3．Ireland has had a very difficult history．The problems started in the 16th century when English ruler tried to conquer （征服） Ireland．For hundreds of years，the Irish people fought against the English，Finally，in 1921，the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland．The result in that today there are two"Irelands"．Northern Ireland．in the north，is part of the United Kingdom．The Republic of Ireland，in the south in an independent country．
In the 1840s the main crop，picture，was affectord In dicesic and about 750，000peorle died of bunger．This，and a abortage （短缺） of work，forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA，the UK，Australia and Canada，As a result of these problern，the population fell from 8.2million in 1841to 6.6million in 1851．
For many years，the majority of Lnsh people earned their living as farners．Today，many people will work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices．Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside，where things move at a quieter and slower pace．
The lrish are famous for being warm-bearted and friendly．Oscar wilde．a famous lrish writer．once said that the lrish were"the greatest talkers since the Creeks"．Since independence，Ireland has revived （復興）its own culture of music，language，literature and singing．Different areas have different styles of old lrish songs which are sung without instruments．Other kinds of lrish music use many different instruments such as the violin，whistles，etc．
68．What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1D．
A． How the lrish fought against the English．．
B． How Ireland gained independence
C． How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland．
D． How two"lrelands"came into being
69．We learn from the text that in lrelandA．
A．food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population
B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countrysids
C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker
D．different kinds of old lrish songs are all sung with instrnments
70．The last paragraph is mainly aboutB．
A．the lrish character B．lrish culture
C．lrish musical instruments D．a famous lrish writer
71．what can be the best title for the text？C
A．life in lreland
B．A Very Difficult History
C．lreland．past and present
D．The independence of lreland．
分析 本文主要介紹愛爾蘭的歷史與現狀，特別是愛爾蘭獨立后文化的復興．愛爾蘭分為南愛爾蘭和北愛爾蘭兩個部分，北愛爾蘭是英國的一部分（大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國），南愛爾蘭為愛爾蘭共和國，于1921年脫離英國，取得獨立．最后提到了愛爾蘭的文化發展．
解答 68．D 段落大意題．根據第一段的"The result in that today there are two"Irelands"．Northern Ireland．in the north，is part of the United Kingdom．The Republic of Ireland，in the south in an independent country．"可知作者就是想告訴我們愛爾蘭的歷史及南愛爾蘭和北愛爾蘭是如何形成的，故答案選D．
69．A 細節理解題．根據第2段第1句話"In the 1840s the main crop，potatoes，was affected by disease and about 750，000 people died of bunger．"以及下文的意思可知：在19世紀40年代糧食短缺導致了人口的下降，故答案選A．
70．B 段落大意題．通讀全段內容并根據段中的"Since independence，Ireland has revived （復興）its own culture of music，language，literature and singing．"可知：最后一段主要說到愛爾蘭音樂、語言、文學等與文化相關的話題，是有關于愛爾蘭的文化的，互答案選B．
71．C 標題判斷題．文章中沒有詳細講述愛爾蘭的獨立，而是總結的愛爾蘭的一段歷史，故可以排除B和D兩項；文章的第三段主要講述的愛爾蘭的生活，A項是對第三段大意的總結，不能夠概括全文，可排除A項．通讀全文可知文章介紹了愛爾蘭的過去與現在，他的形成，以及在歷史上受到的苦難和它的文化，故答案選C．
點評 本文是一篇歷史文化類閱讀．本類題型常用的方式是夾敘夾議．敘述的目的是為了議，所以要把握其議才是主要方面．閱讀這類文章，先弄清其引入的話題，再弄清里面人物對其不同的看法，然后理解作者本身對話題的觀點看法或思考．
