【答案解析】原文： The Caribbean islands are divided into two worlds, a rich one and a poor one. This tropical region’s economy is based mainly on farming. Farmers are of two types. One is the plantation owner who may have hundreds of thousands of acres. In contrast, the small cultivator is working only a few acres of land. Most visitors to the Caribbean are rich, like the plantation owner. They do not realize or do not want to realize that many farm families barely manage to get by on what they grow. The Caribbean produces many things. Sugar is the main product. Other export crops are tobacco, coffee, bananas, spices and citrus fruits, such as orange, lemon or grapefruit. From the West Indies also come oil, mineral pitch and many forest products. Jamaica’s aluminum ore supplies are the world’s largest. Oil comes from Trinidad, Aruba and Curacao. But for many of the smaller islands, sugar is the only export. Rum, a strong alcoholic drink—which is distilled from sugar cane—is also an export. The world’s best rum comes from this area. Local kinds vary from the light rums of Puerto Rico to the heavier, darker rums of Barbados and Jamaica. American tourists enjoy stocking up on inexpensive high-quality Caribbean rum while they’re on vacation. In Curacao, the well-known liquor of that name is made from the thick, outer skin of a native orange. Ever since America’s colonial days, the Caribbean islands have been favorite places to visit. Since World War II, tourism has increased rapidly because great numbers of people go there. The islanders have built elaborate resorts, developed harbors and airfields, improved beaches and have expanded sea and air routes. Everything is at the resort— hotel, beach, shopping and recreation. The vacationer never has any reason to explore the island. As in most places, those who have money live well, indeed; those who don’t have money live at various levels of poverty, but here the poor greatly outnumber the wealthy. A visitor will find rich people living in apartments or Spanish houses at the seaside or in the countryside. Their service might include a cook, a maid and a nurse for the children. Most of the people live well below the poverty level. In towns, they live crowded together in tiny houses. Islanders make the best they can of what they have. Their homes are quite shabby. Sadly, most tourists never see this side of the Caribbean. 16.What does the speaker say about the economy of the Caribbean islands? 17.What is the main product of the Caribbean islands? 18.What do we learn about the majority of people in the Caribbean islands?在讲话开头，讲话者便提到了加勒比群岛的经济发展情况。讲话者说：“这个热带地区的经济主要依靠农业。”由此可以很容易得出正确答案为C。讲话中虽然提到该地区旅游业发展迅速，但没有说旅游业是该地区的主要经济支柱，故排除选项A。讲话中没有说该地区的对外贸易蓬勃发展，只是说有一些产品出口至其他国家，故排除选项B。讲话者只提到了牙买加的铝矿石储量是世界上最多的，不能由此得出加勒比群岛的经济主要依靠出口矿产，故排除选项D。
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】原文： The Caribbean islands are divided into two worlds, a rich one and a poor one. This tropical region’s economy is based mainly on farming. Farmers are of two types. One is the plantation owner who may have hundreds of thousands of acres. In contrast, the small cultivator is working only a few acres of land. Most visitors to the Caribbean are rich, like the plantation owner. They do not realize or do not want to realize that many farm families barely manage to get by on what they grow. The Caribbean produces many things. Sugar is the main product. Other export crops are tobacco, coffee, bananas, spices and citrus fruits, such as orange, lemon or grapefruit. From the West Indies also come oil, mineral pitch and many forest products. Jamaica’s aluminum ore supplies are the world’s largest. Oil comes from Trinidad, Aruba and Curacao. But for many of the smaller islands, sugar is the only export. Rum, a strong alcoholic drink—which is distilled from sugar cane—is also an export. The world’s best rum comes from this area. Local kinds vary from the light rums of Puerto Rico to the heavier, darker rums of Barbados and Jamaica. American tourists enjoy stocking up on inexpensive high-quality Caribbean rum while they’re on vacation. In Curacao, the well-known liquor of that name is made from the thick, outer