1 . Which is more important when an architect designs a building: beauty or function?
At the start of the twentieth century, Louis Sullivan, one of the creators of modern architecture said that “form follows function.” Functionalism is used to describe the idea behind architecture which primarily focuses on the purpose of a building. However, many people disagree with this and feel that beauty is a more important factor （因素）in architectural design. In the modern world, it seems that most architects combine both ideas: aiming to create buildings which are both functional and beautiful.
The reason for creating a building in the first place is clearly very important. For example, when building an airport terminal, you need to think of the needs of passengers as well as planes. Passengers want to get to their plane as quickly as they can, and planes need to be parked in a more efficient way. As such, many airport terminals have a circular shape with satellite areas. Residential homes need to have enough space for a family, art galleries need wall space to show pictures, and factories need to manufacture goods as efficiently as possible.
Beauty, however, is also important when it comes to the construction of a building. Living or working in an ugly place creates a depressing and uninspiring environment. On the contrary, an attractive building can make people feel happier and increase their motivation to work. There is also a wider responsibility to society which architects have to consider. Beautiful, well-constructed buildings are a symbol of a civilized society, and reflect well on the business or reputation of the owner.
In theory, there seems to be no reason why architecture cannot be both functional and beautiful. Yet in practice, this can cause problems. The Guggenheim Museum in New York, was supposed to combine beauty with function. Many consider the museum's white spiral ramp (螺旋坡道) beautiful, but there have been complaints that it is impractical, as it is difficult to stand back to view the art. Also, the ramp is so narrow that it can become overcrowded. It seems that even a celebrated design has problems with functionality.
If architects focus only on function, buildings may be cold, ugly and uninteresting. On the other hand, if they focus only on making it look beautiful, the building may be completely impractical. Therefore, combining these two ideas is necessary to create the perfect piece of architecture.
1. From paragraph 3, what is the form of a building closely connected with?| A．Its specific function. | B．Its exceptional beauty. |
| C．The architect's idea. | D．The changing world. |
| A．It is a guarantee of people's work efficiency. | B．It can give people spiritual satisfaction. |
| C．It suggests the fine reputation of an architect. | D．It is a reflection of ancient civilization. |
| A．it is function rather than beauty that architects should focus on |
| B．world famous buildings must be beautiful as well as practical |
| C．there is no chance at all to have function and beauty connected |
| D．it can be difficult to have function and beauty perfectly combined |
| A．Architecture: beauty or function? | B．Argument: theory or practice? |
| C．Preference: abstract or concrete? | D．Conflict: Fantastic or realistic? |
1. Why are the speakers traveling in London?
| A．For pleasure. | B．On business. | C．For research. |
| A．Forty minutes. | B．Thirty minutes. | C．Fifteen minutes. |
| A．Hot. | B．Rainy. | C．Cold. |
| A．Walking to the park. | B．Taking a taxi to the park. | C．Going back to their hotel. |
1.写信目的:请他提供参考意见；
2.旅行要求:体验生活，参观名校；
3.其他事项:……
注意:
1.词数80左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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