1 . Ancient hutongs of Beijing are always popular with visitors to the capital city. But time has not been kind to these old neighborhoods. In the middle of the 20th century, over 3,000 hutongs could be found in Beijing. But owing to a program of rapid modernization, the vast majority of these have been torn down. Today, unfortunately, just 500 remain. Although efforts have been taken to protect the surviving hutongs, many of the homes in these areas have fallen into disrepair and are in alarming condition.
But Beijing architecture firm People’s Architecture Office (PAO) has designed a solution for repairing hutong homes while keeping their traditional character. PAO is putting prefabricated modules (预制模块) in and around the houses, consisting of panels (嵌板) made of steel and glass. The panels fit together to create bright, comfortable space for residents (居民). The modules cost $500 per square meter--one-tenth of the Beijing average of $5, 000 per square meter--and can be installed in a day.
“The units are small,” says James Shen, co-founder of PAO. “It means that we are able to bring them piece by piece into these very narrow hutongs. It also means that we can do building repairs without tearing any of the old buildings down.”
The group recently performed its first installation for a resident, in the Guangcai Hutong. Resident Fan Ke says the module has been transformative, particularly for the additional light it provides. “At first when I lived here, it was always dark,” says Fan. “Now after the repairs, I’m bathed in sunlight throughout the day. I no longer feel caged in.”
She hopes the first installation will be followed by thousands more. The architect says such a program would breathe new life into the hutongs, which, particularly those in central areas, are already seeing more interest from house purchasers. One couple recently spent over $800, 000 on an 11-square-meter home in Wenchang Hutong.
“This kind of solution can help make these older areas livelier,” says Shen. “It can show younger people that you don’t have to move to a brand new modern apartment complex.”
1. What feeling does the author express in paragraph 1?| A．Curiosity. | B．Concern. | C．Excitement. | D．Confusion. |
| A．They are very big and cheap. |
| B．They use traditional materials. |
| C．They cannot be torn down easily. |
| D．They do not harm the ancient architecture. |
| A．They are satisfying. | B．They are in great demand. |
| C．They block out the sunlight. | D．They often need repair work. |
| A．The Last Hutongs of Beijing |
| B．A Growing Need for Hutong Homes |
| C．Beijing’s Hutongs Get a Futuristic Makeover |
| D．Young People Change Their Attitude to Beijing’s Hutongs |
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