skin of a native orange. Ever since America’s colonial days, the Caribbean islands have been favorite places to visit. Since World War II, tourism has increased rapidly because great numbers of people go there. The islanders have built elaborate resorts, developed harbors and airfields, improved beaches and have expanded sea and air routes. Everything is at the resort— hotel, beach, shopping and recreation. The vacationer never has any reason to explore the island. As in most places, those who have money live well, indeed; those who don’t have money live at various levels of poverty, but here the poor greatly outnumber the wealthy. A visitor will find rich people living in apartments or Spanish houses at the seaside or in the countryside. Their service might include a cook, a maid and a nurse for the children. Most of the people live well below the poverty level. In towns, they live crowded together in tiny houses. Islanders make the best they can of what they have. Their homes are quite shabby. Sadly, most tourists never see this side of the Caribbean. 16.What does the speaker say about the economy of the Caribbean islands? 17.What is the main product of the Caribbean islands? 18.What do we learn about the majority of people in the Caribbean islands?讲话者在讲话前半部分提到，加勒比地区生产很多产品，糖是主要的产品。由此可知，正确答案选D。烟草、香蕉和咖啡都是该地区其他出口的农产品，并不是主要的产品，故均排除。
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】原文： The Caribbean islands are divided into two worlds, a rich one and a poor one. This tropical region’s economy is based mainly on farming. Farmers are of two types. One is the plantation owner who may have hundreds of thousands of acres. In contrast, the small cultivator is working only a few acres of land. Most visitors to the Caribbean are rich, like the plantation owner. They do not realize or do not want to realize that many farm families barely manage to get by on what they grow. The Caribbean produces many things. Sugar is the main product. Other export crops are tobacco, coffee, bananas, spices and citrus fruits, such as orange, lemon or grapefruit. From the West Indies also come oil, mineral pitch and many forest products. Jamaica’s aluminum ore supplies are the world’s largest. Oil comes from Trinidad, Aruba and Curacao. But for many of the smaller islands, sugar is the only export. Rum, a strong alcoholic drink—which is distilled from sugar cane—is also an export. The world’s best rum comes from this area. Local kinds vary from the light rums of Puerto Rico to the heavier, darker rums of Barbados and Jamaica. American tourists enjoy stocking up on inexpensive high-quality Caribbean rum while they’re on vacation. In Curacao, the well-known liquor of that name is made from the thick, outer skin of a native orange. Ever since America’s colonial days, the Caribbean islands have been favorite places to visit. Since World War II, tourism has increased rapidly because great numbers of people go there. The islanders have built elaborate resorts, developed harbors and airfields, improved beaches and have expanded sea and air routes. Everything is at the resort— hotel, beach, shopping and recreation. The vacationer never has any reason to explore the island. As in most places, those who have money live well, indeed; those who don’t have money live at various levels of poverty, but here the poor greatly outnumber the wealthy. A visitor will find rich people living in apartments or Spanish houses at the seaside or in the countryside. Their service might include a cook, a maid and a nurse for the children. Most of the people live well below the poverty level. In towns, they live crowded together in tiny houses. Islanders make the best they can of what they have. Their homes are quite shabby. Sadly, most tourists never see this side of the Caribbean. 16.What does the speaker say about the economy of the Caribbean islands? 17.What is the main product of the Caribbean islands? 18.What do we learn about the majority of people in the Caribbean islands?讲话者在讲话最后提到，大多数人的生活水平在贫困线以下。也就是说，大部分生活在加勒比群岛的人都很贫穷，故正确答案为B。讲话者在开头介绍了两种类型的农民，一种是拥有几十万英亩土地的种植园主，一种是只拥有几英亩土地的农民，所以经营农场的是种植园主，而不是占大多数的普通农民，故排除选项A。选项C和D是讲话者在最后提到的该地区富人的生活，而富人只占少数，故排除。