The iconic symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower opened to the public on March 31, 1889, and the graceful metal structure has continued to attract the world for 130 years. But some little known facts about the Eiffel Tower may surprise you.
The original intention was for the structure, which was built for the 1889 World’s Fair, to be demolished after 20 years. But engineer Gustave Eiffel later arranged to have a radio antenna (天线) and transmitter placed in the tower, and the importance of the tower to communications saved it from demolition. At the present time, 120 antennas broadcast radio and television transmissions from the tower.
During the 1889 World’s Fair, the newspaper Le Figaro set up a small printing operation on the third floor that produced a daily commemorative (纪念的) edition for visitors to buy.
Almost seven million visitors each year pay the admission fee to visit the Eiffel Tower. Since the structure opened in 1889, nearly 300 million people have experienced the tower.
A private apartment that Gustave Eiffel used as an office was created at the top of the tower. Eiffel entertained some important persons there, and today visitors to the apartment will see it as it looked in Eiffel’s day, with life-like wax models of Eiffel and Thomas Edison.
As a promotion during the 1889 World’s Fair, visitors could buy a commemorative postcard that was tied to a balloon and a small parachute. Visitors would write an address on the postcard and release it into the air from the tower. The postcard was supposed to fall back to earth gently due to the parachute, but it’s not known how many of these postcards ever made it to their intended addresses.
Because the taller sections of the tower are against the brighter sky, the bronze paint color is shaded slightly darker than the color closer to the ground. This is to give the impression that the tower is painted in a single shade.
Gustave Eiffel’s company designed the metal structure that holds the Statue of Liberty together. You can think of the Eiffel Tower as a Statue of Liberty without the skin, though the shapes of the two structures are quite different.
Visitors to Paris may not be as romantic as we thought. Although Paris is known as the City of Light and its illuminated attractions can easily be seen at night, the Eiffel Tower has much fewer visitors in the evening than during the day. The tower is closed at 11:45 pm, with the last admissions at 11 pm, 10:30 pm to visit the top.
Two of the original elevator cars, and the 1899 hydraulic (液压的) equipment, are still functioning in the Eiffel Tower elevators that go to the third floor in the east and west pillars (柱子). The equipment has been updated, but it is essentially the same technology that was used more than a century ago.
1. Originally, the Eiffel Tower was built to ________.| A．serve the World’s Fair | B．work as communications tools |
| C．store newspapers | D．appeal to more visitors |
| A．repaired carefully | B．constructed again |
| C．handled easily | D．destroyed completely |
| A．have no access to the private apartment of Gustave Eiffel |
| B．can get into the Eiffel Tower without paying the admission fee |
| C．will find the tower still has radio antenna and transmitter placed in it |
| D．can buy a daily commemorative edition of the newspaper Le Figaro |
| A．the Eiffel Tower was painted in a single shade |
| B．the technology of the elevators has been changed |
| C．visitors can not enter the Eiffel Tower after 11 pm |
| D．the Eiffel Tower looks like the Statue of Liberty |
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However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city settlers and the country people. Almost 90 percent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast andhas little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve images of colonial heritage, but on the whole the impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country' s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have "ridden on the sheep' s back" , a reference to wool being the country' s main money earner. However, it is no longer dominant (主宰的). Much of Australia' s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a modest sense of humor.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia' s liberal postwar immigration policies led to a flowing of survivors from war-torn Europe. The emphasis has changed in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a "mixture of nations" and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is reasonably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.
1. What does the writer mean by saying "It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents." in the first paragraph?
| A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents. |
| B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents. |
| C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed. |
| D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia. |
| A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners. |
| B．The Australian economy counts on sheep exports. |
| C．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country. |
| D．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe. |
| A．nothing about Australia' s colonial part in modern cities can be seen by visitors |
| B．tourism and wine making resulted in fast development in rural communities only |
| C．immigrants from Europe have brought racial problems |
| D．Australia' s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia |
| A．society | B．economy |
| C．racial problems | D．history |
【推荐2】Asia is the birthplace of the world's three ancient civilizations: ancient China, ancient India and Babylon. Each
gave the world different architectural styles and global landmarks. Let's take a look at the architecture of Asian civilizations.
1. The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is an ancient defense project with the longest construction time and the largest workload put into a landmark, extending to a total length of more than 50,000 kilometers. Only when you have been to the Great Wall and experienced its majesty can you truly say you have visited China.
2. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one of the largest religious (宗教的）sights in the world, built on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum(陵墓）。
3.Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white mausoleum on the south bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was constructed in 1632 by Mughal emperor Shah as the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage”.
4.The Senso-ji, Japan
The Senso-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Close to the temple is a five-story pagoda, Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine, as well as shops with traditional goods in the Nakamise-dori. The Sensoji temple is dedicated to Kannon Bosatsu(观音菩萨）, the Bodhisattva of compassion.
1. Of the four sites,which one is NOT related to religion?| A．The Great Wall. | B．Angkor Wat. |
| C．Taj Mahal | D．The Senso-ji. |
| A．They both cover large areas. | B．They both date back to 17th century. |
| C．They are both Muslim art. | D．They are both mausoleums. |
| A．Know about Muslim culture. | B．Appreciate Japanese ancient architecture. |
| C．Buy some souvenirs. | D．Admire Kannon Bosatsu. |
【推荐3】Most of the thousands of tourists who visit Pompeii every year leave with nothing more than amazing memories. But there are some who take away a little extra – the relics themselves.
However, it seems that those visitors who have slipped a piece of the world’s most important archaeological(考古的) site into their pockets have come to regret their actions.
Tourists who took relics from the ruined Roman city have been returning them to the site, saying they are cursed (诅咒).
One man wrote from Latin America saying that he and his entire family had experienced “trauma after trauma” after he took a piece of stone from Pompeii.
Massimo Osanna, a senior official at Pompeii, said he had received up to a hundred packages from across the world in recent years containing items from the site, often accompanied by letters explaining the relics had brought them bad luck.
The “curse of Pompeii” is an old story that says the eruption(火山爆发) of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which buried Pompeii, was punishment from the gods after troops ruined the buildings where people showed respect to the gods.
“At a certain point, people started believing in this story again,” said Mr. Osanna. “Even proper thieves have returned things to us.”
In one case, five packages were sent to Pompeii containing stolen items, including a statue that had disappeared in 1987. The accompanying letter was sent from Spain and the writer explained the statue had brought a “curse on his entire family”.
However, some are affected by a strong feeling of dishonor in their heart, rather than an ancient curse. Mr. Osanna said that an English woman had recently returned around 10 mosaic tiles (镶嵌地砖) that her parents had taken while on holiday during the Seventies.
“When her mother died, she received these little pieces. But in the letter she described them as ‘uncomfortable’ and said she wanted to give them back,” he said.
Mr. Osanna is considering setting up an exhibition of all the letters he has received, calling it “What I brought back from Pompeii”.
1. Why did some visitors who took relics away regret?| A．Because there was nothing but amazing memories. |
| B．Because they took away the relics themselves. |
| C．Because they thought the stolen relics brought them bad luck. |
| D．Because they received letters from a senior official at Pompeii. |
| A．an unpleasant and upsetting experience |
| B．an old object or custom that reminds people of the past |
| C．a building where people respect gods |
| D．the things that a person or animal does |
| A．some people cursed them |
| B．the city of Pompeii was buried |
| C．some soldiers didn’t show them enough respect |
| D．too many buildings for people were ruined |
| A．ashamed | B．scared |
| C．proud | D．unconcerned |
