1 . An international design competition was held in 1955 for an art center to be built. There were 233 entries received from many countries. Danish architect Jorn Utzon won the competition with his unique design of shells that looked like sails on a boat.
The construction began on March 2, 1959 and was expected to be accomplished within 4 years. However, they quickly ran into trouble. The ground was not suitable to hold the weight of the building and huge concrete foundations (混凝土地基) had to be built. Mr Utzon had also made mistakes about how many columns (柱) would be needed to support the roof, thus making the concrete shells at the risk of falling down.
Mr Utzon figured out a new way to disperse the weight of the concrete by making each shell out of a part of a perfect globe. The 14 shells look like a single piece of concrete, but they are actually built across frames (框架) of concrete to hold them in place. They weigh as much as 15 tons each. The highest roof point of the building is 67 m above sea level — the same as a 22-storey high building.
This major correction saved the project but added one decade to the building time. The building consists mainly of two main halls, a number of smaller theaters, performance halls and other additional facilities. Both main halls are housed in relatively large sail-shaped structures, and the smaller performance halls are housed at the ground floor. In particular, the grand organ (风琴) in the concert hall is one of the world’s largest organs containing over 10,000 pipes.
The Sydney Opera House is a great success in the history of architecture. It is not only a world-famous performing arts center and the landmark of Sydney, but also recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world of the 20th century. In 2007, the Sydney Opera House was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
1. What was the difficulty when building Sydney Opera House?| A．Its columns were at the risk of falling down. |
| B．There was no satisfactory appearance design. |
| C．The foundation couldn’t support its huge weight. |
| D．No suitable site could be found for construction. |
| A．Put on. | B．Spread out. | C．Cut down. | D．Look into. |
| A．4 years. | B．6 years. | C．10 years. | D．14 years. |
| A．Its position. | B．Its history. | C．Its general shape. | D．Its inner structure. |
2 . The 187-foot-tall Tower of Pisa is famous all over the world mainly because it leans (倾斜). For many years, people believed that the tower’s designer intended it to lean. As it turns out, though, the tower’s lean is an accident caused by poor planning. The Tower of Pisa was constructed (建造) on a riverbed of sand and clay (黏土) that was not strong enough to support a building so tall and heavy.
Construction of the tower began in 1173. Because Pisa experienced several wars, the tower wasn’t completed until 1350. Only a few years after the construction started, people could see that the first three floors of the tower were already leaning. As the next three floors were added, builders purposefully built them with one side higher than the other to try to correct the lean. This resulted in the tower leaning in the opposite direction
Fortunately for the people of Pisa, the long delays (耽搁) during construction gave the structure time to settle and the ground to become compacted (结实的). This mad the foundation (地基) stronger over time, which is the main reason why the tower never fell over. For hundreds of years, the tower was indeed falling. It would lean one more inch about every 20 years. In the end, in 1990, it was closed to the public for fear that a large group of people at the top would weigh enough to make it fall down.
From 1990 to 2001, engineers from around the world helped balance the tower After several unsuccessful attempts at a solution, engineers finally came up with a plan that worked. They slowly removed ground under the high side of the tower. When they had finished, they had returned it to the position it held in about 1838—the tower had been straightened by nearly 16 inches. Except a sudden great disaster, such as a earthquake, engineers believe the tower is safe for another 300 years now.
1. What does the author try to explain about the Tower of Pisa in Paragraph 1?| A．Why it leans. | B．Why it was built. |
| C．Why it is famous. | D．Why it stopped leaning. |
| A．It was completed in 1173. | B．It began to be built in 1350. |
| C．It was seen leaning after 1173. | D．It was repaired every 20 years. |
| A．The special structure. | B．The timely protection. |
| C．The skill of the builders. | D．The long time of building. |
| A．When does the Tower of Pisa lean? |
| B．Is the leaning Tower of Pisa falling? |
| C．When was the leaning Tower of Pisa built? |
| D．How did the leaning Tower of Pisa get its name? |
1.故宫(the Palace Museum)又叫紫禁城(the Forbidden City)；
2.它于1406年开始建造，于1420年建成；
3.相传它有殿宇宫室9999间。在传统上，中国人认为9是一个吉利的数字；
4.现在，故宫每周二免费向全国的中学生开放；
5.故宫存放着有上千年历史的珍宝 (precious treasures)。请他亲自来看一看。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
It is nice to receive your e-mail. Now I’d like to tell you something about the Palace Museum.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
4 . Considered a symbol( 象征) of ancient Chinese
No one can tell for sure when the building of the Great Wall was
Today the Great Wall has become a
| A．organization | B．civilization | C．destinations | D．graduation |
| A．wonders | B．sources | C．paths | D．honors |
| A．wall | B．cock | C．dragon | D．panda |
| A．under | B．before | C．about | D．through |
| A．height | B．width | C．length | D．depth |
| A．registered | B．designed | C．applied | D．started |
| A．protect | B．debate | C．frighten | D．compete |
| A．city | B．empire | C．castle | D．system |
| A．cleaned | B．signed | C．made | D．joined |
| A．goal | B．type | C．role | D．power |
| A．challenging | B．amazing | C．confusing | D．outgoing |
| A．heart | B．mistake | C．hand | D．foot |
| A．transported | B．buried | C．attracted | D．delivered |
| A．traps | B．shelters | C．failure | D．ruins |
| A．must-see | B．must-do | C．must- have | D．must-read |
5 . Nothing beats live music, but the venue makes a difference. When you're able to score tickets to an incredible concert in an incredible place, you won't forget the experience. Here are some of the coolest music venues from around the world. If you haven't been to any of these, you've got some traveling to do.
