A
They are one of the best rugby teams in the world.The players of the All Blacks，New Zealand's national rugby team，are strong，smart and fast.But，in fact，they win many of their games before the first whistle even blows.
Before the game，during warmups，the All Blacks players gather in a semicircle.They stand with their captain in front of them and begin to dance.They hit their arms against their legs.They lift their feet into the air and slam them into the ground.They stick out their tongues and show scream.You may think they're crazy.And that is just what they want you to think.
The rugby players perform the haka，which is a traditional Maori(毛利人) dance.The Maoris are the native people of New Zealand and this dance has been used as a war dance since the 19th century.
Warriors originally performed the war dance before battles to show off their strength in order to intimidate the enemy.Rugby is a violent game that many fans have compared to war.What better way is there to get excited before the game than doing a war dance?
The 19th century French theorist Ernest Renan，one of the first real theorists who looked into the idea of nationalism，described the “nation” as “largescale togetherness，made up of the feeling of sacrifices that one has made in the past and of those that one is prepared to make in the future”．
And New Zealand's haka is one of the world's most perfect acts of nationalism.“The haka，in its intensity，reflects it all：first，the solidarity(团结) of warriors—both of Maoris and nonMaoris backgrounds—fighting for a common future.And then a recognition of the almost sacred past，”The Washington Post noted.
Today in New Zealand，the haka is still performed at many different gatherings and celebrations，a connection to Maori ancestors that has continued despite colonization.
【语篇解读】 本文主要介绍了新西兰的哈卡舞，这是一种能够展示力量和团结的传统舞蹈。
1．What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Maori people，native New Zealanders.
B．The popularity of rugby in New Zealand.
C．A traditional dance goes on today in New Zealand.
D．The magic of warmup before rugby matches in New Zealand.
解析：主旨大意题。根据文章关键词haka可知，本文主要介绍了新西兰的哈卡舞。
答案：C
2．The underlined word “intimidate” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “________”．
A．threaten B．dissatisfy
C．amaze D．revenge
解析：词义猜测题。结合画线词所在句中的“show off their strength”和“enemy”可知，intimidate意为“恐吓；威胁”。
答案：A
3．What can we learn about the haka from the passage?
A．The haka is only performed before rugby matches in New Zealand.
B．The haka is a good way to show nationalism in New Zealand.
C．The haka is a symbol of fighting in the past and future.
D．The haka has helped the New Zealand's national rugby team win at all times.
解析：推理判断题。根据第六段中的“And New Zealand's haka is one of the world's most perfect acts of nationalism.”可知，哈卡舞充分展现了新西兰的民族精神。
答案：B
