阅读理解

　　For many years, artists have flocked to Paris, France, to paint or to learn to paint．Perhaps artists first went there because of the city's beauty．They went to paint pictures of the broad, treelined streets, the great churches, and the graceful river bridges．?

　　The artists felt comfortable in Paris because the people of the city had always enjoyed art．Paris had great art museums, filled with famous paintings and statues from many countries．And the people of Paris had always welcomed new ideas．In this city, artists felt free to experiment with new ways of painting．

　　As soon as famous artists painted in Paris, students came to learn from them．People came to buy paintings．People called art dealers set up galleries where paintings were bought and sold．Others kept shops that sold artists' paints and supplies．

　　Students and artists who were not yet famous could live in Paris for very little money．They learned by studying great art in the museums, and they learned from one another．They held art fairs, hanging their paintings out doors along the streets．

　　Today, New York City and Florence, Italy, are also famous art centers．But the world's principal art exhibits are still held in Paris．Important judges of art live there．Most of the new ways of painting that have started in the last hundred years began in Paris．So artists and art dealers still go to Paris because it is the world's leading art center．

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阅读理解

　　Beginning in October, more than 13, 000 McDonald's restaurants in America will use a new variety of cooking oil．McDonald's aims to make its French fries and other fried foods healthier．

　　The change will not affect the taste or the number of calories in the food．But by changing the cooking oil, McDonald's says, it hopes to cut by nearly half the amount of trans fatty acids(转换脂肪酸)in French fries and reduce the amount of saturated fats which raise cholesterol(胆固醇)levels and increase the risk of heart disease．McDonald's new step is important because McDonald's is an industry leader and other fast food chains and food processors may follow the lead．

　　For McDonald's, the action comes at a time when Americans are becoming more and more concerned about obesit(肥胖)and are increasing pressure on food companies to offer healthy and nutritious foods to consumers．

　　After three years of study, McDonald's officials say they are switching oil that is lower in saturated fats and trans fatty acids．McDonald's says the change will not cause higher costs for consumers．

　　Though there is some changes, scientists say that the amount of trans fat in foods at McDonald's and at other fast food companies is still important．

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　　You might think that“global warming”means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature．But, rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation(撤离)of an island nation－the citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland．

　　During the 20th century, sea level rose 8-12 inches．As a result, Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water which has polluted the country’s drinking water．

　　Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years．Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms．

　　Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions(导致温室效应的气体排放)，which are a main cause of global warming．“By refusing to sign the agreement, the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years,”Laupepa told the BBC．

　　Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries．

　　Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable(易受影响的)to rising sea levels．Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311 000 an“endangered nation”．

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　　The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone．Enter the Red Hat Society－a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun．

　　“My grandmothers didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody．They were programmed to do that,”said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society．

　　While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age．But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers(生育高峰期出生的人)，and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old．

　　If you take into consideration feminism(女权主义)，a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable(必然的)．In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple(紫色的)clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing．

　　“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins：‘When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple/with a red hat which doesn’t go, ’”said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998．When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention．

　　“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper said．“Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves．”This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful．“We’re a ladies’ play group．It couldn’t be more simple, ” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood．

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　　In 1901, H．G．Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon．When the explorers(探险者)landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities．They expressed their surprise to the“moon people”they met．In turn, the“moon people” expressed their surprise．“Why,” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?”

　　H．G．Wells could only imagine travel to the moon．In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon．People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon．However, the question that the“moon people”asked is still an interesting one．A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it．

　　Underground systems are already in place．Many cities have underground car parks．In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas．The“Channel”, a tunnel(隧道)connecting England and France, is now complete．

　　But what about underground cities?Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called“Alice Cities．”The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on．A solar dome(太阳能穹顶)would cover the whole city．

　　Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space．The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness．H．G．Wells’“moon people”would agree．Would you?

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Princeton University

　　Location

　　The University is in Princeton, New Jersey．It is an hour’s train ride south of New York City and an hour’s train ride north of Philadelphia．

　　Students

　　There are 4600 undergraduates(本科生)．There are also 1900 graduate students, but Princeton is unusual among universities in having a student body made up largely of undergraduates．

　　Faculty

　　Princeton has about 700 full-time faculty members(教员)．There are another 300 or so part-time and visiting faculty．All faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research．

　　Degrees

　　Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees: the bachelor(学士)of arts(B．A．) degree and the bachelor of science in engineering(B．S．E．)degree．

　　Academic Year

　　An academic year runs from September to late May and lasts two terms(fall and spring)．A normal course load is four or five courses per term, although many students take extra courses．

　　Residences

　　Princeton provides housing for all undergraduate students．Freshmen and second-year students are required to spend their first two years in one of five colleges．Each college has its own dining hall, common rooms and computer centers．

　　Fees and Expenses(Academic Year 2004-2005);

　　Tuition(学费)：＄29 910

　　Room and board：＄8387;

　　Other expenses(books, telephone, etc．)：＄3083;

　　Total：＄41 380

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阅读理解

The Temple of Heaven

　　The Temple of Heaven is situated in the southern part of the city of Beijing．It was built in 1420, covering an area of 273 hectares(公顷)．

　　The Temple was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped(祭拜)heaven and prayed for good harvests．They came here twice a year, on the 15th day of the first lunar month and also in winter．After 1530 when the temple was built in the northern suburbs, only heaven was worshipped in the temple．

　　The Temple of Heaven is regarded as one of the greatest architectural structures in the world．Some environmental artists and gardeners describe the temple as a place where people can talk to Heaven．In Beijing four imperial(皇帝的)temples were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties(1368-1911)．At the southern end of the city axis(轴)is the Temple of Heaven．It is the most important of the four．The other three are the Altar(祭坛)of Earth in the north, the Altar of Moon in the west, and the Altar of Sun in the east just behind the Beijing Friendship Store．All of them are still standing, but the Temple of Heaven is the largest group of temple buildings of its kind in China, nearly four times larger than the Forbidden City(紫禁城)．The whole building was designed in a way that makes you close to heaven．

　　In making the heaven-like structures, the designers made good use of the colour, sound, figures of the circle and the square, and changes in its height．The combination of building and garden helps to make it appear mysterious and magical．The temple’s architecture has two themes(主题)．One is“on the earth”while the other is “in the heaven”．The square-shaped palace for fasting(斋戒)in the west of the temple appears like a “forbidden city” in a smaller size．

　　In imperial days, the Chinese people believed that the sky was in circular(圆形的)shape and the earth was square．On the basis of this traditional concept(思想)，the circle was widely adopted(采用)in the design of the temple’s main buildings．It is in accord with people’s imagination of heaven．

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　　Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 110．Mr．John Evans had never found the time or the money－to make the trip from his home near Swansea．But, when British Rail offered him an all-expenses-paid birthday trip to the capital, he just could not refuse．

　　Until yesterday he had never been far from home．Except for one trip to Abredeen．Mr．Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before at the turn of the century．“There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings(1 shilling＝1/20 pounds)return from Swansea－too much I thought．All my money went to the family then, ” he said．

　　During the next two days Mr．Evans will be taken on a whistle-stop tour of London to see the sights．Top of his list is a visit to the Houses of Parliament(国会)．

　　The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided to move him about if he gets tired．“I don’t like the chair business－people will so think I am getting old, ” he said．

　　His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized－no alcohol, no cigarette and no anger．Before setting off from Swansea with his 76-year-old son, Amwel, he quipped, “I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket．”

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