2．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 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 1，400to 900．
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899when 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 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 $433，600，000and more than 20years to repair the island．This will probably never happen．
28．What might be the author's purpose in writing the text？B
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．
29．The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted fromB．
A．soil pollution
B．phosphate overmining
C．farming activity
D．whale hunting
30．Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem？A
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．
31．What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph？A
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．
分析 本文主要讲述太平洋上的岛国Nauru过度使用自己的资源导致最后资源枯竭，国家陷入破产的实例，以警告我们在发展过程中要注意科学发展．
解答 28．B．主旨大意题．本文通过太平洋上的岛国Nauru过度使用自己的资源导致最后资源枯竭，国家陷入破产的实例，以警告我们在发展过程中要注意科学发展，故B正确．
29．B．细节理解题．根据第四段1，2哈根Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate（磷酸盐）on the island．说明这个岛国的命运发生改变就是因为发现了phosphate（磷酸盐）的矿产，故B正确．
30．A．细节理解题．根据文章最后一段第1行Unfortunately，the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars说明领导人错误投资也是一个主要的原因，故A正确．
31．A．细节理解题．根据文章最后三行．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．说明这个国家所受的破坏要想恢复要耗费很多的资金，已经很难再恢复到以前了，故A正确．
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力，做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确的选择．在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
