Asia’s architectural treasures, from a Buddhist monastery in Afghanistan to an ancient city in China, are under threat due to economic development, poor technical resources, war and tourism, according to experts.
The Global Heritage Fund named 10 sites facing the loss and destruction impossible to recover. “These 10 sites represent only a small part of the endangered treasures across Asia and the rest of the developing world,” Jeff Morgan, executive director of the fund, said.
“We’re looking at these millennial ( 千年的) civilizations leaping into the 21st century at a kind of pace that is unheard of.” said Vishakha N. Desai, president of the Asia Society, which hosted a conference based on the report. He mentioned the pressures of rapidly modernizing Asia on the architectural treasures.
Kuanghan Li, head of Global Heritage Fund’s China program, underlined the importance in a presentation on work to preserve Pingyao, one of China’s last surviving walled cities. But “Up to 20 years ago, there were hundreds of similar walled cities left in China.” she said. “The majority of them have been destroyed.”
Experts said that global architectural preservation efforts are poorly balanced and targeted, with the UN cultural body UNESCO focusing almost entirely on sites in already rich European countries, rather than in places like Latin America or Asia. More than 80 percent of UNESCO World Heritage sites are located in the 10 richest states, the Global Heritage Fund said.
Elsewhere, “Heritage is being undervalued.” Morgan said, warning that the endangered sites were sure to vanish without quick help. “We’re going to lose them on our watch in the next 10 years.”
1. According to Jeff Morgan, UNESCO should ______.
A.take effective measures to stop wars |
B.attempt to strengthen global cooperation |
C.pay equal attention to Asia’s heritage protection |
D.establish a clear goal of architectural preservation efforts |
2. What is the author’s purpose of mentioning Pingyao in Paragraph 4?
A.To praise the efforts by the Global Heritage Fund. |
B.To explain China’s process of heritage preservation. |
C.To show China’s unique role in protecting the world heritage. |
D.To stress the necessity of immediate action on heritage protection. |
3. What does the underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 6 most probably mean?
A.Disappear. | B.Survive. | C.Remove. | D.Recover. |
4. What is the best title of the passage?
A.Asia’s Relics in Ruins: Keeping Balance between Progress and Protection |
B.Asia’s Heritage in Danger: Saving Disappearing Architectural Treasures |
C.World’s Civilization Progress under Pressure: Making Global Efforts |
D.World’s Resources under Threat: Raising Awareness of Preservation |