The Hawaiian lslands

If you would like to go to a beautiful, faraway place, you should go to the

Hawaiian Islands. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, these islands are far
from any other land. They are, in fact, the farthest from land of any islands on
earth-about 2,400 miles from San Francisco, 3,830 miles from Tokyo, and 5,540
miles from Hong Kong.
There are eight Hawaiian Islands. In order of size, they are Hawaii (the "Big
Island"), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. In 1959, the
islands together became Hawaii, the 50th state of the United States.
While they differ from one another in sorne ways, the islands share many of the
same features. They all have a tropical climate, first of all. The average daytime tem­
perature is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and 85 degrees Fahrenheit in
the summer. However, it is never uncomfortably hot. The nighttime temperature is
always cooler and there is generally a little wind. Rain falls often, but usually not for
long. People in Hawaii say that it rains every day somewhere on the islands.
The islands also are similar in their natural beauty. They all have volcanic
moun­tains and waterfalls, rain forests and beautiful beaches. The warm, clear water
around the islands is filled with many kinds of sea creatures. There are giant sea
turtles, whales, and dolphins as well as lots of tropical fish. The forests are full of
beautiful birds and flowers. Many of them cannot be found anywhere else in the
world.
The Hawaiian Islands, in fact, have an interesting natural history. Until modern
times, birds and insects were the only kinds of animals living on the islands, with just
a few exceptions. The exceptions were the monk seal (a sea mammal) and a kind of
bat (a flying mammal). There were no other mammals until people arrived in about
500 A.D. They brought sorne animals, such as pigs, for food. Other animals, such as
mice, probably traveled to the islands hidden in their boats.
Each of the islands also has features that are special. For example, the Big Island,
Hawaii, is the only island with active volcanoes. Both Mauna Loa and Kilauea on
Hawaii occasionally erupt, pouring out hot lava and smoke. The island of Oahu is the
site of the modern capital of Hawaii, Honolulu. This island also has one of the world's
most famous beaches, Waikiki Beach, especially popular with surfers.
And finally, the island of Maui is important to Hawaiians for its role in the
history of the islands. In 1800, Kamehameha the Great became the king of the
islands. He established his capital on Maui, where it remained until early in the 20th
century.
Today, with its tropical climate and natural beauty, Hawaii is a major tourist
attraction. People come from all over the world to view the volcanoes, the seacoast
and the rain forests. They come to sunbathe or surf at the beaches, or they come just
to relax in the warm, sweet air.
 l. 1. This passage is about
a. sorne of the rnain features of the Hawaiian Islands.
b. the clirnate of the Hawaiian Islands.
c. the rernoteness of the Hawaiian Islands.
d. volcanoes in Hawaii.
li. 2. The Hawaiian Islands are called rernote because they are
a. always warrn.
b. very beautiful.
c. in the rniddle of the Pacific Ocean.
d. far away frorn any land.
lii. 3. The Hawaiian Islands are closest to
a. Hong Kong.
b. Japan.
c. Oahu.
d. San Francisco.
liii. 4. The ternperature in the islands is
a. warrn all year round.
b. cold in the winter.
c. warrner at night.
d. very cold at night.
liv. 5. The features that you can find on all of the Hawaiian Islands are
a. active volcanoes.
b. good restaurants.
c. beautiful scenery and a warrn clirnate.
d. good hotels and restaurants.
lv. 6. Many kinds of birds and flowers on the islands
a. can be found all over the Pacific.
b. are like birds and flowers in the United States.
c. cannot be found anywhere else.
d. carne to the islands with the first people.
lvi. 7. You can infer frorn this passage that, apart frorn Hawaii, the other
islands
a. do not have volcanoes.
b. have volcanoes, but they are inactive.
c. do not have beaches.
d. have no rnarnrnals.
lvii. 8. The island of Maui is especially known for its
a. beaches.
b. active volcanoes.
c. history.
d. tropical fish.