ABORIGINAL is a term used to describe the people and animals that lived in a place from the earliest known times or before Europeans arrived. Examples are the Maori in New Zealand, the Aborigines in Australia and the Indians in America. They all share the fact that they were pushed off their land by European settlers.
Maori
The Maori were the first people to go to New Zealand, about 1,000 years ago. They came from the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific. They brought dogs, rats and plants with them and settled mainly on the Northern Island. In 1769, Captain James Cook from Britain took possession of the Island and from that time British people started to settle. The Maori signed an agreement on land rights with these settlers, but in later years there were arguments and battles between them.
Aborigines
The native people of Australia came from somewhere in Asia more than 40,000 years ago. They lived by hunting and gathering. Their contact with British settlers began in 1788. By the 1940s almost all of them were mixed into Australian society as low-paid workers. Their rights were limited. In 1976 and 1993 the Australian Government passed laws that returned some land to the Aborigines and recognized their property rights.
American Indians
Long before the Europeans came to America in the 16th and 17th century, the American Indians, or Native Americans, lived there. It is believed that they came from Asia. Christopher Columbus mistook the land for India and so called the people there Indians. The white settlers and American Indians lived in peace at the beginning, but conflicts finally arose and led to the Indian Wars (1866-1890). After the wars, the Indians were driven to the west of the country. Not until 1924 did they gain the right to vote.
小题1:The similarity among Maoris, Aborigines and American Indians is that _________.
A．they lost their vote right after European settlers’ arrival
B．they lost their land after European settlers’ arrival
C．they were driven out of their country after European settlers’ arrival
D．they were not treated as citizens until recently小题2:Before European settlers arrived, we can infer that the Aboriginals had lived _________ life.
A．a miserable
B．a bitter
C．a peaceful
D．a troublesome小题3:Which of the following was first interrupted by the Europeans?
A．Maoris.
B．Aborigines.
C．American Indians.
D．Not mentioned.小题4:The passage mainly tells us _______.
A．the war between aboriginal people and white settlers
B．the history of Maoris, Aborigines and American Indians
C．the present unfair treatment to aboriginal people of the world
D．European settlers were the enemy of all aboriginal people
小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:B
题目分析：本文叙述了土居居民的的历史，毛利人在1000多年前来到了新西兰，后来英国人开始来到这里。澳大利亚的土著居民来自亚洲的某个地方，他们靠打猎和采摘为生，后来英国人开始来到这里打扰了他们的生活。美洲的印第安人他们来自亚洲，后来欧洲人来了，他们的生活变得不平静了。这三种土著居民的共同特点就是外人来时，他们的土地被外来人占去了一些并且他们的地位低下。
小题1:细节理解题。根据The Maori signed an agreement on land rights with these settlers,和In 1976 and 1993 the Australian Government passed laws that returned some land to the Aborigines 可推出当时是被抢去一些土地；the Indians were driven to the west of the country. 可知故选B。
小题2:推理判断题。根据They lived by hunting and gathering. Their contact with British settlers began in 1788. 在欧洲人去以前他们过着平静的生活，故选C。
小题3:细节理解题。根据In 1769, Captain James Cook from Britain took possession of the Island and from that time British people started to settle. Maoris是在1769年；Their contact with British settlers began in 1788. Aborigines是在1788年；Long before the Europeans came to America in the 16th and 17th century, the American Indians, or Native Americans, lived there. American Indians是在16世纪；故选C。
小题4:主旨大意题。根据短文的主要讲述了这三种人的历史情况，可知故选B
点评：主旨大意题要识别和理解主题句，可迅速准确地抓住短文的中心思想，从而把握住全篇的主要内容。在确定文章的主旨思想时，选项的内容既不能太具体也不能太笼统。在选择和确定主旨思想时，题中给出的四个选择项往往都是事实，要求考生从中选出最能概括文章主旨思想的一项作为正确答案。在这方面考生容易犯以下两种错误：一种是把主题的一部分看成是文章的“主旨思想”，这样选择的“主旨思想”太具体，不能准确地概括出整个文章或段落的主旨思想。另一种是在表达作者的主旨思想时，词语概括的范围太大，太笼统，超出了作者的本意。