| A．It’s a museum for old art. |
| B．It will be built on a small island. |
| C．It’s the first of its kind in Indonesia. |
2 . People can see more and more information about light steel villas (别墅). Their style is very beautiful, which is very attractive for many people who long for high quality of life, especially young people.
However, many people have concerns about the safety and comfort of light steel villas. After all, compared with ordinary building structures, the building structure of light steel villas looks obviously “thin”. For those who are preparing to build light steel villas, they need to have a real understanding of light steel villas before making choices.
In fact, depending on advanced technology, the overall structure of the house is stronger and safer than the ordinary building structure. In addition, thanks to the light weight, the light steel villa is relatively good in seismic (抗震的) performance. What’s more, because the walls of the light steel villa are thinner, compared with the houses under the ordinary building structure, the actual indoor living area is increased, and there are more space for doing activities.
At present, most of the light steel villas on the market are based on two or three floors. If people only intend to build a one-floor house, then it is still recommended that they give up light steel structure and choose ordinary building structure to build houses. After all, the beautiful advantages of light steel structure cannot be reflected, while the cost is relatively high. However, if you plan to build more than two floors of buildings with enough planned money, light steel villas are still recommended.
It must be pointed out that people must avoid blindly focusing on low prices. To know that “good things are not cheap” at any time is an iron law, otherwise it is easy to suffer big losses.
1. What is many people’s concern about light steel villas?| A．They don’t look good. | B．They are hard to build. |
| C．They cost too much to build. | D．They don’t seem strong enough. |
| A．The advantages of light steel villas. |
| B．The appearance of light steel villas. |
| C．The building process of light steel villas. |
| D．The methods of choosing light steel villas. |
| A．A person longing for living in a traditional house. |
| B．A person expecting to own a one-floor building. |
| C．A person wanting to spend less money building a house. |
| D．A person intending to spend enough money on a two-floor house. |
| A．Culture. | B．Industry news. | C．Nature. | D．Family life. |
On March 31, the Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th anniversary since it opened.
The tower was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel and was first intended as the main entrance
Visitors today can choose to climb 1,665 steps or take one of the original elevator cars
Today, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France, representing a feeling of pride and thankfulness. It is a global icon that can bring together people from different
4 . The Sydney Opera House has become, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney’s best-known landmark and international symbol.
The base for the building was started in 1959 — years before the designs were finished. It took four years to design by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and by 1962 the designs were finalized and construction began. In total, it took 14 years to build and was officially opened on the 20th of October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Sydney Opera House is a fascinating building and heart of the city’s cultural scene. It opened with a concert hall, an opera theatre, a drama theatre and a recital (音乐演奏会) hall, as well as restaurants and bars. A fifth theatre was added within the structure in 1998.
The Sydney Opera House cost some $160 million to build and was paid for by the public who bought $10 tickets in a series of lotteries with a first prize of $1million.
More information about the Sydney Opera House:
Conducts 3,000 events each year
Provides guided tours to 200,000 people each year
Has an annual audience of 2 million for its performances
includes 1,000 rooms
Is 185 metres long and 120 metres wide
Has 2.194 pre-cast concrete sections as its roof
Has roof sections weighing up to 15 tons
Has roof sections held together by 350 kms of tensioned steel cable
Has over 1 million tiles on the roof
Uses 6,225 square metres of glass and 645 kilometres of electric cable
1. When were the designs of the Sydney Opera House started?| A．In1960. | B．In1962. | C．In1958. | D．In1973. |
| A．a drama theatre | B．an opera theatre |
| C．a concert hall | D．a reception hall |
| A．The Sydney Opera House has an audience of 2 million per year for its performances. |
| B．There are about 3,000 events held in the Sydney Opera House each year. |
| C．The Sydney Opera House is made up of more than 1,000 rooms. |
| D．The roof of the Sydney Opera House is made of concrete and steel. |
5 . The Golden Gate Bridge is a well-recognized landmark in the United States. It spans (横跨) the Golden Gate Strait — a mile-wide stretch of water that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. It is also one of the tallest.
The idea for a bridge across the strait had been around for many years, because San Francisco suffered from its isolated location. Planning for the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1916, but the design underwent many changes before construction finally started in 1933.
Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer in charge of the bridge project. However, he had little experience with the construction of suspension bridges (吊桥). For this reason, other engineers, architects, and designers made great contributions to the design and construction of the bridge. For example, the bridge owes its art deco (装饰派艺术) style and distinctive orange color to the architects Irving and Gertrude Morrow. Charles Alton Ellis did much of the technical work necessary to build the bridge.
It was not easy to get the project started. Financing had to be found, and there was much opposition to the very idea of a bridge. The US Navy, for example, feared, that a bridge would block ship traffic. The Southern Pacific Railroad, which ran the ferry fleets (轮渡船队), feared competition from the bridge. Many experts did not believe that it would be possible to build such a long bridge under such difficult circumstances. There are strong currents and heavy winds on the bridge site, which made construction dangerous.
