THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE
ACT 1, SCENE3
Narrator: Two rich brothers, Roderick and Oliver, have made a bet. Oliver believes that with a millionpound bank note a man could live a month in London. His brother Roderick doubts it. They see a poor young man walking outside their house. It is Henry Adams.
Roderick: Young man, would you step inside a moment, please?
Henry: Who? Me, sir?
Roderick: Yes, you.
Servant: (opening a door) Good morning, sir. Would you please come in?
(Henry enters the house.)
Roderick: How do you do, Mr...er...?
Henry: Adams. Henry Adams.
Oliver: Come and sit down, Mr. Adams.
Henry: Thank you.
Roderick: You’re an American?
Henry: That’s right, from San Francisco.
Roderick: May we ask what you’re doing in this country and what your plans are?
Henry: Well, I can’t say that I have any plans. As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by accident.
Oliver: How is that possible?
Henry: Well, I had my own boat. About a month ago, I was sailing, and towards night I found myself carried out to sea by a strong wind. The next morning I was spotted by a ship.
Oliver: And it was the ship that brought you to England.
Henry: Yes. I went to the American consulate to seek help, but...Anyway, I didn’t dare to try again. (The brothers smile at each other.)
Roderick: Well, you mustn’t worry about that. It’s an advantage.
Henry: I’m afraid I don’t quite follow you, sir.
Roderick: Tell us, what sort of work did you do in America?
Henry: I worked for a mining company. Could you offer me work here?
Roderick: Patience. If you don’t mind, may I ask you how much money you have?
Henry: Well, to be honest, I have none.
Oliver: (happily) What luck! Brother, what luck!
Henry: Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me! If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I don’t think it’s very funny. Now if you’ll excuse me, I ought to be on my way.
Roderick: Please don’t go. You mustn’t think we don’t care about you, Oliver, give him the letter.
Oliver: Yer, I was about to go get the letter.
Wait！(getting it from a desk and giving it to Henry) The letter.
Henry: (taking it carefully) For me?
Roderick: For you. (Henry starts to open it.) Oh, no, you’d better not open it. You can’t open it until two o’clock.
Henry: Oh, this is silly.
Roderick: Not silly. There’s money in it.
Henry: Oh, no. I don’t want your charity. I just want a job that earns an honest income.
Roderick: We know you’re hardworking. That’s why we’ve given you the letter. (to the servant) Show Mr. Adams out.
Henry: Well, why don’t you explain what this is all about?
Roderick: You’ll soon know. In exactly an hour and a half.
Servant: This way, sir.
Roderick: Not until 2 o’clock. Promise?
Henry: Promise. Goodbye.
1. Look at the pictures and discuss the following questions with your classmates.
If you have a million pound bank note, what would you do with it?
2. How many characters are there in the play? Who are they?
There are
3. What happened to Henry when he was sailing out of the bay?
| A．His boat sank in a storm at sea. |
| B．He was carried out to sea by a strong wind. |
| C．He was attacked by some bad men at sea. |
| D．He jumped into the sea to kill himself. |
| A．Henry was penniless |
| B．he himself was rich while Henry not |
| C．Henry was not English |
| D．Henry was an American |
| A．Brave. | B．Honest. |
| C．Lazy. | D．Shy. |
| A．Henry promised to open the letter before 2 o’clock. |
| B．The two brothers would like to offer him a job. |
| C．Roderick believed that with a millionpound bank note a man could survive a month in London. |
| D．Henry only wanted a job because he was penniless in London. |
| A．Henry comes from the USA. |
| B．He worked for a mining company in America. |
| C．He arrives in England as planned. |
| D．He wants to find work in London. |
| Place | at the brothers’ | |
| Main characters | Henry Adams | ●He is a(n) ●He is ●He wants to |
| Roderick and Oliver | ●They are ●They ●They ask Henry a few ●They give Henry a letter with | |
| Event | The brothers are making a | |
9. 教材对接高考：续写微技能——情态动词表达情感变化
A.写出句中的情态动词并体会其表达的情感
(1) Young man,
(2)
(3) Well, I
(4) Well, you
B.在课文中找出表示情绪变化的含有情态动词的句子
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
VOLUNTEERING IN THE BUSH
8 March
I just got a parcel from home! It took about two weeks to arrive, and it was a bit damaged, but it was so nice to get some sweets and jam from home; I’ve been dying to have some of my favourite sweets, and it’s always nice to get mail!
