Question

When you walk into the small Australian town of Coober Pedy, you may be surprised by what you can see. It’s just barren (荒芜的) land there!

So why even call it a town? There are more than 4,000 people of 48 nationalities. However, all of the people live underground!

Coober Pedy was established(建立) in 1915, following the discovery of opals (猫眼石). The town is sometimes called the “opal capital of the world,” because it is the largest opal mining area in the world.

Due to a desert climate (沙漠气候), people came to realize that while working under the ground was easy, living above it was not. The solution was to move underground, by changing old mines into homes and establishing the world’s first and most likely, only underground town.

As years have gone by, the homes have become bigger. There are now also some hotels for tourists. They come from all over the world just to see this unusual town. Coober Pedy is probably best known for its unique style (独特风格)of underground living.

While the structures (结构)may be located underground, they are in no way worse than those that lie above. Not only do their walls have the color of beautiful red, but also the structures have all the modern equipment like walk-in closets, modern kitchens and televisions. And the town also has gift shops selling opal jewelry, a couple of museums and even a church!

Besides, Coober Pedy is also a favourite among filmmakers. And it has appeared in a series of movies such as Pitch Black, Red Planet and Opal Dream.

1. This passage tells us that Coober Pedy is a(an) ________ .

A .world famous person B. underground town

C. film-making company D. precious stone

2. We know from the passage that Coober Pedy ________ .

A.is a small town with 400 people

B. was established before the year 1915

C.is famous for its desert climate

D. was established after opals were discovered

3. People moved to live underground because________ .

A. there were large opal mines there

B. living above the ground was not easy

C. it was the opal capital of the world

D. it was the world’s first underground town

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. People in Coober Pedy changed old mines into homes.

B. The underground homes have all the modern equipment.

C. Tourists come to Coober Pedy just to buy opal jewelry.

D. The underground homes are as good as those that lie above.

5. The best title for this passage might be ________ .

A.Opal Mining in Australia

B. The Desert Climate in Coober Pedy

C. Gift shops in Coober Pedy

D. World’s First Underground Town

Answer 1