Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to vanquish Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750, 000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Though many people still follow the routine nowadays, more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence,Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, ete.
4. What does the underlined word “vanquish” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A.Conquer. | B.Ruin. |
C.Protect. | D.Free. |
5. Why did the population of Ireland once decrease greatly?
A.The Irish were killed by the English rulers. |
B.The Irish were affected by a deadly disease. |
C.The Irish suffered from food and work shortage. |
D.The Irish were not eager to give birth to babies. |
6. How did most Irish people make their living?
A.By working in government. |
B.By working in the fields. |
C.By trading with other countries. |
D.By performing musical instruments. |
7. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Life in Ireland |
B.The Independence of Ireland |
C.A Very Difficult History |
D.Ireland, Past and Present |