【推荐3】With such a strong artistic heritage, it’s no surprise that England knocks it out of the park when it comes to world-class art galleries. These are the galleries you need to add to your must-visit list.

Royal Academy of Arts (RA), London

Not your standard gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts is led by artists to promote not just the appreciation of art, but its practice. It is world-famous for hosting some exhibitions that get everyone talking. Besides, what sets the RA apart is its engagement with the public through participatory experiences, allowing visitors to not only view art but become part of it in innovative ways.

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich

Sitting on the edge of the University of East Anglia’s campus, the Sainsbury Centre holds a collection of remarkable works of art spanning over 2,000 years. Inside the seminal Norman Foster building, you’ll find artworks from around the world, including some stunning pieces of European modern art by Degas, Francis Bacon, and Alberto Giacometti.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire

Tearing up the rulebook when it comes to how we traditionally view art, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park strives to break down barriers by showing works from British and international artists in the open air. Set in hundreds of acres of West Yorkshire parkland, you’ll see sculptures by some of the leading artists of the 20th century.

Whitworth, Manchester

After a sky-high £15 million development, the Whitworth is becoming one of the premier galleries in the north of England. Making full use of its picturesque park setting, the gallery has a beautiful art garden and a sculpture terrace (露台), all waiting to be explored. Inside the gallery, you can view an exciting programme of ever-changing exhibitions.

1. What is special about the Royal Academy of Arts?

A．It offers interactive experiences.

B．It displays works by senior artists.

C．It occupies a vast space in the museum.

D．It stages exhibitions in a traditional way.

2. What do Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Whitworth have in common?

A．They are small in scale.	B．They offer outdoor settings.
C．They feature long-standing works.	D．They host exhibitions on an annual basis.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An art textbook.	B．An art student’s paper.
C．A personal travel blog.	D．A travel guidebook.

【推荐2】The London Eye, formerly known as the Millennium Wheel, is on the South Bank of the River Thames. At an overall height of 135 meters, the London Eye was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel from 1999, when it was built, until 2006, when it was surpassed (超过) by the Star of Nanchang, in Nanchang, China. It is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions.

What is now called the London Eye originated as a work sent by David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects in 1993 to a competition. The competition is supported by The Sunday Times and Great Britain’s Architecture Foundation, for a new landmark in memory of the millennium (千禧年) in London. Although no winner was declared, Marks and Barfield carried out the development of the project themselves and found the site where the wheel now stands. Most of the money was provided by British Airways.

Construction began in 1998, and the wheel was put together over the river before being pulled up.The London Eye was ceremonially “opened” by Prime Minister Tony Blair on December 31, 1999, but didn’t admit its first paying passenger until March 9,2000. Originally scheduled to be taken apart after five years, it was kept in place because of continued popularity. In 2006 an LED lighting system was installed in order to make the wheel more noticeable after dark.

The wheel rests on two supports, which are fixed firmly to a foundation on the riverbank and lean (倾斜) out over the river at an angle of 65°. The power to turn the wheel is sent through rubber tires that are placed on the base of the structure. Placed on the wheel are 32 egg­shaped “capsules”, as the cabins that carry the passengers are called. Their number agrees with the 32 boroughs (自治市) that (together with the City of London) make up Greater London. Each capsule can hold as many as 25 passengers. The wheel moves so slowly — two circles per hour — that it needn’t stop for passengers to get on or off, except for those with disabilities.

1. When was the London Eye the tallest Ferris wheel in the world?

A．In 1993.	B．In 1998.
C．In 2004.	D．In 2016.

2. Why did Marks and Barfield design the London Eye?

A．To compete for a prize.

B．To memorialize the start of their business.

C．To attract more visitors to the River Thames.

D．To realize their dream of riding on a Ferris wheel.

3. What happened to the London Eye in 2006?

A．It leant out more than 65°.

B．It was officially open to the public.

C．It was decorated with brighter lighting.

D．It faced the threat of being taken apart.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Greater London consists of 32 cities.

B．The London Eye spends an hour spinning around once.

C．Disabled people are forbidden to get on the London Eye.

D．The London Eye can hold eight hundred passengers at most.

【推荐3】Architecture is among the most valuable and respected careers in India. We’ve all heard stories about the great architectural designs, but behind these huge and artistic designs is the workmanship and crafted skills of amazing architects who are not appreciated enough. And below is a list mentioning the most notable Indian architects of all time.

Hafeez Contractor

The man responsible for the three tallest buildings in India, The 42 in Kolkata, The Imperial twin-towers of Mumbai, and Hafeez Contractor, is a recipient of the 2016 Padma Bhushan. He completed his master’s degree in Columbia after winning a scholarship for Columbia University and later designed several skyscrapers in India.

Chitra Vishwanath

The Principal Architect and MD of Biome Environment Solutions, this Bangalore based architecture is a conservationist whose works are based on ecology. Chitra is recognised for over 500 projects, she also built her own mud house in Bangalore which includes unique features such as rain-water harvesting well and is ventilated naturally with the help of trees.

Bijoy Jain

After working in Los Angeles and London, Bijoy came to Mumbai and opened his architectural firm, Studio Mumbai. He also received the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2009 and is a Professor of architecture at Yale University.

Nariman Gandhi

He is considered a legend for his unconventional architectural creations which specialised in organic architecture. His ideologies and philosophies deviated (偏离) from the mainstream architectural thought. Nariman is notable for making exceptional use of rock, brick, wood, glass and leather in his works, for instance, the famous Dawood Shoe House in Mumbai.

1. What do Hafeez Contractor and Bijoy Jain have in common?

A．They designed skyscrapers in India.

B．They were recipients of Padma Bhushan.

C．They had experiences of going abroad.

D．They opened their own architectural firms.

2. Which architect attaches great importance to the friendliness to ecology?

A．Hafeez.	B．Chitra.
C．Bijoy.	D．Nariman.

3. What is special about Nariman Gandhi?

A．His design breaks tradition.

B．He follows the trendy ideas.

C．He receives various awards.

D．His works are controversial.