The construction of the bridge finally began in 1933. The construction work set new standards for safety — workers were among the first required to wear hard hats, and a safety net saved the lives of nineteen men while the bridge was built. The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, when the bridge was opened to pedestrians (行人). It was opened to cars one year later. The bridge was finished ahead of schedule and cost much less than originally budgeted.
Because the Golden Gate Bridge is the first sight for many people arriving in the United States by ship, it is sometimes called the “Statue of Liberty” for the West Coast.
1. According to the text, the Golden Gate Bridge .| A．is the best-known symbol of America | B．crosses the Golden Gate Strait |
| C．crosses the San Francisco Bay | D．is about a mile wide. |
| A．To give the West Coast a new tourist attraction. |
| B．To connect San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean. |
| C．To set up a well-known landmark. |
| D．To compete with the ferry fleets. |
| A．was first suggested in 1916 |
| B．was first put forth by Joseph Strauss |
| C．was perfected by Gertrude Morrow in 1933 |
| D．was put forward long before construction started |
| A．It was finished under budget. |
| B．It was delayed for one year. |
| C．It was opened to the vehicles in 1937. |
| D．It was the first to set safety standards. |
6 . Whether you are a fine art lover or history enthusiast, there are some museums that you should visit in your lifetime. Here’s a list of the best museums in the world.
LE LOUVRE, PARIS
A visit to the Louvre lets visitors discover ancient civilizations and Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848. The palace of the museum, dating back to the twelfth century and developed by architects from 1200 to 2011, is a lesson in architecture. The most famous art work is Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”.
THE UFFIZI GALLERIES, FLORENCE
The museum occupies a large building constructed between 1560 and 1580. It’s famous for its outstanding collections of ancient sculptures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the Modern period, and mainly known for its paintings by Italian artists.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON
As the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge, it was founded in 1753 and opened its doors in 1759. Its eight million objects allow us to explore the diversity of human cultures, and discover the expressions in human being’s life. It boasts the world’s second finest collection of Egyptian antiques.
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK
Also known as “the Met”, it’s the largest art museum in the America. Presenting over 5,000 years of art from around the world, the museum lives in two sites in New York: The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Since its founding in 1870, it has been a treasury of rare and beautiful objects, ranging from European paintings, Egyptian collections to American paintings.
1. Which museum is best known for ancient statues in the Middle Ages?| A．The Louvre. | B．The Uffizi Galleries. |
| C．The British Museum. | D．The Metropolitan Museum. |
| A．Art works from Egypt. | B．Expressions around the world. |
| C．Rare objects of human culture. | D．Paintings from Europe and America. |
| A．An introduction to arts. | B．An essay on architecture. |
| C．A guidebook to museums. | D．A review of Egyptian paintings. |
Chang’an Tower, also known as the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, is an architectural wonder
Rising to a
Whether it is for experiencing a piece of history
Qinghefang Ancient Street. a part of Hefang Street,
Qinghefang Ancient Street
9 . Ancient builders across the world created structures (建筑物) that are still standing today, thousands of years later. Roman engineers built thick concrete barriers (混凝土屏障), for example. Mayan builders created structures to their gods, and Chinese builders raised walls against enemies.
But there are many recent structures that are already starting to fail. The concrete that makes up much of our modern world lasts around 50 to 100 years.
A growing number of scientists are breaking apart pieces of buildings and reading historical texts, hoping to learn how they have stood for thousands of years. The research has turned up a surprising list of materials that were mixed into old buildings. They include tree skins, volcanic ash, rice and even beer. These unexpected materials could have the ability to get stronger over time and “repair” cracks when they form.
Is ancient Roman concrete better? Many researchers have turned to the Romans. Starting around 200 BC, the Roman Empire was building concrete structures that have stood the test of time. Now, scientists think they have found an important reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years.
Admir Masic, an environmental engineer said this power comes from thick pieces of limestone (石灰石) throughout the Roman material that is not mixed in well. Researchers used to think these thick pieces were a sign that the Romans were not mixing up their materials well enough. Instead, the scientists found when cracks form, water enters the concrete. That water causes the leftover lime to create new chemical changes that can fill in the broken sections.
Finding out how to copy these features (特征) could have real influences today. Today’s builders cannot just copy the ancient processes. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it could not hold up heavy buildings. “If we add 50 or 100 years to concrete’s lifetime,” Admir Masic said, “we will pull down less and require less material in the long run.”
1. Why are Mayan and Chinese builders mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To present some facts. | B．To explain a rule. |
| C．To introduce places. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．Replace broken parts. | B．Improve their style. |
| C．Learn about their history. | D．Study their materials. |
| A．They couldn’t mix up easily. | B．They created new chemicals in time. |
| C．They had an ability to repair themselves. | D．They would take in the nearby water. |
| A．By making the past serve the present. | B．By trying to find the ideas behind them. |
| C．By making use of them without any change. | D．By accepting the good and throwing the bad. |
10 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
An exhibition (展览), presenting significant projects from the past 20 years by Ma Yansong and his company MAD Architects (建筑师)
The exhibition aims
With 79 models and nearly a thousand examples of work
For young architects or anyone in any professional field looking to challenge tradition, Maoffers this advice, “I’m not challenging tradition,