So I’ve been here in the jungle for about a month now. My secondary school is a bush school. The classrooms are made of bamboo, with clay floors and roofs of grass. It takes me only a few minutes to walk to school down a dusty track covered in weeds. When I reach the school grounds, I’m greeted by a chorus of “good morning” from the boys. Unlike students in our country, these boys do not wear cotton uniforms, and many of them also have to walk a long way, sometimes for up to two hours, just to get to school.
There’s no electricity, running water or even textbooks, not to mention laptops, tablets, or other modern devices! All the students have are pencils, rubbers, and paper. I’m still trying to adapt to these conditions. I’ve had to become much more imaginative in my teaching. Science is my most challenging subject as my students have no concept of doing experiments. There is no equipment, and since there isn’t even a washroom, if I need water I have to carry it from my house in a basin! It’s important not to be too rigid about rules here, too. The other day I was showing the boys a chemistry experiment when, before I knew it, the mixture was bubbling out of the test tube spilling everywhere! The class became a circus as the boys, who had never come across anything like this before, started jumping out of the windows. Sometimes I wonder how relevant
chemistry is to these students — few will ever become chemists — and most will be going back to their villages after Year 8 anyway. To be honest, I doubt whether I’m making any difference to these boys’ lives at all.
17 April
Last weekend I made my first visit to a remote village, home to one of our students, Tombe. Another teacher and I walked for two and a half hours to get there — first, up a mountain from where we had fantastic views, and then down a shaded path to the valley below. When we arrived at the village, Tombe’s mother, Kiak, saw us coming and started crying “ieee ieee”. We shook hands with all the villagers. Everyone seemed to be related to Tombe.
Tombe’s father, Mukap, a man with a strong jaw and a wrinkled forehead, led us to his house, a low, round bamboo hut with no windows, with a door just big enough to get through, and with grass sticking out of the roof — this shows it is a man’s house. Such housing is dark inside so it took time for our eyes to adjust. Fresh grass had been laid on the floor and there was a platform for Jenny and me to sleep on. There was a fireplace in the centre of the hut. The only possessions I could see were one broom, a few saucers, a kettle, cups, pans, and a couple of jars.
Mukap built a fire outside and laid stones on it to heat. He then placed the hot stones in an empty oil drum with kau kau (sweet potato), ripe corn, and greens. He then covered the vegetables with banana leaves and left them to steam. It smelled delicious. We ate inside the hut sitting round the fire. I loved listening to the family talking softly to each other in their language, even though I could not participate much in the conversation. Luckily, Tombe interpreted for us.
Later, I noticed a can standing upside down on the grill over the fire. After a while, Tombe threw it out of the doorway. Tombe told me that the can was heated to dry out the leftover food. His family believes that leftovers attract bad spirits in the night, so any leftover food is dried up in a can and the can is then thrown out of the hut.
We left the village the next morning after many goodbyes and firm handshakes. My muscles were aching and my knees shaking as we dragged ourselves down the mountain towards home. That evening I fell happily into bed. It was such a privilege to have spent a day with Tombe’s family.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．Jo went to a bush school to visit friends. |
| B．Jo’s experience as a volunteer in the bush. |
| C．Introduction of a bush school. |
| D．Introduction of Tombe’s home in the village. |
| A．Jo and another teacher visited Tombe’s home in the village. B．Getting mail from home made Jo feel nice. C．The school where Jo worked and Jo’s work at school. |
Part 2(Paras.2－3)
Part 3(Paras.4－8)
3. What’s the purpose of the author in writing the blog?
| A．To tell us her teaching life in the bush school as a volunteer. |
| B．To tell us her learning life in the bush school as a volunteer. |
| C．To tell us that she couldn’t get any money by teaching the poor students. |
| D．To tell us how happy she was in the small village. |
| A．Because they were frightened by the bubbling mixture. |
| B．Because they couldn’t stand the terrible smell of the mixture. |
| C．Because they didn’t like doing chemistry experiments. |
| D．Because they knew chemistry was not relevant to them. |
| A．Because this was Jo’s first visit to a remote village. |
| B．Because she was expressing her friendliness and warmth. |
| C．Because Jo walked for two and a half hours to get there. |
| D．Because she was afraid of strangers. |
| A．Happy. | B．Sad. |
| C．Worried. | D．Upset. |
Jo worked at a bush school whose classrooms
(1) There is no equipment, and since there isn’t even a washroom, if I need water I have to carry it from my house in a basin!
