Finland (芬兰) is perhaps the most beautiful and mysterious country of Northern Europe. Two-thirds of its surface is covered with thick forests. Relative to its size, Finland has more lakes than any other country. The northern part of this country is inside the Arctic Circle, where almost no trees can grow because of its cold weather and the people use their deer of transport, clothing and food.
The Finnish history began in the Middle Ages. In about 1155, Finland was conquered (侵略) by its western neighbor Sweden (瑞典). After a period of rule by Denmark (丹麦) in the 14th century, the Swedes won back independence and power in 1523 under their brave king. During the Napoleonic (拿破仑的) Wars (1804-1818) Finland was passed finally from Sweden to Russia. The opportunity came in 1917, when the Russian Revolution brought foreign rule of Finland to an end. Shortly after Soviet Russia made peace with Germany, 1919 saw the founding of the Finnish Republic.
The years between the First and Second World Wars were years of progress and growing development. Finland is the fifth largest country in Europe, and despite a relatively small population of 5.2 million, the market potential is much greater. Finland has no coal or oil, and the nation’s wealth lies in the timber from its forests, which supplies material for paper and furniture making, and in the electric power from its water. Finland is an excellent gateway to trading with Russia and the Baltic States because of a long history of trading with these marks. Finland has also enjoyed a strong and long-Finland’s accession to the European Union in January 1995.
小题1:From the passage, we learn that Finland _______.
A．lies inside the Arctic Circle
B．lies east of Sweden
C．is next to the countries of northern Europe
D．is entirely covered with forests and lakes小题2:Finland must have been under the control of _______ for as long as one hundred years or so.
A．Russia
B．Denmark
C．Sweden
D．foreign countries小题3:Among natural resources, the Finnish people benefit mainly from _______.
A．coal and oil
B．forests and water
C．paper and furniture
D．timber and power industry小题4:What does the underlined word “timber” probably mean?
A．Fruits.
B．Wood.
C．Animals.
D．Money.