Red Rocks, Morrison, the United States
Red Rocks might be the most beautiful and famous venue in the United States. At 6,450 feet above sea level, Red Rocks is a geologically formed natural stage. Its massive sandstone provides a perfect stage for jam bands. If you're into the blues and jazz, you'll have no trouble finding something in line with your interests.
Meet Factory, Prague, Czech Republic
Smallest venues on this list, Meet Factory is an art gallery, theater, and music venue. The venue only accommodates 1,000 people, so you won't see any huge names come through. Still, it's a great place to see up-and-coming local acts, and if you've got an eye for contemporary art, you'll love your time here.
Arena of NÎmes, NÎmes, France
Originally built around A. D. 70, the Arena of Nimes presents concertgoers with an interesting question: Should they enjoy the music, or marvel at the architecture? The Arena is, after all, one of the world's best-preserved Roman theaters. Many major touring acts plan stops at the Arena of Nimes, especially during the venue's annual festival.
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most famous performing venues. I's also one of the most distinctive buildings in Sydney, thanks to the breathtaking design by Danish architect Utzon. It hosts about 40 events per week, so whether you're into jazz, rock, classical music, or opera, you'll find something to watch.
1. Where can you enjoy music in natural beauty?| A．At Red Rocks. | B．At Meet Factory. | C．At Arena of Nimes. | D．At Sydney Opera House. |
| A．It enjoys breathtaking scenery. | B．It hosts both musical and artistic events. |
| C．It is the largest venue of all. | D．It is famous for contemporary music. |
| A．They have a long history. | B．They are built near the sea. |
| C．They accommodate thousands of people. | D．They are beautiful tourist attractions. |
6 . In recent years, 3D printers have mostly been used to create small, specialized items. This includes parts for automobiles, airplanes and medical devices. Many consumer products can also be 3D printed as well, from clothes to foods. Now, an increasing number of startup companies are using 3D printing to build entire homes. Since the technology is still developing, not many have yet been built. However, the top companies plan to greatly increase production in the coming years.
The startup company Icon, based in Austin, Texas, made news in 2018 by completing the first permitted 3D printed home in the U.S. At the time, it said the home had been built in just a day. Since then, the company says it has been developing new technologies in robotics, software and manufacturing materials. It designed its own 3D printer and said the robot-powered machine could create structures up to 185 square meters. The printing process uses a cement-based mixture that Icon says is stronger and saves more money than traditional building materials.
To date, Icon has completed 24 3D printed homes in the U.S. and Mexico. Among them was a community of 3D printed homes in a poor neighborhood in Mexico. The company has also completed a series of structures for homeless people in Austin. And it says it plans to open America's first housing development of 3D printed homes this summer.
A New York company, SQ4D, also uses 3D printing technology to build homes. In February, the company showed off a 130-square-meter model home to demonstrate its printer'sabilities.SQ4D plans to sell its homes starting at $299,000. The company has even started listing the homes on the Internet selling site Zillow. Kirk Andersen is SQ4D's director of operations. He told Reuters the 3D printer will permit buyers to easily create their own home design, room by room.
While 3D printing as a home building method is just getting started, Andersen said others in the construction industry need to get prepared for big changes. “This is the beginning. This is just scratching the surface,” he said.
1. What can we learn about 3D printing technology from Paragraph 1?| A．It needs to be perfected. | B．It enjoys the highest status. |
| C．It is being used for building homes. | D．It helps produce some large and unique items. |
| A．They're more comfortable. | B．They're more environment-friendly. |
| C．They're more complex. | D．They're less expensive. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Favorable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The development of smart homes. | B．The importance of 3D printers. |
| C．3D printing in building homes. | D．Construction industry's future. |