(2) The class became a circus as the boys, who had never come across anything like this before, started jumping out of the windows.
(3) His family believes that leftovers attract bad spirits in the night, so any leftover food is dried up in a can and the can is then thrown out of the hut.
| A．My cat watched over me in the same way that I took care of her. |
| B．A feline (猫科动物) is a marvel of grace and ferocity (残忍) in the same lovely package. |
FIRST AID FOR BURNS
The skin is an essential part of your body and is its largest organ. Your skin acts as a barrier against disease, toxins, and the sun's rays. It also helps control your body temperature, prevents your body from losing too much water, warns you when things are too hot or cold, and gives you your sense of touch. As you can imagine, getting burnt can lead to very serious injuries. The first and most important step in the treatment of burns is giving first aid.
CAUSES OF BURNS
You can get burnt by a variety of things: hot liquids, steam, fire, radiation, the sun, electricity, acids, or other chemicals.
TYPES OF BURNS
Burns are divided into three types, depending on the depth of skin damage.
·Firstdegree burns These affect only the top few millimetres of the skin. These burns are not serious. Examples include mild sunburn and burns caused by other minor household incidents.
·Seconddegree burns These go below the top layer of the skin. They are serious and take a few weeks to get better. Examples include burns caused by hot liquids.
·Thirddegree burns These affect every layer of the skin, and sometimes the tissue under it. Examples include burns caused by electric shocks, burning clothes, or petrol fires. These burns cause very severe internal injuries and the victim must go to the hospital at once.
CHARACTERISTICS OF BURNS
Firstdegree burns
·dry, red, and mildly swollen
·mildly painful
·turn white when pressed
Seconddegree burns
·red and swollen; blisters; watery surface
·extremely painful
Thirddegree burns
·black and white
·swollen; the tissue underneath can often be seen
·little or no pain if nerves are damaged; may be painful around the edges of the burn
FIRSTAID TREATMENT
①Place burns under cool running water, especially within the first ten minutes. The cool water stops the burning process and reduces the pain and swelling.
②Dry the burnt area gently with a clean cloth.
③Remove any clothes using scissors if necessary, unless you see the fabric sticking to the burnt skin.
④Cover the burnt area with a loose clean cloth. Applying oil to the injured areas is a bad idea, as it will keep the heat in the wounds and may cause infection.
⑤If burns are on the face, make sure the victim can still breathe.
⑥If the victim is suffering from second or thirddegree burns, there is an urgent need to take him/her to the hospital at once.
1. What's the main idea of the text?| A．The burns and first aid treatment. | B．The characteristics of burns. |
| C．The functions of the skin. | D．How to carry out first aid for burns. |
| A．the three types of burns B．what to do if someone gets burned C．the functions of the skin D．the symptoms of burns E．how we get burns |
3. What are the characteristics of first degree burns?
| A．Black and white and charred. | B．Rough, red and swollen. |
| C．Rough, red and dry. | D．Dry, red and mildly swollen. |
| A．Steam and radiation. | B．The moon and the sun. |
| C．Fire and electricity. | D．Hot liquids and chemicals. |
| A．be sent to hospital at once |
| B．be placed on the floor and cool the burns immediately |
| C．be undressed in order to cover the burned area with a clean, dry bandage |
| D．be asked not to drink any water |
| A．Because the person will cry. |
| B．Because rubbing may break any blisters and the wound may get infected. |
| C．Because the burns are on the face. |
| D．Because it will make the person feel good. |
First Aid for Burns |
| Something about the |
| First-aid |
(1). Applying oil to the injured areas is a bad idea, as it will keep the heat in the wounds and may cause in fection.
(2). If the victim is suffering from second or third-degree burns, there is an urgent need to take him/her to the hospital at once.
SEEING THE TRUE NORTH VIA RAIL: VANCOUVER AND THE HEART OF CANADA
Li Daiyu and her cousin Liu Qian went to Canada to visit their cousins in Halifax on the Atlantic coast. Rather than travel by commercial airline all the way, they decided to fly to Vancouver and then take the train.[1] For both of them, the thought of crossing the whole country by rail was exciting.
Before starting out, they spent a couple of days in Vancouver, seeing the sights. During their first day, as is typical of Vancouver, it rained. Despite the weather, they were able to take a boat ride out into the bay, and later visit an island that had wonderful shops selling crafts and antiques[3]. The next day was clear and mild, and they were pleased to see the beautiful mountains looking out over the city. Later, they took a pleasant hike in a forest just a short distance away.
