When visiting Beijing, the Palace Museum is a must-see
for many people.
Last year, the museum received 14.2 million visitors,
which is twice the number of visitors in 2002. This year it is expected to increase
by 10 percent. Compared with other popular museums around the world, the number
of visitors at the Palace Museum is very high. Last year the Louvre(罗浮宫) in Paris welcomed 8.8 million visitors and the
British Museum in London received 5.8 million.
A large number of visitors can bring a lot of money
from ticket sales. But there are also worries that people will do demage(破坏) to relics(文物) and old
buildings.
To solve the problem, some people suggested taking
cultural objects out of the Palace Museum. In this way, visitors coming for
ancient buildings and cultural objects will go to different places. “It is a
sign of progress. Letting more people see these treasures is more important
than keeping them in their original(原始的) place,”
said Song Xiangguang, a professor at Peking University.
However, Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum,
doesn’t agree on this idea. He thinks that the most important thing in
protecting the Palace Museum is to keep it complete. “The 1.8 million cultural
relics and the historical buildings are two key parts of the museum. They can’t
be separated.” he said.
Shan said that they are planning to increase the space
that is open to the public. This will not only feed visitors’ curiosity(好奇), but also spread them out so they are not putting
too much pressure on one area.
Shan also wanted to set up an appointment system. “ If
visitors make an appointment before they come, we can make better and different
visiting routes(路线) for them.” Shan said.

1.How many visitors did the Palace Museum welcome in
2002?
A.14.2 million B.8.8 million C.5.8 million D.7.1 million
2.Why did some people suggest taking cultural objects
out of the Palace Museum?
A.To let more
people see the relics. B.To bring less
damage to the relics.
C.To make more
money from ticket sales. D.To keep the Palace Museum
original.
3.The underlined word “separated” means ______ in
Chinese.
A.分离 B.破坏 C.偷窃 D.压迫
4.By reading the article, we can know
that______________.
A.the Palace
Museum has an appointment system now.
B.relics are
the only important part of the Palace Museum.
C.the Louvre
welcomed the most visitors in the world last year.
D.Shan thought
that more areas of the palace should be open to public.