1 . The Most Breathtaking Theaters in the World
Shakespeare's Globe Theater(London, UK)
The original Globe Theater was built by Shakespeare's company in 1599, but was destroyed by fire in 1613. A replica was built in 1997 just meters from the original site. The new 857-seat structure has several modern features. It has the first and only straw roof permitted in London since the great fire of 1666.
Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London; +44 20 7902 1400
Margravial Opera House(Bayreuth, Germany)
Built in 1745, the UNESCO-listed Mareravial Opera House is regarded as the finest baroque theater in Europe. The stage has a depth of 27 meters and was the largest in Europe until 1871. Much of the original materials remain, along with original structures, such as the twin staircases.
Margravial Opera House, Opernstrasse 14. Bayreuth, Germany; +49 9 21 7 59 69 22
Teatro Amazonas(Manaus, Brazil)
There can't be many theaters located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, and the Teatro Amazonas is certainly the most breathtaking. The theater was built in 1895 and was designed by Italian architect Celestial Sacardim. Work took 15 years. largely thanks to the decision to source supplies from all over the world
Amazon Theater, Centro, Manaus, Brazil; +55 92 3622 1880
National Centre for the Performing Arts(Beijing, China)
The National Centre for the Performing Arts(NCPA), built in 2007, is an arts centre in Beijing. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, the NCPA is the largest theatre complex(建筑群)in Asia. The NCPA includes value in both ancient traditional Chinese architecture and modern architecture. It was specially designed to improve the red walls of ancient buildings and the Great Hall of the People in order to fit in with the surroundings.
NCPA, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing; +86 010 6655 0989
1. Where does the theatre with its longest survival time lie?A.In London. | B.In Bayreuth | C.In Manaus. | D.In Beijing |
A.Shakespeare's Globe. | B.Margravial Opera House. |
C.Teatro Amazonas. | D.National Centre for the Performing Arts. |
A.It features modern architecture. | B.It receives worldwide supplies. |
C.It is a multifunctional theatre | D.It matches its surroundings. |
2 . The commonly held view is that people arrived in North America from Asia via a land bridge once connecting the two continents at the end of the Ice Age around 13,000 to 16,000 years ago. But recent discoveries have suggested humans might have been there earlier. Researchers studying fossilized human footprints in New Mexico say that humans were there at least 23,000 years ago.
Matthew Bennett, a specialist in ancient footprints and author of a study on the new findings published in Science, and his colleagues studied 61 footprints by radiocarbon(放射性碳) dating layers of aquatic (水生的) plant seeds preserved above and below the footprints and accurately dated they were made 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. The people who made the footprints were living there in the last Ice Age when two massive ice sheets covering the continent and cold temperatures would have made a journey between Asia and Alaska impossible, indicating humans must have been there much earlier than previously thought.
According to their analysis of the footprints, they were likely made in soft ground at the edge of a wetland by children who were sent to do the work like fetching and catching by adults. Wind probably blew dust over the surface, accumulating in the prints, thus, leaving footprints that previously recorded.
Their finding also makes it possible to explore the older and more controversial sites. One such site is Chiquihuite Cave in central Mexico, where stone tools dating back to 30,000 years ago have been found.
David Rachal, an experienced geoarchaeologist (地质考古学家) thought the footprint dates provided by Bennett and his team looked extremely solid, with seeds providing very reliable and precise ages through radiocarbon dating. “You could not ask for a better setup,” said Rachal. However, he was puzzled that no artifacts, such as stone tools, had been found in the area. “We need to be cautious and more research needs to be done.” Rachal said.
1. What is the most essential evidence dating the time in the passage?A.The aquatic plant seeds. | B.The fossilized human footprints. |
C.The unearthed tools. | D.The massive ice sheets. |
A.To introduce a historical site. |
B.To show the significance of the finding. |
C.To compare geoarchaeological discoveries. |
D.To explain the course of making a discovery. |
A.Optimistic and trustful. | B.Conservative and cautious. |
C.Negative but curious. | D.Favorable but confused. |
A.The Discovery of Human Footprints. |
B.Scientific Methods of Dating Footprints. |
C.The Earlier Arrival of People in North America. |
D.A Discussion on Human History Among Researchers. |
Originally constructed around 256 BCE by the State of Qin
During the Warring States period, people who lived along the banks of the Min River
Xi’an, or Chang’an as it was called for many centuries,
These days,the city has made effective exploration in
The Rio Grande is one of the most important rivers in the US. But unlike other
The river,
The Rio Grande today is mostly used
Today, the Rio Grande is a popular tourist destination. Though borders like the Rio Grande separate the US and Mexico, they are also shared spaces. The Rio Grande is therefore
6 . If there is a building which symbolizes a country—such as the Eiffel Tower for France and Sydney Opera House for Australia—then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.