The next morning, the two girls arose early to take the train to Lake Louise, passing through the Canadian Rockies. Seen from the train window, the mountains and forests of Canada looked massive. When the train arrived at the station, they took a taxi to Lake Louise, where the blue water literally took their breath away with its exceptional beauty. They spent the night, and then took a coach bound north through the Canadian Rockies to Jasper. Looking at the beautiful scenery, they both agreed that it was the most awesome journey they had ever taken. In addition to seeing spectacular mountain peaks and forests, one highlight of their trip was being able to see many different creatures, including deer, mountain goats, and even a grizzly bear and an eagle.
From Jasper, they caught the train towards Toronto. One of the train’s first stops was in Edmonton, the provincial capital of Alberta, the centre of Canada’s huge oil and gas drilling industry. Edmonton is freezing cold in winter, with daily temperatures averaging10℃. Since it can be too cold to go outdoors, Edmonton is home to many shopping malls. In fact, one of the largest shopping malls in North America is in Edmonton.
From Edmonton, the train headed southeast across the great Canadian Prairie. At school, Daiyu and Liu Qian had learnt that Canada’s population is only slightly over thirty-seven million. However, they did not anticipate seeing such an open country, and were truly amazed. They went through two wheat growing provinces, where they saw a bunch of farms that covered a very large area.
After another day on the train, eventually they were back in an urban area, the city of Winnipeg. From there, they travelled through the night, and woke up in Ontario — a land of forests and lakes. The train thundered on, through the rolling hills. The bushes and maple trees outside their windows were red, gold, and orange, and there was frost on the ground, confirming that autumn had arrived in Canada. Night came again, and the train turned south towards Toronto. When they woke up the next morning and pulled back the curtain, they could see the wide stretch of Lake Huron — one of the four Great Lakes on Ontario’s southern border. It was not until 9:30 a. m. that they finally reached the capital of Ontario, Toronto. All in all, their trip from Vancouver to Toronto had taken a duration of four days.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．The trip from Vancouver to Toronto in Canada. |
| B．The beautiful scenery of Canada. |
| C．Canada is a good place for shopping. |
| D．Autumn is the best season in Canada. |
| A．65 | B．75 |
| C．85 | D．95 |
| A．Because they don’t have so much money. |
| B．Because they want to take the train to have a good view of Canada. |
| C．The aeroplane is so fast. |
| D．The distance from the west coast to the east isn't so long. |
| A．In Jasper. | B．In Lake Louise. |
| C．In Vancouver. | D．In Edmonton. |
| A．It often rains. |
| B．It is freezing cold in winter. |
| C．It is often sunny. |
| D．It is always like autumn. |
| Vancouver | → | Seeing the |
↓ | ↓ | |
| → | blue water | |
↓ | ↓ | |
| Jasper | → | Many different |
↓ | ↓ | |
| → | ||
↓ | ↓ | |
| Winnipeg | → | Ｘ |
↓ | ↓ | |
| Ontario | → | |
↓ | ↓ | |
| → | Capital of Ontario |
7. Analyse and translate the sentences.
①Despite the weather, they were able to take a boat ride out into the bay, and later visit an island that had wonderful shops selling crafts and antiques.
②When the train arrived at the station, they took a taxi to Lake Louise, where the bule water literally took their breath away with its exceptional beauty.
③They went through two wheat-growing provinces, where they saw a bunch of farms that covered a very large area.
A Journey of Discovery
The captain of the ship，the Beagle, wanted someone who would “profit by the opportunity of visiting distant countries yet little known”．The person who answered the call was not the captain's first choice. It was a young man who had left medical school without completing his degree. What's more，he had recently received a letter from his father predicting that he would be “a disgrace to yourself and all your family”． Despite all this，his adventures on this ship would lead to one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time.
The young man in question，Charles Darwin，was a geologist and naturalist，fascinated by rocks，plants and animals.He left England on the ship，the Beagle，in 1831. The journey gave him the chance to study various living things in their natural environments. After Darwin had spent some time in South America，his room on the ship was crowded with samples of the plants and animals he had collected. As he studied these, he asked himself the question：how did different species come to exist？
At that time，people believed that all species had appeared on Earth at the same time，and had not changed since. But Darwin began to think differently. He noticed that some species of animals were very similar to each other. Maybe animals evolved as they adapted to their changing environments？It was just an idea，but enough to inspire Darwin to look for more evidence.
