The Australian continent is a land like no other. Its animals, plants and landscapes have evolved over one thousand years, and there are about a million different natural species in Australia. More than 80 per cent of the country's plants and animals are unique to prefix = st1 /Australia, along with most of the fish and almost half the birds. Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials ,including koalas, wombats and the Tasmanian devil, now found only in the Australian wilderness. More than 750 species of birds have been recorded in Australia, 350 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Among them are the kookaburra, the rainbow lorikeet and fairy penguins. There are also 55 differernt species of macropods--the kangaroo family--native toAustralia. They vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms. The country has been making every effort to protect its natural heritage. Despite the large size of the continent, the majority of Australians live on the coast and in major cities--around 75 per cent of Australia's population lives in city areas. Australia is the driest continent on earth. Its center has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world and about three-quarters of the land is dry. These dry areas extend from the large central deserts to the western coast. Soils in these areas are very poor compared to other deserts. This has given Australians a great challenge.They have to make the best use of the variety of regions to meet the competing demands of agriculture, economy and conservation. Most of Australians live_. A) in the middle of the country B) in the countryside C) in the west of the country D) in the coastal cities
D
That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me. "Is it finished?" I asked. She shook her head. "No. It is ready," she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket. "It is beautiful, so skillfully woven ," I said to my mother. "But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?" "I will tell you later," my mother said, "but first I will take you to the Navajo village." We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing. It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman's words. "Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?" my mother asked. "What should I have noticed?" I looked at her and asked. "Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch missing." I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing! "But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?" I asked. "They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close." Which of the following may the Navajo believe? A) A stitch in time is very important. B) Life only becomes perfect when you die. C) He who makes no mistake is a perfect man. D) You must always try to make your life complete.
B
Q: Tens of thousands of theatre tickets will be given away to young people next year as part of a government campaign to inspire a lifelong love for theatre. The plan to offer free seats to people aged between 18 to 26--funded with PS2.5 million of taxpayers' money--was announced yesterday by Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary. It received a cautious welcome from some in the arts world, who expressed concern that the tickets may not reach the most underprivileged. The plan comes as West End theatres are enjoying record audiences, thanks largely to musicals teaming up with television talent shows. Attendances reached. 13.6 million in 2007, up 10 percent on 2006, itself a record year. Total sales were up 18 percent on 2006 to almost PS470 million. One theatre source criticised the Government's priorities in funding free tickets when pensioners were struggling to buy food and fuel, saying: "I don't know why the Government's wasting money on this. The Yong Vic, as reported today, offers excellent performances at cheap prices." There was praise for the Government's plan from Dominic Cooke of the Royal Court Theatre, who said: "I support any move to get young people into theatre, and especially one that aims to do it all over England, not just in London." Ninety-five publicly funded theatres could apply for funding under the two-year plan. In return, they will offer free tickets on at least one day each week to 18 to 26-year-olds, first-come, first-served. It is likely to be on Mondays, traditionally a quiet night for the theatre. Mr. Burnham said: "A young person attending the theatre can find it an exciting experience, and be inspired to explore a new world. But sometimes people miss out on it because they fear it's 'not for them'. It's time to change this perception." Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Culture Secretary, said: "The real issue is not getting enthusiastic children into the theatre, but improving arts education so that more young people want to go in the first place. For too many children theatres are a no-go area." Which of the following is TRUE about the plan? A) Ninety-five theatres have received funding. B) Everyone will get at least one free ticket. C) It may not benefit all the young people. D) Free tickets are offered once every day.
A: C
Q: If you have a chance to go to Taiwan, there's one place you should not miss-- the Taipei Palace Museum. The museum has around 650,000 pieces of ancient Chinese treasures. These treasures were originally in the Palace Museum in Beijing. But how did they get to Taiwan? In 1931, the Japanese invaded the northeast part of China. To protect the national treasures from the Japanese, the government of the Republic of China decided to move some important pieces to Nanjing. However, they did not stay long in Nanjing. In 1949, the people's Liberation Army won in the Liberation War. The Guomindang government went from Nanjing to Taiwan. Along with them they took the art pieces. The Taipei Palace Museum was set up in 1965 to hold the national treasures. Taiwan people are very proud of the Taipei Palace Museum. Some of the collections are world famous. One of the most visited art pieces in the museum is the "Jade Cabbage". It is made from a single piece of jade . If you take a close look, you can see two grasshoppers on the leaves, a large one and a small one, which were the symbol of many children in a family. If you are interested in the treasures, you could take a look at a TV programme called Taipei Palace Museum. It gives a picture of the treasures of the Taipei Palace Museum. There are also interviews with over a hundred experts about the stories behind some of the pieces. What's the best title for the passage? A) The most famous art piece--Jade Cabbage B) The Beijing Palace Museum C) A place of interest--Taiwan D) The Taipei Palace Museum
A: D