Now Zack is bringing the broadcast from the largest museum on Earth—the Louvre,
In total there are about 35,000 works currently
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
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
4 . 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. |
5 . 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. |
6 . People of San Francisco and visitors now have a place to learn and study the largely forgotten history of Chinese workers who helped build the US’ first transcontinental (横贯大陆的) railroad.
The Chinese Railroad Workers History Center, near the southern entrance of San Francisco’s Chinatown, is expected to serve as a “gathering place” for people to learn about Chinese Americans’ heritage (遗产) in the US, according to the founder, Florence Fang, a Chinese community leader in the Bay Area. “The center’s purpose is to remember the Chinese railroad workers’ contribution to this country. The goal is to give voice to the voiceless, and the spirit is to remember the past and inspire the future,” said Fang.
The building of the Transcontinental Railroad, originally known as the Pacific Railroad, was completed on May 10, 1869．It was considered one of the most remarkable engineering achievements of the 19th century. The railroad greatly changed the nation as it not only expanded the American economy but also increased national confidence.
The Chinese workers made up more than 80 percent of the railroad workforce. “What is important to remember is the sweat and the tears and sometimes the lives of the Chinese workers who built the most treacherous, difficult part of the Transcontinental Railroad,” said California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, “Now it will go down in history along with so many other unbelievably important contributions of Chinese Americans.”
Kounalaki s and other elected officials in the state and the city joined community leaders on Wednesday at the center to commemorate the 154th anniversary of the completion of the railroad and pay tribute (致敬) to the Chinese workers.
“This center joins several other institutions in San Francisco, like the Chinese Historical Society and the Chinese Culture Center, to attract visitors and to teach Chinese American history and culture,” said Peskin, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
“It comes at a critical time for us. It comes as Chinatown and the home of San Francisco have experienced three very difficult years, Chinatown in particular, not only with the economic harm, but with the rise of Asian hate,” he said. “The center will help teach future generations and make San Francisco proud,” said Peskin. “It will help promote the economy of Chinatown.”
1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?| A．The inspiration of designing the center. | B．The intention of opening the center. |
| C．The process of building the center. | D．The cost of building the center. |
| A．Unimportant. | B．Interesting. | C．Expensive. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．There is an increasing feeling of dislike for Asians. |
| B．The economy of Chinatown is developing at a faster speed. |
| C．Other institutions such as Chinese history and literature are being damaged. |
| D．Americans in San Francisco begin to appreciate the Chinese workers’ contributions. |
| A．A railroad transforms American history into what it is today |
| B．Chinese workers help build US’ first transcontinental railroad |
| C．San Francisco has a new center to remember Chinese railroad workers |
| D．People commemorate 154th anniversary of US’ first transcontinental railroad |
7 . 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? |
When it comes to impressive bridges
With a span of 55 kilometers, the HZMB is one of the world’s longest cross-sea bridges. It links Hong Kong and Macao with Zhuhai in south China’s Guangdong Province. The bridge is
China has a unique and time-honored architectural tradition, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty. Since ancient times, several types of architecture have been
The wooden architecture has distinctive features
Another feature is the south facing orientation (方向). When courtyards were built with taller buildings in the north
10 . The most creative libraries around the world
Some libraries use unique architecture to encourage visitors to explore the shelves and settle down with a new book, or use mobile libraries to bring books to hard-to-reach populations. No matter how they achieve it, these novel libraries are keeping the magic of reading alive.
Kansas City Library (Kansas City, USA)
Along the south wall of this parking garage’s exterior (外部), visitors are treated to what looks like a huge shelf of books. The building built in 1925 originally served as a bank, which is readily apparent.
Bishan Library (Singapore)
Built in 2006, this library with skylights, is meant to be designed to be a modern glass treehouse. Glass pods (吊舱) with colors are hung out of the building to create comfortable yet airy corners for reading. At the same time, a more open-plan children’s room on the basement level invites interaction while preventing noise from spreading and disturbing those enjoying books on the upper floors.
Stuttgart City Library (Stuttgart, Germany)
Opened in 2011, this nine-story public library was designed by Eun Young Yi with its astonishing white color appearance (lit by blue light at night), its eye-catching cubic shape and its large and empty interior (内部). This cultural center for the city, designed to feel open and full of light, can be entered from its four sides, and people can borrow artworks as well as books.
Biblioteca Sandro Penna (Perugia, Italy)
In a country known for classical architecture and historical buildings, Biblioteca Sandro Penna stands out for its modern beauty. Housing books and multimedia, this library was built in 2004, is named after a local poet and it is easily recognized by its circular pink glass top similar to a flying saucer.
1. Which library best suits Mr Smith and his son aged 5?| A．Kansas City Library. | B．Bishan Library. |
| C．Stuttgart City Library. | D．Biblioteca Sandro Penna. |
| A．In USA. | B．In Singapore. | C．In Germany. | D．In Italy. |
| A．They have the same appearance. |
| B．They were built in the 21st century. |
| C．They are well designed and unique. |
| D．They house artworks and multimedia. |
