人教全日制普通高中英语（必修）高三UNIT3-1

THE  PORTRAZT  OF  A  NATION
       Modem¹ Australia is made up of six states and two territories: Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. Australia is surrounded by two oceans: the Indian Ocean in the west and the south, and the Pacific Ocean in the northeast. Sydney is perhaps Australia's most famous city, but the capital of Australia is Canberra, a city located between Sydney and Melbourne. The Australian flag shows the UK flag and a large star with seven points. Six of the points represent the states and the seventh stands for all the territories. The other stars on the flag represent the Southern Cross – a group of stars in the southern sky that can be used to find the South Pole
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           THE   FIRST   AUSTRALIANS
       Australia is a young nation on an ancient continent. The first Australians were the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. These peoples came to the continent at least fifty thousand years ago and created complex societies. Their culture was highly² developed. Some Australian Aborigines still live in a similar way to their ancestors, while others live in cities, towns and the country in the same way as their fellow Australians.
                                                                            A NATION PRISONERS?
       In the seventeenth century, European explorers began arriving on the continent. Spanish, Portuguese³ and Dutch, and later British ships reached the north and west coasts and Tasmania. In 1770, Captain James Cook claimed the east coast of the continent for the British Crown⁴. Later, when the American War of Independence made it impossible for England to send prisoners to North America, Australia was chosen as a new place where prisoners and criminals were sent. In 1788, the first fleet⁵ of 11 ships arrived in Australia. The British Governor⁶ landed on January 26, today known as Australia Day. Over the next 80 years, about 160,000 prisoners were sent to Australia. The newcomers changed the way land was managed and introduced new plants and animals that were harmful to the Australian ecosystems⁷. As a consequence, the original Australians suffered. Many Aborigines and Islanders were moved and had their land taken away from them.
                                               ANOTHER NEW WORLD: THE BIRTH OF A NATION
       In the early twentieth century, Australia resembled the USA of the eighteenth century: it was a "new world" society. In 1901, the Commonwealth⁸ of Australia was formed. The Constitution governing six states stated that men were free and equal, explained their basic civil rights and described the new government. Aborigines and other non-Europeans did not enjoy the same rights. It would be many years until Australia learnt to respect Aborigines and recognise the importance of a diverse⁹ society.
     The First World War had a strong influence on Australia. After the war, the country experienced¹⁰ social and economic unrest and suffered from the Great Depression of the 1930s. After the Second World War, Australia began to transform itself into the modern country it is today. The economy grew and Australia benefited from immigration. People from about 200 countries moved to Australia in the fifty years after the Second World War. The country also began to change its attitude towards Aborigines: in the late 1960s, the government passed laws to strengthen the rights of Aborigines and Islanders and to improve their living conditions.
                                                     SPEAK AUSTRALIAN? NO WORRIES!
       English is the official language of Australia. Australian English differs in pronunciation from British and American English, and some of the vocabulary used "down under" is quite different from what you may have learnt in your English class. Australians are fond of their language and love to have fun with it. "No worries" is Australian for "everything will be OK". "Mate¹¹" usually means "friend" or "companion", but can be said to anyone. A "sheila" is a female¹², the "outback" is the wilderness¹³, a "billabong" is a water hole in a dry riverbed, a "uni" is a university, and to "go walkabout" is to take a long journey to get away from one's dally¹⁴ life. While some of the Aboriginal¹⁵ languages have been lost, people are trying hard to protect and record what is left. Perhaps the best known example of Australian English is the friendly "G'day mate" that a visitor to the land down under is sure to hear.

1 modem   

n.调制解调器

参考例句：

• Does your computer have a modem?你的电脑有调制解调器吗？
• Provides a connection to your computer via a modem.通过调制解调器连接到计算机上。

2 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

3 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

4 crown   

n.王冠，王权，顶点；v.使...成王，加冕，居...之顶

参考例句：

• He won the crown in 1973.他荣获1973年冠军称号。
• They wanted to crown Caesar king.他们想立凯撒为王。

5 fleet   

n.舰队；船队，机群

参考例句：

• He made his money with a fleet of moving vans.他靠一队家具搬运车赚钱。
• He was placed in command of the fleet.他被任命为舰队司令。

6 governor   

n.统治者，地方长官(如省长，州长，总督等)

参考例句：

• The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters.这位州长是搪塞新闻记者的能手。
• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。

7 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

8 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

9 diverse   

adj.不同的；相异的；多种多样的；形形色色的

参考例句：

• Spain is a composite of diverse traditions and people.西班牙是一个汇集了多种传统和民族的国家。
• Society is now much more diverse than ever before.当今社会较之以往任何时候都要丰富多彩得多。

10 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

11 mate   

n.伙伴，同事；配偶；大副；v.(使)交配

参考例句：

• Where is the mate to this glove?这副手套的另一只在哪儿？
• She has been a faithful mate to him.她一直是他忠实的配偶。

12 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

13 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

14 dally   

v.荒废(时日)，调情

参考例句：

• You should not dally away your time.你不应该浪费时间。
• One shouldn't dally with a girl's affection.一个人不该玩弄女孩子的感情。

15 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。