1 . Bangkok’s Grand Palace is the busiest tourist stop in the city. People keep coming because the Grand Palace could arguably be called the birthplace of Bangkok
How to Get to the Grand Palace
Making your own way to the Grand Palace in Bangkok is more enjoyable and rewarding. Moving around by river taxi is inexpensive. Additionally, you’ll have a good excuse to see the Chao Phraya River up close. Going by boat won’t make you caught in traffic jams. It will let you see beautiful river scenery!
People staying in the Khao San Road area may choose to walk (around 20 — 25 minutes) to the Grand Palace.
Opening Hours
The Grand Palace is open seven days a week from 8:30 a. m. until 3:30 p. m. Occasionally, the Grand Palace does actually close for official visits and state functions. However, this is rare. Don’t believe any driver who states the Grand Palace is closed. If the statement of closure is too convincing, confirm it by calling: +6626235500 ext.3100.
Entrance Fees
Considering that temples in Thailand are often free, the 500 baht (around $16) per person entrance fee at the Grand Palace is relatively expensive. Thai nationals do not have to pay. An audio tour can be rented for an additional 200 baht. Besides, human guides are available for hire. Choose an official guide rather than accepting someone’s offer on the outside.
Dress Standards at the Grand Palace
To show enough respect, you shouldn’t wear sleeveless shirts in any temple or state building in Thailand. But unlike many of the other temples, dress standards are strictly required at the Grand Palace.
Men must wear long trousers, women must cover legs to just above the knee.
Don’t wear shirts with religious themes or symbols of death on them.
You may be told outside that flip-flops (人字拖鞋) are unacceptable footwear.
1. What do you know about the river taxi to the Grand Palace?A.It is the only way to get to the Grand Palace |
B.It is difficult for visitors to jump on and off it. |
C.It is safe, clean and affordable for most visitors. |
D.It allows visitors to avoid traffic jams and enjoy river scenery. |
A.They’d better call to confirm the information. |
B.They should call off their trips immediately. |
C.They should wait until the Grand Palace reopens. |
D.They should believe the statements and change the trips. |
A.The Grand Palace provides an audio tour free. |
B.Not all people need to buy tickets to the Grand Palace. |
C.Guides outside the Grand Palace are more professional. |
D.The locals always guide visitors voluntarily during the holiday season. |
A.Mr Green, from the USA, wearing flip-flops and a T-shirt. |
B.Alice, 16 years old, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a miniskirt. |
C.Mark, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and sports shoes. |
D.John, wearing a hat and a shirt with religious symbols. |
A.To encourage more people to visit Bangkok. |
B.To introduce some palaces in Bangkok to readers. |
C.To introduce some activities of the Grand Palace. |
D.To provide guidance on visiting the Grand Palace. |
2 . The Hope Diamond is one of the world’s most famous jewels. It was in the possession of a series of people: kings, bankers, rich women and thieves, before its arrival 60 years ago at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
As a rare blue diamond, it has a complex social history, to be sure. But, far more so is its geological history, researchers say in a new report. This is the first time anyone has come up with a fact-based study or model for how blue diamonds form.
The group looked at 42 blue diamonds, including one from South Africa that recently sold for $25 million in 2016. Researchers could tell where the stones were formed based on the very small minerals trapped inside.
Diamonds are a hard, clear form of pure carbon called a crystal (结晶). They form under extreme heat and pressure. Blue diamonds crystallize alongside water-bearing minerals that long ago were part of the floor of the sea. But these minerals were pushed deeper underground during the movement of the Earth’s plates.
Scientists already knew these diamonds received their blue color from the element boron (硼). The study says that boron had once been in ocean water but was eventually pushed into the seafloor rock. Over millions of years, the boron continued to move deep underground.
Many diamonds appear colorless. Often, however, they have some yellow color. Still others have a light brown, pink or green color. About 99 percent of all diamonds form somewhere between 150 to 200 kilometers underground, a far shallower birthplace than their blue relations. “These diamonds are among the deepest ever found,” Carnegie Institution for Science geochemist Steven Shirey said of the blue diamonds.
The public can see the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.
1. By saying the underlined part in Paragraph 2, the researchers mean the blue diamond ________.A.was formed in extreme weather |
B.has a very complex forming history |
C.has a far-reaching influence in society |
D.used to be very popular among rich people |
A.By observing their colors. |
B.By studying their structures. |
C.By referring to where they were found. |
D.By examining tiny substances in them. |
A.The water. | B.Extreme heat and pressure. |
C.A special matter. | D.The seafloor rock. |
A.They contain several colors. |
B.They form in much deeper underground. |
C.They come into being in a different way. |
D.They are found near the earth’s surface. |
A.The social status of the Hope Diamond. |
B.The discovery of the Hope Diamond. |
C.The formation of the blue diamond. |
D.The diversity of diamonds. |