It was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. From the time they got married, they wouldn’t be separated. She followed him to wars, advised him on affairs of state, and was loved by his people for her good work. But she died in 1631 during childbirth. The emperor was heartbroken and had the Taj Mahal built as a sign of his love.
It took more than 20 years for the Taj Mahal to be built. Workers were brought in, not only from all over India, but from Central Asia too. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building.
In 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill, and in 1658 his son Aurangzeb, imprisoned (囚禁) his father and seized power. Shah Jahan stayed in prison until his death in 1666. He was finally buried there with his wife he could never forget.
The Taj Mahal is definitely worth more than a single visit. As it is built with white marble stones, its character changes in different lights. It looks more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. At sunset, for example, the color of the Taj changes from white to yellow, then to pink. As the moon rises, it turns a silvery white.
To show respect to the Taj, tourists are asked to take off their shoes during their visit.
1. Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal to ________.A.do wonders | B.memorize his wife | C.show his great power | D.give his wife great honor |
A.It is a symbol of India. | B.It took over 20 years to complete the Taj Mahal. |
C.All workers building the Taj Mahal came from Central Asia. | D.The Taj Mahal was built with white marble stones. |
A.Shah Jahan lived a hard life in his last few years. |
B.Shah Jahan lost his life just because of old age. |
C.Shah Jahan was not popular with his people at that time. |
D.Shah Jahan treated his son bad when he was young. |
A.has never visited the Taj Mahal |
B.thinks highly of the Taj Mahal |
C.doesn’t think the Taj Mahal worth a visit |
D.thinks the Taj Mahal is more grand than other buildings in the world |
1. Where is the island?
A.It is in Asia. |
B.It is in the Pacific Ocean. |
C.It is off the coast of Europe. |
A.It’s free of pollution. | B.It’s not far away. | C.It’s small. |
A.Beautiful. | B.Wild. | C.Unusual. |
A.Eight. | B.Seven. | C.Six. |
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces(梯田), in southern Yunnan, China, cover a huge 16, 603-hectare area. The terraces,
In 2003, the terraced fields were
The landscape changes through the year. In April the terraces are all green as rice starts to grow; in later parts of the year it is yellowish brown as the rice ripens. In February, the terraces become bare earth, with the water reflecting(反射)the sky.
The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It
We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.
After
We
10 . In the South Atlantic Ocean, there is an island called Tristan da Cunha, which is a six day boat ride from the nearest town Cape Town in South Africa. There’s no airport on Tristan. Every month or so, a boat will bring visitors but not many. The boat will also bring mail and supplies. You can only see about 270 people, 300 cows, 500 sheep, and a whole lot of penguins there.
The British tried to build a military base there in 1816. They gave up after a year. But a soldier and his family talked a few people into staying. Those people slowly built a community. Few trees grow on the island. So they found wood that washed ashore. They used it to build homes and boats. For food, they raised cows, sheep and pigs. They fished and planted potatoes. They promised to share everything they had. Sometimes ships brought supplies to Tristan. But for many years, no one there used money. Instead, people on the island traded potatoes for supplies. It cost five potatoes to send a piece of mail.
Today, nearly everyone on Tristan is a farmer. The island’s main industry is fishing. It has a single factory that cans fish.
Several times, bad luck has nearly destroyed the town on Tristan. In 1885, men died in a boat accident. That left 13 women and only 4 adult men on the island. Still, everyone stayed. In 1961, a bigger disaster stuck. The town was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. All 290 people on the island moved to England. But soon, nearly all of them moved back to the island and rebuilt their town.
What’s so special about life on this lonely island? For islanders like Harold Green, that’s an easy question to answer. Green has lived on Tristan his whole life. He left when the volcano erupted. But England was too loud and too crowded for him. He came back because the island is peaceful.
1. What was used as money on Tristan in the past?A.Fish. | B.Wood. | C.Sheep. | D.Potatoes |
A.A deadly boat accident. |
B.A terrible natural disaster. |
C.The attraction of modern life. |
D.The building of a British military base. |
A.Bored | B.Hopeful. | C.Satisfied | D.Regretful. |
A.A lonely island. |
B.A special lifestyle. |
C.A famous fishing town. |
D.A popular tourist attraction. |