1 . Up to now, UNESCO has granted official recognition to over 800 cultural sites that are thought to be specially significant to human history and culture. Among them are the following four.
The Taj Mahal
It was built between 1631 and 1648, known as a masterpiece of architecture. It took over 20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants to complete the project. In the early 17th century, an emperor named Shah Jahan ruled India. The emperor loved his wife Mumtaz so much that when she died, he built the Taj Mahal in her memory. The beautiful mausoleum (陵墓) was designed to look like what the emperor hoped would be Mumtaz’s home in the afterlife.
The Temple and Mansion of Confucius
Located in Qufu, Shandong Province, the temple is a memorial to Confucius, the Chinese great educator. On the grounds, there are more than 900 halls and rooms. But the building that people visit most is the Temple of Confucius. Originally built in 478 BC, the temple has been rebuilt many times. Besides the temple, visitors can enjoy the grounds outside, where there are more than 1,000 stone tablets (碑碣) and over 100, 000 tombs.
The Imperial Tombs of the Qing and Ming Dynasties
Built by several emperors between 1368 and 1915 in Beijing, Hubei, Hebei and Liaoning, the Imperial Tombs represent Chinese cultural and historical values that have been handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. What makes them unique even among amazing buildings such as Angkor Wat (吴哥窟) and the Cologne Cathedral (科隆大教堂) is that they bring together architecture and philosophy.
The Terracotta Army
In 1974, while some Chinese farmers were digging a well, they accidentally found a tomb, where they found more than 8,000 statues. They were said to be made in the third century BC to guard the tomb of the Chinese Emperor Qinshihuang! More than 700,000 people worked for nearly 40 years to build this tomb! It is recognized as one of the greatest archaeological findings in the world.
1. ________ can be viewed as a labor of love.| A．The Temple and Mansion of Confucius | B．The Terracotta Army |
| C．The Imperial Tombs of the Qing and Ming Dynasties | D．The Taj Mahal |
| A．The Temple and Mansion of Confucius | B．The Terracotta Army. |
| C．The Imperial Tombs of the Qing and Ming Dynasties | D．The Taj Mahal |
| A．They are located in China. |
| B．They are World Cultural Heritage Sites. |
| C．They are archaeological wonders. |
| D．They were built in honor of a famous person. |
2 . One summer during high school, my mom volunteered me to help Grandpa research our family tree. It’s terrible to imagine hours spent dusting boxes and listening to boring stories about people I didn’t know. “You’ll be surprised,” my mom promised. “Family history can be very interesting.”
In truth, Grandpa didn’t want to limit(限定) my work to just research, hoping to also keep our family memories. He’d discovered a computer program that helped digitally scan(扫描) old pictures and letters to maintain their contents before they crumble from age. Grandpa wanted me to help him connect the scanner and set up the computer program. He could type documents and send emails, but had never used a scanner.
Soon after, I became interested my relatives’ lives. I asked Grandpa to tell the story behind every picture and letter we scanned. The stories, which turned out not to be boring at all, helped me not only understand but also relate to my relatives. I became so eager for more information that Grandpa needed additional props(道具) to keep me satisfied. He showed me a chest filled with random stuff, all covered in dust.
Looking through their belongings, I felt I was opening a window to the world of my relatives, a world long since gone. Grandpa showed me letters he had sent to Grandma from the front line of World War II and I could almost smell the gunpowder. I turned the pages of my great-grandmother’s recipe book and could picture her cooking in her kitchen. All of the people who had been only names to me now had faces to match.
Later, Grandpa admitted, “I probably could have done this project myself. I just wanted someone to share it with.” I can’t thank him enough for sharing the experience and making me appreciate the family members who have made me who I am.
1. Which can best describe the author’s first impression of the research?| A．Delightful. | B．Boring. |
| C．Surprising. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Come to life. | B．Tear apart. |
| C．Fall to pieces. | D．Break through. |
| A．To show him old letters. | B．To keep him away from boredom. |
| C．To give him something to sort out. | D．To satisfy his eagerness to know more. |
| A．He possibly served as a soldier in the past. |
| B．He knew nothing about the computer. |
| C．He buried the letters under gunpowder |
| D．He loved sharing what he had with others |
