Question

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.
【小题1】What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents whatsoever.

B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

【小题2】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B．The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.

C．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

D．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

【小题3】The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

A．Community

B．racism

C．blend of Nations

D．Southeast Asia

【小题4】We can infer from the passage that _____.

A．there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities

B．Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

C．immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems

D．“riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities

Answer 1

【小题1】D
【小题2】D
【小题3】C
【小题4】B

解析试题分析：本文介绍了澳大利亚的信息，澳大利亚人的生活节奏，城乡的差别，以及澳大利亚的移民政策等等。
【小题1】D 推理题。根据the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.说明虽然澳大利亚的地方较大，但是很多发音都是一样的。要想听出口音的区别要很敏感的耳朵的，故D正确。
【小题2】D 细节题。根据文章7,8，9三行The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative.说明澳大利亚的城市和乡村的生活差别很大，故D正确。
【小题3】C 推理题。根据Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.说明这里的it就是指前句的blend of nations。故C正确。
【小题4】B 推理题。根据文章倒数4,5行The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia.说明现在很多的移民都来自东南亚，那么澳大利亚政府鼓励来自东南亚的移民。故B正确。
考点：考查文化类短文阅读
点评：本文介绍了澳大利亚的有关信息，考查推理题很多，测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释。考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点。