Can you imagine living without cars, computers or telephones? Some people in the rain forest and mountains of Venezuela and Brazil do just that. One tribe (部落), the Yanomami , has lived the same way for thousands of years. They only have numbers for one, two and more than two, and they have never invented the wheel. But they have also been called some of “the last free people on earth.”
In the late 1920s, researchers found a tribe of people untouched by modern society. This was the first reported meeting with the Yanomami, who were living deep within the South American jungle.
Scientists agree that their location deep in the forest helped their culture unchanged. Until recently, most Yanomami still lived in isolated regions. Everything they needed came from the rain forest. They hunted, fished and farmed the land. Then a discovery brought the outside world to them. And along with it came deadly changes.
Gold was discovered in Yanomami in the 1970s. By 1987, around 80,000 miners had moved into the area. In a fight to take over the land, they killed some Yanomami. They also brought into new sicknesses, including the common cold and malaria. Today over 62 percent of Yanomami show signs of malaria.
Just as deadly were the results of mining, including polluted streams and cleared forests. Within just seven years their population fell by 20 percent.
Today governments and international organizations are looking for ways to protect the Yanomami. The Brazilian government has reserved a large area of land for the tribe. And in 1990, Brazil ordered all the miners out of Amazon region. Yet these things might not be enough. Gold is so valuable that miners keep going back and harming the Yanomami’s way of life.
36. When was the existence of the Yanomami first discovered ?
A. In the 1970s B. In the late 1920s
C. In 1987 D. In 1990
37. What does the underlined word “it” mean in Para3?
A. the discovery of gold B. researchers’ discovery in the 1920s
C. the outside world D. the rain forest
38. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The Yanomami is the only remaining “untouched” people on earth.
B. Most Yanomami know the exact meaning of the number 8.
C. The Yanomami learned to use wheels long before.
D. Before miners arrived, the Yanomami had never suffered from malaria.
39. Which of the following was NOT the reason for the sharp decrease of the Yanomami’s population?
A. They starved to death.
B. They were killed in the fight.
C. Their living environment was destroyed.
D. They were killed by the new illnesses brought by miners.
40. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The discovery of gold is beneficial to the Yanomami.
B. Gold mining made no difference to the Yanomami .
C. Miners are a great threat to the protection of the Yanomami.
D. Nowadays no miners remain in Amazon Region.