When the Beagle reached the Galápagos Islands in 1835，Darwin saw a variety of new species，but [6]it was the birds that interested him the most. Darwin noticed that there was a difference between the finches on each of the islands. It seemed their beaks had evolved according to what food was available on that particular island.
Darwin suspected that the finches had evolved from a common ancestor，which had arrived on the islands a long time before. Over time，it had slowly evolved into many new species. And that was the answer to how new species of plants and animals came to exist：they evolved from earlier ancestors.
It was a completely new idea—a theory of evolution. Darwin explained this theory in his book，On the Origin of Species. It was not published until 1859 and immediately caused a storm. Many people refused to believe that living things，including humans，had evolved from lower forms of life. They were shocked. But Darwin's scientific studies were so convincing that more and more people started to believe his theory.
Today，On the Origin of Species is regarded as one of the most important works ever written. It has changed ideas about life on Earth forever. And it all began with the journey on the Beagle.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．Darwin’s unlucky journey confirmed his theory that humans had evolved over time. |
| B．Darwin went on a journey to confirm his theory that humans had evolved over time. |
| C．Darwin’s interest in various living things made him a great naturalist. |
| D．Darwin’s journey on the Beagle inspired his theory of evolution. |
| A．He knew the captain of the Beagle very well. |
| B．He wanted to travel around the world by ship. |
| C．He was interested in his lessons at college. |
| D．His father was disappointed with him. |
| A．Travelling around the world. | B．Living things on Earth. |
| C．Communicating with others. | D．Doing research on resources. |
| A．To travel alone in the mountains. | B．To fight against other people. |
| C．To express his own different ideas. | D．To inspire others to tell the truth. |
| A．Traditional beliefs. | B．Doing experiments. | C．Famous sayings. | D．Scientific research. |
7. 细读课文并找出心理描写的句子
Longji Rice Terraces
Imagine mountains wrapped in silver water, shining in the spring sun. Summer sees the mountains turn bright green with growing rice. During autumn, these same mountains are gold, and in winter they are covered in sheets of white frost. These are the colours of the Longji Rice Terraces.
These terraces were built by the local Zhuang and Yao people, to whom Guangxi is home. Starting in the Yuan Dynasty, work on the terraces took hundreds of years, until its completion in the early Qing Dynasty. Reaching as far as the eye can see, these terraces cover tall mountains, often from the bottom to the very top.
So why did these people go to so much trouble to turn the entire mountains into terraces? Firstly, there are few large, flat areas of land in the region. Building the terraces therefore meant that they could increase the areas in which they could grow rice. Secondly, although the region has plenty of rain, the mountains are steep and the soil is shallow. The flat terraces catch the rainwater and prevent the soil from being washed away.
But perhaps what is most significant is the way in which people have worked in harmony with nature to make these terraces and grow rice. The terraces are cleverly designed, with hundreds of waterways that connect with each other. During the rainy season, it is along these waterways that rainwater moves down the mountains and into the terraces. The sun heats the water and turns it into vapour. This forms clouds from which rain falls down onto the mountain terraces once again. These terraces also provide a perfect environment for birds and fish, some of which feed on insects that can harm the rice crops.
Although modern technology could help produce more crops, these terraces still mean a lot to the people for whom traditions hold much value. This knowledge is passed down through families, which means that new generations continue to use ancient methods of agriculture to maintain the terraces. Today, the Longji Rice Terraces attract thousands of visitors who come to admire this great wonder created by people and nature working together.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．The Longji Rice Terraces will have a bright future. |
| B．How people worked in harmony with nature to create the Longji Rice Terraces. |
| C．The Longji Rice Terraces are fascinating all around the year. |
| D．The reason why Longji Rice Terraces were built. |
| A．Beautiful. | B．Common. |
| C．Just so-so. | D．Unpleasant. |
| A．The terraces’ scenery. |
| B．The terraces’ future. |
| C．The terraces’ function. |
| D．The terraces’ history. |
| A．They were built many years ago. |
| B．They have become a tourist attraction. |
| C．They were built in harmony with nature. |
| D．They have brought the locals much money. |
| A．To show the terraces are out of date. |
| B．To show the terraces are still valuable. |
| C．To show the terraces are kept better. |
| D．To show why the terraces are abandoned. |
(1)
(2)
7. 细读短文并找出文中的拟人句
(1)
(2)
8 . About thirty years ago, Switzerland-based artist Klaus Littmann came across a great drawing titled The Unending Attraction of Nature by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner. The drawing displays a scene in which nature is so separate (分开的) from the environment that it becomes just a small area of ground, protected for amusement.
