“The Beninese heritage is unfortunately facing destruction and disappearance,” he said, adding that this situation is mainly due to the greedy western businessmen and the poverty and ignorance5 among people in Benin.
He thus pointed out that illegal trade had been responsible for the loss of many of the countrys historical treasures and had done great harm to its cultural heritage.
According to Sika, in order to better preserve its cultural heritage and protect it from disappearing,Benin should immediately set up a new legal system. This, he said, will help the central government and local administrations to the law more effectively.
【生词注释】
1. Beninn. 贝宁(非洲西部的一个国家)
2. voodoon.& adj. 伏都教,一种西非原始宗教
3. parliamentn. 议会
4. heritagen. 遗产；继承物
5. ignorancen. 无知
1. According to Sika, will help to preserve Benins cultural heritage and protect it from disappearing.
A. forbidding the tourists to visit Benin
B. setting up a new legal system immediately
C. encouraging the tourists to visit Benin
D. fighting against the greedy western businessmen
2. Which of the following isnt the aim of the law passed by Beninese parliament?
A. To protect the riches of its cultural and natural heritage.
B. To define, classify and protect Benins cultural and natural heritage.
C. To forbid the illegal behavior.
D. To encourage the greedy western businessmens illegal trade.
3. The purpose of writing the passage is to .
A. introduce Benins rich culture
B. introduce Benins natural heritage
C. introduce the illegal trade about Benins natural heritage
D. introduce the law passed by Beninese parliament on the protection of its cultural and natural heritage
4. We can infer from the passage that .
A. illegal trade had been responsible for the loss of many of the countrys historical treasures
B. the Beninese parliament passed a law on the protection of its cultural and natural heritage
C. the Benins government pay much attention to its countrys cultural and natural heritage
D. Benin is a large country
5. Which phrase can be filled in the blank in the last paragraph?
A. Carry out.
B. Set up.
C. Carry on.
D. Set off.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or UNESCO, has added Mount Sanqingshan National Park to its World Heritage List as a natural site. It is chosen as a UNESCO site for its “scenic quality, marked by the concentration of fantastically shaped pillars1 and peaks: 48 granite2 peaks and 89 granite pillars, many of which resemble human or animal silhouettes3”. This brings the total number of Chinese properties on the list to 37.
An article on Peoples Daily website says that Mount Sanqingshan National Park, displays a unique array of forests, uniquely granite pillars and peaks concentrated in a relatively small area. Experts say as a world heritage site, both unique natural beauty and human protection are important. Since 2005, a set of environmentalprotection plans have been prepared and infrastructure4 around Sanqingshan has gradually been improved.
Local government says as a natural site reflecting the geologic evolvement of the earth over billions of years, Mount Sanqingshan has a universal value. More importantly, its growing reputation could be a chance for people in and outside the mount region to communicate more.
【生词注释】
1. pillarn. 柱子
2. graniten. 花岗岩；花岗石
3. silhouetten. 剪影；侧影；影子；轮廓
4. infrastructuren. （国家或机构的）基础设施，基础建设
1. This passage is probably from .
A. a science fiction
B. a science report
C. a book on cultural relics
D. a childrens textbook
2. Whats the meaning of the underlined word “resemble” in the first paragraph?
A. 不同于B. 暗示C. 类似于D. 象征
3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. There are 89 granite peaks and 48 granite pillars.
B. All of the granite peaks resemble human silhouettes.
C. All of the granite pillars resemble animal silhouettes.
D. Some of granite peaks resemble human silhouettes.
4. UNESCO added Mount Sanqingshan National Park to its World Heritage List because its .
A. environmentalprotection plans
B. forests
C. scenic quality
D. growing reputation
5. The passage is mainly about .
A. Mount Sanqingshan National Park has become another World Heritage
B. a set of environmentalprotection plans have been prepared
C. Mount Sanqingshan National Park displays a unique array of forests
D. growing reputation of Mount Sanqingshan National Park
The ancient city is in Pingyao county,Shanxi Province. Since 1997, it has been listed as a World Heritage Site. Now Pingyao city is the only one in China completely protected as it was hundreds of years ago.
Pingyao is known mainly for three historical treasures: the ancient brick city wall, the Zhenguo Temple, and the Shuanglin Temple. The city wall of Pingyao was originally built using rammed1 earth, and was rebuilt with bricks in 1370 during the reign of Emperor Hong Wu of the Ming Dynasty. In the later period of the Qing Dynasty, the Kuixing Pavilion was built on the southeast section of the wall, and became a symbol of the flourishing culture of the ancient city.
There are several gates of the city, two each on the east and west and one each on the south and north side. All the gates have two doors each. This has given the city the name “Turtle City” with the two gates on the south and north standing for the head and tail of the turtle and four gates on the east and west as the four legs. The doors on the south and north stand opposite each other, like the head of the turtle extending out and two wells just beyond southern gate are like a turtles two eyes.
Pingyao was the location of the Shanxi Commerce and Rishengchang Piaohao, a kind of banking firm dealing mainly in the transfer of money. The nowdefunct2 firm is considered to have been the predecessor3 of modern banks in China. In 1824, the Rishengchang Piaohao, the first banking firm in China, was established on what had been the site of the Xiyucheng Pigment4 Shop on Xidajie Street. Three years later, Rishengchang opened branches in Shandong, Henan, Liaoning, and Jiangsu provinces. In the 1840s, it expanded its operations to Japan, Singapore, and Russia.
【生词注释】
1. ramvt. 夯实
2. nowdefunctadj. 现已不复存在的
3. predecessorn. 前任；前辈；原有事物；前身
4. pigmentn. 颜料；色素；涂剂
