LONDON, England - London, England’s famous “Big Ben” bell will be silenced for four long years. The keeper of the Great Clock announced this news Monday. The 158-year-old British clock will be getting some repairs.
Londoners were not happy. On social media like Twitter, many said the hourly rings of Big Ben are very important. “A silent Big Ben will be super strange,” tweeted Rob, a history student at King’s College who can hear the rings from his room. He called them the “sound of London.”
“It will be very sad, but it needs to be done,” said Kirsten Hurrell. The 71-year-old runs a busy newsstand facing the clock tower. “Quite honestly, we live with it and half the time we don’t hear it,” she said about the bell. “But we will miss it when we suddenly find it’s not there anymore.”
A selfie ( 自 拍 照 )with the Great Clock on the top of Elizabeth Tower on the Thames River is almost required. The clock tower stands at one end of the Palace of Westminster, which holds England’s government, known as Parliament. It is also one of the most visited sites in London and Big Ben is the star.
The bell was created by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1859. It was the largest at the time of its first performance. In all these years, Big Ben went through good times and bad, which includes Germany’s eight-month bombing of London in World War II.
The hour bell has been silenced before, though. Big Ben cracked after its first few weeks. The striking hammer was too heavy. Workers changed a lighter hammer and Big Ben rang again three years later. Experts say the crack causes the unique but imperfect sound.
The bell was also silent during the funerals (葬礼) of Winston Churchill and
Margaret Thatcher.
During the repair, one side of the four clock faces will remain visible. An electric motor will turn the clock hands. People in London can continue to set their watches to the clock.
The clock keeper announced the clock would not be completely silenced during the repairs and would strike the hour for important national events, for example New Year’s Eve.
12. What is the main idea of the text?
A.Big Ben is the most important site in London. |
B.The famous 158-year-old clock will get repairs. |
C.Big Ben went through good times and bad times. |
D.Londoners weren’t happy about the silence of the bell. |
13. Why were Londoners not happy about the news?
A.It’ll cost a lot of money to repair Big Ben. |
B.People will not hear the rings any longer. |
C.They won’t get used to the missing of the rings. |
D.The rings are the most important thing in their life. |
14. Which statement describes the relationship tourists have with Big Ben?
A.Tourists visit Big Ben more than many other places. |
B.Tourists plan on avoiding Big Ben when it stops ringing. |
C.Tourists to London know about Big Ben but rarely visit it. |
D.Tourists to London have little knowledge about Big Ben. |
15. How many times has Big Ben been silenced in history, according to the text?