1 . Why You Should Visit the Four Imperial Cities of Morocco
Fez
Fez is arguably the most storied of the four imperial (皇家的) cities. It was founded in the late 9th century and it served as a capital seven times, most recently in 1912. Thanks to its long run as a capital in different eras, the city is home to numerous historical museums and important monuments. Visit Fez to learn more about Morocco’s history, check out its unique architecture, and experience its energetic culture.
Marrakesh
Marrakesh was founded in the late 11th century and it served as the capital for four different dynasties. It is now considered the No.1 tourist destination in Morocco, with visitors from all over the world coming to see its luxury imperial palaces, splendid gardens, and ancient markets and try some of the best food in this part of the world.
Meknes
Meknes was Morocco’s capital between 1672 and 1727. Even this short period was enough to leave a lasting mark on the city in the form of old imperial palaces, castles, and gates. The city also has plenty of other fascinating things to check out, like the Museum of Moroccan Art, several old mosques (清真寺), old markets, and nearby Roman Ruins.
Rabat
Rabat is the current capital of the country. It was founded by the Almohad dynasty in the 12th century with this purpose, although it took until 1955 for the city to claim this status officially. There are numerous historical tourist attractions to check out in Rabat, including the Mausoleum of Mohamed V, the unfinished Hassan Tower, and the Chellah Roman Ruins. Being situated at the seaside also means that you will be able to have other activities besides sightseeing.
1. What is Fez famous for?| A．Its luxury palaces. | B．Its numerous art museums. |
| C．Its Roman Ruins. | D．Its long term as a capital. |
| A．Old markets. | B．Imperial castles. |
| C．Ancient mosques. | D．A Splendid gardens |
| A．In the 12th century. | B．In the 17th century. |
| C．In the 19th century. | D．In the 20th century. |
2 . Discoveries at the famous Sanxingdui ruins in Southwest China show that the region’s ancient Shu Kingdom Civilization shared similarities with the Maya.
The Sanxingdui ruins belonged to the Shu Kingdom that existed at least 4,800 years ago and lasted more than 2,000 years, while the Mayan civilization built its city-states around 200 AD．
The bronze-made remains of trees unearthed at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom resemble the sacred ceiba tree, which symbolized the union of heaven, earth and the underworld in the Mayan civilization. “They are very important similarities,” says Santos, a Mexican archaeologist (考古学家) stressing that “the representations of trees in both cultures provide a symbolism that is very similar”.
The findings at the Sanxingdui ruins, considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, also show a new aspect of Bronze Age culture, indicating the ancient civilization already had technologies that were thought to have been developed much later.
While the time span between the Shu kingdom and the Mayan culture is great, the findings highlight the closeness between the two civilizations. They developed in areas with comparable climates and reflected their worldview through related symbols. “In the end, man is still man, independent of time and space. What we have is that, at this latitude (纬度), both the Shu people and the Mayans looked at the same sky and had the same stars on the horizon,” the expert says.
One notable feature of the recent discoveries at Sanxingdui was the cross-subject work and technology applied by teams of Chinese archaeologists, which allowed the unearthing of artifacts as fragile as silk remains, which other types of less careful digging methods would not have been able to register.
Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists could benefit projects in the Mayan world, where the rainy climate and humidity are problematic for the conservation of ruins.
“Every time our cultural knowledge increases, regardless of whether we speak one language or another, what it shows us is that we continue to be sister cultures and, therefore, the exchange of such knowledge is fundamental,” says Santos.
1. What is a similarity between the Shu Kingdom and Maya civilization?| A．Their starting time. | B．Their historical origins. |
| C．Their cultural symbols. | D．Their ceremony traditions. |
| A．silk was a common clothing material then |
| B．some technologies were developed much earlier |
| C．the Bronze Age started earlier than previously assumed |
| D．the Shu Kingdom and the Mayan world had close contact |
| A．Damp weather. | B．Positioning of ruins. |
| C．High latitude. | D．Language barriers. |
| A．Our cultural knowledge is increasing. |
| B．The benefits of speaking a different language. |
| C．The increasing sisterhood in culture between China and Mexico. |
| D．The importance of the exchange of cultural knowledge. |
