1 . One of Prague’s most famous sights, the Orloj, the third oldest clock in the world, has been stopped. It is set to undergo months of restoration (修复)that will see the return of several, but not all, of its original parts.

Perhaps no other clock better proves the genius of the early pioneers of time keeping than the Orloj. Marking the minutes and hours is only one of the many measurements it provides.

The 607-year-old astronomical clock tracks Old Bohemian time, when the new day begins with sunset; Babylon time, which tracks the day from sunrise to sunset; Central European time, which is marked with a hand in the shape of the sun; and Star time, measured by the way the stars appear to move because of the earth’s movement.

A calendar dial (刻度盘)notes the days of the week, month and year, and a zodiacal ring (黄道环)shows the path of the sun and the moon through the sky. But, it is the astrolabe (星盘)that is the heart of the clock’s mechanical (机械的) operation. It tracks the position of the sun, the moon and stars, and has been a necessary tool for astronomers.

Over the centuries, the clock has been damaged and repaired, but, always returned to fully working order. Its longevity has inspired a number of sayings. One is that when the clock stops running, the Czech land will be thrown into war and privation (贫困). Another holds that who ever tries to affect the machine will die or go crazy.

Skala, who has been a clock master for 25 years, said he was honored when asked to take care of the Orloj eight years ago. Asked whether he believed the sayings, Skala smiled. “I didn’t believe the stories,” he said, “or else I would never be able to work on the clock.”

1. What is the heart mechanical operation of the Orloj?

A．A calendar dial.	B．A zodiacal ring.
C．The astrolabe.	D．The hands.

2. Why are there so many saying about the Orloj?

A．Because of the old clock’s longevity.

B．Because of the war in Czech.

C．Because of the deaths of menders.

D．Because of many unbelievable facts.

3. Why did the author write this text?

A．To show the Orloj’s long history.

B．To praise the Orloj makers’ wisdom.

C．To prove Skala didn’t beleve the sayings.

D．To encourage people to make better clocks.

4. What’s the main idea of this text?

A．Skala will restore the old Orloj.

B．A legend about the old Orloj.

C．The old Orloj measures time accurately.

D．The Orloj stopped to be restored.