New Zealand is an island country in the southwest of Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main lands—the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Maui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu, and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. The country’s varied topography（地形）and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to volcanic eruptions. New Zealand’s capital city is Wellington, while the city that has the largest population is Auckland.
Polynesians settled in the islands that were to become New Zealand somewhere between 1250 and 1300 AD, and developed a unique Maori culture. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer became the first European to sight New Zealand In 1840. Representatives of the British Crown（王室） and Maori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony. Today, the majority of New Zealand’s population of 4.5 million is of European descent(血统), and the indigenous(土著的) Maori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand’s culture is mainly originated from Maori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English predominant(主要的).
New Zealand is a developed country with a market economy that mainly consists of the exports of dairy products, meat and wine, along with tourism. New Zealand is a high-income economy and ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as health, education, economic freedom and quality of life.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “comprises” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Loses | B．Conquers. |
| C．Explores. | D．Includes. |
【小题2】What can be inferred from the text?
| A．New Zealand was the last land to be settled by humans. |
| B．The indigenous Maori takes up the largest population in New Zealand. |
| C．The formation of the Southern Alps has something to do with volcanic eruptions. |
| D．New Zealand’s culture is mainly originated from Maori and early Dutch settlers. |
【小题3】Who made great contributions to Maori culture according to the text?
| A．Polynesians. | B．Dutch. |
| C．British Crown. | D．Tonga. |
【小题4】What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．The developing aims of New Zealand. |
| B．The economic situation of New Zealand. |
| C．The high ranks that New Zealand government has got. |
| D．The achievements that New Zealand government has got. |
