Read the following and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 44 to 50.
When we think of the Hawaiian Islands, they often bring to mind a thriving tourist destination with white sandy beaches and palm trees. However, on one of the most northern islands, you will not find any tourists or holiday activities. The island of Niihau is characterized by an extinct volcano, a delicate wetland and thriving forests. It is also the home to various endangered species such as the Hawaiian monk seal. The island belongs to the Robinson family who bought it from the King of Hawaii back in 1864 with the promise to maintain the traditional Hawaiian culture and language of the natives living there. In order to keep this promise, the family over time began to limit visitors to the island. Today, contact with the native Niihauans on the island is forbidden except by invitation. Therefore, until recently, the natives knew very little about the outside world.
A walk through the main village of the island shows how Niihau appears to be frozen in time. There are no cars, shops, restaurants or police. The only means of transport are horses and bicycles. There is no running water, power or telephone lines. All of the 130 permanent residents are native Hawaiians and speak Hawaiian as their first language. They don’t pay rent and live by fishing and farming. It’s a lifestyle far different from residents on the other Hawaiian islands.
The children of Niihau may not have TV or electronics like other children, but they attend a small school that relies entirely on solar power for electricity. The school is one of the few schools in the USA that is completely solar powered. The school teaches the Hawaiian traditions and values of living off the land and ocean, and at the same time offers the children the opportunity to learn how to use computers and connect with the outside world.
Oneway outsiders can connect with Niihau is to purchase the islanders’ handicrafts such as their shell jewelry. These products are on sale in other islands. Although few have the chance to visit this forbidden land, its mystery continues to fascinate tourists.
