2014届高考英语二轮复习作业手册(新课标·湖北专用)专

专题限时训练(二十一) [史地自然型阅读理解(一)](限时：25分钟)(一)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 was not a hole in the ground；it was a strip mine.When a company strip-mined，it removed the top layer of soil.Then it took away the material it wanted.Strip mining totally destroyed 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 pollutionB．phosphate overminingC．farming activityD．whale hunting4．What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?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.(二)Squirrels often communicate with whistles, chirps and chucks, which sound like the word “chuck”. Whistles and chirps are like the sounds that many birds make.Now scientists have translated some of their squirrel-speak.Hare, a professor of zoology at the University of Maniloha in Winnipeg, and his team managed to record squirrels' alarm calls.The researchers studied the sounds and then played them back to 60 wild squirrels, which the scientists approached individually with a video recorder to capture(抓拍)their responses.Some squirrels lifted their heads up and became alert(警惕的)．Creatures that were more frightened simply ran for their lives and dived into caves.“In effect then, whistles that mix with chucks say ‘there's an enemy of average threat that's here’，and whistles without chucks say ‘there's an enemy of seemingly average threat around here somewhere’，while pure chirps say, ‘I'm hiding here because there's an immediate danger.’” Hare told.Hare and some other researchers believe such sounds are part of an advanced language that develops just as all other communication systems.Although squirrels risk their lives when they call out to warn others of threats, other squirrels might admire this behaviour, thus increasingly the caller's social status, like humans who look up to heroes. Hare added that other animals, such as birds, probably understand at least some squirrel language, since they also may benefit from the alarm calls.In fact, another Canadian study found that deep-voiced, black-capped chickadees have their own language, too.According to certain research, there are a lot of tidings in chickadees' calls, such as directing fellows' activities, keeping in contact between mates, and raising alarms.While chickadees and other birds are often welcomed into gardens by homeowners, squirrels are frequently viewed as pests(害兽). Hare wishes a greater understanding of the complex social lives and communication systems of squirrels will provide “hope that humans will gain a greater appreciation and stop doing harm to these animals”．1．The text mainly talks about ________．A．the study on the language of squirrelsB．the comparison between squirrels and chickadeesC．the calling for the protection of squirrelsD．the ways for squirrels to escape from their enemies2．If a squirrel is in a very dangerous situation, it would probably make ________．A．whistles with chucksB．pure chirpsC．whistles without chucksD．repeated chucks3．The underlined word “tidings”in Paragraph 6 probably means “________”．A．difficulties B．poisesC．messages D．languages4．What can be learned from this text?A．Squirrels communicate with each other as humans do.B．Some squirrels understand the recorded alarm calls.C．Other animals also well understand the language of squirrels.D．Birds such as chickadees don't have their own language.(三)It's only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”？Viti Levu is the largest island. Here you'll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.With less than a million people living on islands, you'll never feel crowded. And with a climate that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there's never a bad time to come.From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.Whenever you come, wherever you go，you're sure to see some unforgettable events，from war dances to religious (宗教的) songs, from market days to religious days. It's not just staged for tourists; it's still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji's spirit by being part of the traditional (传统的) sharing of yaqona—a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?1．Where is the international airport of Fiji?A．In Suva.B．In Sydney.C．On the island of Vatoa.D．On the island of Viti Levu.2．What does the text tell us about Fijian people?A．They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.B．They stick to a traditional way of life.C．They like to travel from place to place.D．They love taking adventures abroad.3．One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is ________．A．its comfortable hotelsB．its good weather all year roundC．its exciting football matchesD．its religious beliefs4．Where can we most probably read this text?A．In a personal diary.B．In a science report.C．In a travel magazine.D．In a geography textbook.专题限时训练(二十一)(一)【要点综述】文章主要讲述了太平洋岛国瑙鲁如何从一个环境优美的天堂岛变成一个生态失衡、满目疮痍的小岛。