【B】
        Australia is the home of two of the wonders of the world, one a natural wonder, the otherman-made. The natural wonder is the Great Barrier Reef, while the man-made wonder is the SydneyOpera House, one of the world’s most beautiful and amazing buildings.
        The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was established in 1975. It is the world’s largest protectedmarine area in the world. It is approximately 348,700 square kilometers and approximately 2,300kilometers long. It is made up of nearly 3,000 small reefs, including 760 fringing reefs, and 300 coralcays. There are also 618 islands which were once part of the mainland. As the largest coral reefecosystem in the world, the Great Barrier Reef provides a habitat for nearly 1,500 species of fish,400 species of coral, 4,000 species of mollusks, 500 species of seaweed, 215 species of birds, 16species of sea snakes, and 6 species of sea turtles. There is also a large population of dugongs, alsocalled sea cows, which can grow to about three meters in length and weigh as much as 400 kilograms.They are more closely related to elephants than to marine mammals such as whales and dolphins.
        Every year tens of thousands of tourists, both from Australia and overseas, visit the reefs andmarvel at its colorful wonders. Special boats take visitors out to the reefs, where they can view theunderwater world through glass-bottomed boats or by scuba-diving and snorkeling. Unfortunately,they are currently under continuous threats from pollution and a plant called the crown of thorns,which destroy the coral. Perhaps Australia’s greatest fear is that an oil tanker might go out of controland strike the reefs, releasing millions of liters of oil onto them, causing irreparable damage.
        The Sydney Opera House was opened in 1973. It was designed by Jorn Utson, a Danisharchitect who won the international competition organized by the New South Wales government tofind the best design. The building was so unusual that it created an enormous outcry from moretraditional architects. Further controversy arose when it was discovered during construction that itrequired materials and construction techniques that had not previously been used. Utson himself wasrelieved of his position as supervising architect. Local architects were engaged to complete thedrawings, and one of the world’s leading firms of civil engineers, Ove Arup & Partners, was hired towork out how to build the remarkable edifice. The cost of construction was so great that a nationallottery was organized to raise the necessary funds.
        Although the exterior of the building is faithful to Utson’s design, much of the interior waschanged. In an attempt to make up to Utson for the disgraceful way he was treated, he has recentlybeen invited back to Australia to advise on the renovations to the interior, which will be much nearerto his original intentions.
       The Sydney Opera House stands at Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbor. Its vast roof, built torecreate the idea of a large yacht, gleams in the sun, and every day thousands of tourists visit it andmarvel at the incredible beauty of this great building. Inside, there are theaters and a concert hall foropera performances, and a number of restaurants. There is always something on at the Opera House.
       Apart from the two wonders of the world, there are many other places for tourists to visit, notleast of which are the huge sheep and cattle properties, some of them as large as a small country.There are also many vineyards, as Australia has become one of the world’s major wine-makingnations, and orchards and plantations of various kinds. For the industrially-minded, there are hugeopen-cast mines and refineries, as Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of coal and ironore.Australia is one of the best places to eat in the world.
        Apart from the high quality of local fruit,vegetables, meat and fish, the cuisines of almost every country in the world are represented. Aboveall, Australia is a nation of migrants, and has large Anglo-Saxon, Greek, Italian, Spanish, MiddleEastern, and Asian populations, all of which contribute hugely to the culinary delights of a visit toAustralia.
【題組】40. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) How Australia becomes a melting pot of immigrants
(B) The challenging task to build the Sydney Opera House
(C) The bio-diversity of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
(D) What visitors should see and do in Australia