专题限时训练(三十四) 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.Naurus heartbreaking story could have one good consequenceother 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 tenyear civil war started，which reduced the population from 1，400 to 900.Naurus 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 stripmined，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 problemtheir 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.1What might be the authors purpose in writing the text?ATo seek help for Naurus problems.BTo give a warning to other countries.CTo show the importance of money.DTo tell a heartbreaking story of a war.2What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?ARich and powerful.BModern and open.CPeaceful and attractive.DGreedy and aggressive.3The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from_Asoil pollutionBphosphate overminingCfarming activityDwhale hunting4Which of the following was a cause of Naurus financial problem?AIts leaders misused the money.BIt spent too much repairing the island.CIts phosphate mining cost much money.DIt lost millions of dollars in the civil war.5What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?AThe ecological damage is difficult to repair.BThe leaders will take the experts words seriously.CThe island was abandoned by the Nauruans.DThe 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 squirrelspeak.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 theres an enemy of average threat thats here， and whistles without chucks say theres an enemy of seemingly average threat around here somewhere， while pure chirps say, Im hiding here because theres 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 callers 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 deepvoiced, blackcapped 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 pr