangladeshis support themselves.
To find a way out, farmers in the country are learning to grow vegetables in so-called “vertical gardens”. The soil in these gardens is better because heavy rains have removed much of the salt.
A vertical garden is easy to make. Villagers fill containers with good soil and natural fertilizers. They put the containers on bricks so they are off the ground. They add pieces of the bricks to the soil to help water flow and drain(排水).
The farmers cut small holes into the sides of the containers. This permits vegetables with short roots a place to grow. Vegetables with long roots grow on top of the container. One bag of soil can produce up to eight kilograms of vegetables in one season.
The farmers also grow vegetables in containers made from large, thin pieces of plastic supported by bamboo. This “vertical tower” measures more than a meter wide. Each of these towers can produce more than 100 kilograms of vegetables. It costs about $12-S13 to build.
1. What is mentioned as a big problem for Bangladesh?| A．Severe climate conditions. |
| B．Too many people to support. |
| C．Lack of enough fresh water. |
| D．Reduced crop productivity. |
| A．Places in the soil for roots. |
| B．Heavy rains kept in the soil. |
| C．The good soil with little salt. |
| D．Brick pieces added to the soil. |
| A．Bricks. | B．Fertilizers. | C．Villagers. | D．Containers. |
| A．It is off the ground. |
| B．It drains very improperly. |
| C．It uses bamboo for containers. |
| D．It is unfit for growing vegetables. |
【推荐2】Pandas are not only a national treasure, but are loved around the world.
Recently, a giant panda cub born in August at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, US, was given the name Xiao Qi Ji, which is translated into English as “little miracle”. The choice was the result of a five-day online vote that drew nearly 135,000 voters in the US. Interestingly, National Public Radio said that in a nod to Chinese tradition, the name was not chosen until 100 days after the birth.
This cub’s birth proved to be quite inspiring - and at a time when inspiration was truly needed.
“Xiao Qi Ji’s birth is a true miracle that has been so uplifting to all of us during the pandemic (疫情)，” Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said in a video congratulatory message. “ We are connected again in the growth of our little ambassador, and in our shared joy and friendship.”
The furry black-and-white animals have played an important role in the country’s diplomacy, known as “ panda diplomacy (外交)”.
According to the Japanese Royal Annual, the practice dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when Empress Wu Zetian sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor.
China revived panda diplomacy in the 1950s when China sent two pandas to the Moscow Zoo. By 1982, China had given 23 pandas to nine different countries. However, most of them have died. China stopped giving away pandas in the early 1980s. Instead, the animals are loaned to other countries. In general, they are to be returned to China after 10 years.
But why do these cute “diplomats” find it hard to survive in other countries? According to Xinhua, their dietary habit is one significant reason. Their nutrition mostly comes from bamboo shoots. Adult giant pandas consume about 40 kilograms of bamboo daily. Pandas can also be quite picky. They refuse to eat bamboo shoots after they have blossomed.
It takes 10 years for a new crop of bamboo to mature, and many countries do not have an environment suitable for bamboo growth. This means that food has to be imported In August, Calgary Zoo in Canada announced that due to pandemic-related changes in its import laws and quarantine methods, they couldn’t provide enough fresh bamboo for pandas. This meant that they had to send two giant pandas back to China.
But countries are still trying their best to facilitate this special type of diplomacy. “We don’t own the pandas, but the whole world wants to help save the panda, and we do that through our knowledge exchange.” Steven Monfort, director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, told China Daily.
1. The expression “in a nod to” in Para. 2 is closest in meaning to________.| A．in praise for | B．in response to | C．in favor of | D．in order to observe |
| A．Because the pandas’ dietary habit was significantly changed abroad. |
| B．Because the pandas couldn’t have bamboo to eat in other countries. |
| C．Because most of pandas could not be adapted to the climate abroad. |
| D．Because most of the pandas sent to other countries couldn’t survive. |
| A．It was the first time that China had sent a panda to Japan. |
| B．The practice “panda diplomacy” dales from the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．China began panda diplomacy, sending two pandas to Moscow Zoo. |
| D．Two giant pandas had to be returned because they were sick in Canada. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Uncaring. | C．Disapproving. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．To tell us how to feed pandas properly. | B．To call on people to love pandas in the world. |
| C．To introduce the furry black and white ambassador. | D．To explain why “panda diplomacy” is stopped. |
【推荐3】From this September, the new policy on students’ sleeping time set by the Ministry of Education has been officially carried out nationwide. According to the new policy, the first class in the morning at primary schools is not supposed to be earlier than 8:20, and that of high schools no earlier than 8:00. Schools are also not able to require students to come in before class for any learning activities. If possible, schools must also guarantee nap time during lunch break for students. The new policy shows the importance the government attaches to students’ health.
Deng Mengyu, a high school English teacher from Shenzhen Hongshan Middle School, said that their school had already put some measures into effect to make sure that students were well rested and using their time effectively. “We encourage students to manage their morning time by themselves instead of sitting in the classroom,” she said. Some students need more sleep while others prefer doing exercise to start the day. So the school’s dormitories open doors at 6:00. At noon, students will have a one-hour nap time, ensuring that they can learn effectively in the afternoon.
Zheng Xiaowan, a high school student also from Shenzhen Hongshan Middle School supports this policy. She believes that the quality of studying is not necessarily related to the length of time spent on it. “When well rested, students’ psychological burden (负担) will be reduced accordingly, and they will be more ready for study tasks,” she said.
Meanwhile, there are also voices expressing concerns. “The new policy is a challenge to our self-discipline,” said Zhang Fuyue from Chaoyang No. 2 High School, Liaoning Province. “More sleeping time can lead to oversleeping in the morning or staying up late at night.”
The intention of the policy is obviously positive. With efforts from both schools and students, the policy can lead to expected results.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．Students are required to take a nap at class. |
| B．Students needn’t do learning activities at school. |
| C．Students will start their first class later than before. |
| D．Students have their sleeping time set by the government. |
| A．Control oneself. | B．Challenge oneself. |
| C．Improve oneself. | D．Assist oneself. |
| A．New requirements for students. |
| B．Advantages of the new policy. |
| C．Problems that exist in the new policy. |
| D．Different responses to the new policy. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