“When I first saw the pencil drawing, I was interested. I knew that one day this work would be the starting point for a major art project in public space,” says Littmann. Now, decades later, Littmann has achieved the vision with the installation (大型艺术作品) of FOR FOREST: The Unending Attraction of Nature. The installation sets a native central European forest in the middle of Worthersee Football Stadium in Klagenfurt, with almost 300 trees planted, some weighing up to six tons each.
In the face of climate crisis and deforestation, FOR FOREST comes with a more pressing urgency. As explained in a statement about the installation, “In support of today’s most pressing issues about climate change and deforestation, FOR FOREST aims to challenge our perception of nature and question its future. It reminds us that nature may someday only be found in special places, as is already the case with animals in zoos.”
Overseen by Enea Landscape Architecture, the forest is made up of a diverse range of species. This attracting panorama (全景) will pave the way for a whole new view and understanding of forests.
In a short video about the work, Littmann says his goal is never to make something that will last forever; rather, he says, “My goal is for this picture to remain in people’s head for a lifetime.”
1. Why is FOR FOREST meaningful?| A．It has protected various rare plants. | B．It is Austria’s greenest artistic work. |
| C．It warns us of environmental issues. | D．It has greatly promoted local tourism. |
9 . A new study found that some methods for measuring a species’ generation time might underestimate (低估) the likelihood that some species would die out.
A species’ generation time is how long it takes for a generation to be replaced by its mature offspring (后代). This is different for every species and dramatically impacts how quickly a species can respond to changes in its environment. The generation time of a mouse is only a few months, whereas the African elephant has the generation time of 22 years. The longer the generation time, the slower a species can adapt to environmental changes and therefore it may be more likely to go extinct.
In some risk assessment models, population reduction is measured on the scale of three times a species’ generation time. If a species is believed to mature and produce offspring in five years, then how much its population has declined will be measured over a 15-year interval. But if a species’ generation time is underestimated, so is the threat status of the species.
We tested the influence of errors in different measures of generation time, including those used by the IUCN Red List assessments and found that these errors could potentially lead to an overly optimistic assessment of extinction risk for some species.
To overcome this, we compared different types of errors in seven commonly used measures of generation time. We proposed a new estimate which predicted a species’ generation time from its body mass and reproductive lifespan.
Still, the lack of data is a tough problem for making accurate calculations. We’re planning to explore how to fill some of these knowledge gaps by comparing survival and reproduction data from wild and captive (被关起来的) populations, using data from nearly 1,200 zoos and aquariums over 40 years, on more than 21,000 species.
1. How long do some assessment models need to measure population reduction of the African elephant?| A．15 years. | B．22 years. |
| C．44 years. | D．66 years. |
10 . The Imperial Palace, also called the Forbidden City was the palace where the 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled China for roughly 500 years.
The Imperial Palace is located in the center of Beijing, on the northern side of Tian'anmen Square, rectangular (矩形的) in shape, 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters wide from east to west, with an area of 1,120,000 square meters. It's the world's largest and most complete palace made of wood in existence.
The Imperial Palace is divided into two parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court was the place where the emperors hosted royal ceremonies and handled the day-to-day affairs of the state, while the Inner Court was the living quarters for the emperors and their families. In 1987 the Imperial Palace was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Imperial Palace is surrounded by royal gardens. To the west lies Zhongnanhai, which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China. To the north-west lies Beihai Park, which also is a popular park. To the north lies Jingshan Park, also known as Coal Hill, where the last Ming emperor hanged himself as the rebel army overran his palace.
Today, Tian'anmen Gate in front of the Forbidden City is decorated with a portrait of Mao Zedong in the center and two placards (标语牌) to the left and right. The left placard reads “Long Live the People's Republic of China”, and the right placard reads “Long live the Great Unity of the World's Peoples”. The phrasing has great symbolic meaning, as the phrase “long live” was traditionally reserved for the emperors of China, but is now available to the common people. This is also true of the Forbidden City.
1. According to the passage, what makes the Imperial Palace stand out in the world?| A．It is a palace complex with a long history. |
| B．It witnessed 24 emperors working and living in it. |
| C．It is the largest and best preserved wooden palace. |
| D．It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
