Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy lean? It leans because of a mistake. It has leaned almost since the day the tower was built.
In 1173, the people of Pisa, Italy, wanted to build a bell tower. They wanted the tower to be the most beautiful bell tower in all of Italy. The city also needed a bell tower because the church did not have one.
However, there was a problem. As soon as the first floor of the building was finished, the tower started to lean. Builders tried to make the building straight again as they added more floors, but they couldn’t figure out how to make it stop leaning.
It took almost 180 years to finish the tower. Since then, the tower has leaned by another millimeter every year. Today, the Leaning Tower has eight floors and is 54.5 meters tall. By 1990, it was leaning by about 4 meters to one side. It was also slowly sinking into the ground. Many people became worried that it would soon fall apart.
In 1998, repair works began on the tower, and by the end of 2001, it had been moved back by 45 centimeters. The tower will still lean, however, so it will need to be repaired again---in another 200 years.
【小题1】why did the people of  Pisa want to build the tower?

A．They needed a new church

B．They wanted to build the tallest tower in Tower

C．They needed a bell tower.

D． They wanted to build a leaning tower.

【小题2】When did the tower begin to lean?

A．from the first day it was built	B．after the first floor was built
C．after the last floor was built	D．180 years after it was built

【小题3】When was the tower finished?

A．in 1173

B．in 1180

C．in 1353

D．in 1474

【小题4】Before being repaired,, the tower leaned every year by another _______

A．1 millimeter

B．45 centimeters

C．54.5 millimeters

D．4 meters

【小题5】Which of the following is NOT true about the tower?

A．It was sinking into the ground

B．People were worried it might fall apart

C．It was repaired between 1990 and 1998.

D．It will need to be repaired again in 200 years.

Tom, Mary, Jason, Ann 和Juliet想根据各自的兴趣爱好挑选自己喜欢阅读的文章。阅读下面某杂志的文章摘要（A----F），选出适合他们阅读的文章。选项中有一项是多余选项。

A. The Forbidden City, situated in the heart of Beijing, is the largest and the most complete imperial palace and ancient building complex in China. It was home to 24 emperors of the Ming (1368—1644) and Qing (1616—1911) dynasties. The construction of the palaces in the Forbidden City began in 1406. The project spread over 15 years and was not completed until 1470. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City were rebuilt many times, although they maintained the original style.

B. Mount Tai, the leader of the “Five Sacred Mountains”, is located in the center of Shandong Province, spanning the ranges of Tai’an and Jinan. It covers an area of 550 square kilometers, and its main peak is about 1,532.7 meters high. Mount Tai is a natural museum with many cultural relics and artwork like Heavenly Queen Pool, Red Gate Palace and Mid-Heaven Gate. Besides historic relics, Mount Tai has unique natural scenery.

C. Each year, forecasts of when the blossoms will open are headline news. The information is used by cities to plan cherry blossom festival, travel agencies to schedule tours, and ordinary people to choose dates for parties involving lots of eating and drinking under the trees.

D. Hong Kong is perhaps the best shopping place in the world with reasonable prices, various products and best service. In Hong Kong, shopping is not only a “social activity” but also an important part of recreation and a way of life. Visitors can enjoy the shopping environment and experience the fashion trend.

E. The Leaning Tower of Pisa leans because of the unstable soil on which it was built. The construction started in 1173. The building began to lean as soon as the first three floors were completed. Nevertheless, building continued, and the seven-story structure was finished between 1360 and 1370. It leans a bit more each year, and it was closed for repairs in 1990. Engineers worked to stabilize the foundation and straighten it slightly to prevent damage.

F. Centuries ago, the African elephant inhabited most of the African continent. Today, elephants are found only in the south of the Sahara. As a result of the habitat loss, along with poaching（偷猎）, the number of elephants has greatly declined. The decline has caused serious concern about the long-term survival of the species.

以下是Tom, Mary, Jackson, Ann 和Juliet各自的兴趣爱好的描述。请匹配最适合他们喜欢阅读的文章。

1.Tom is a history teacher at Wuhan University. He has a strong desire of studying the ancient Chinese architecture.

2.Mary is a volunteer, who supports and encourages people to protect wild animals and plants.

3.Jason is a student of Houston University. He dreams of seeing Japanese cherry blossoms with his friends. After graduation, he will go on a trip to Japan.

4.Ann is an energetic girl who loves climbing mountains. She said, “Climbing a mountain is hard work, but the higher I climb, the more wonderful my view is.”

5.Juliet often buys new clothes and shoes alone or accompanied by a friend. When she feels annoyed about a matter, going shopping always makes her relaxed.

 

Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy lean? It leans because of a mistake. It has leaned almost since the day the tower was built.

   In 1173, the people of Pisa, Italy, wanted to build a bell tower. They wanted the tower to be the most beautiful bell tower in all of Italy. The city also needed a bell tower because the church did not have one.

   However, there was a problem. As soon as the first floor of the building was finished, the tower started to lean. Builders tried to make the building straight again as they added more floors, but they couldn’t figure out how to make it stop leaning.

   It took almost 180 years to finish the tower. Since then, the tower has leaned by another millimeter every year. Today, the Leaning Tower has eight floors and is 54.5 meters tall. By 1990, it was leaning by about 4 meters to one side. It was also slowly sinking into the ground. Many people became worried that it would soon fall apart.

   In 1998, repair works began on the tower, and by the end of 2001, it had been moved back by 45 centimeters. The tower will still lean, however, so it will need to be repaired again---in another 200 years.

1.why did the people of  Pisa want to build the tower?

     A. They needed a new church         B. They wanted to build the tallest tower in Tower         C. They  needed a bell tower.            D.  They wanted to build a leaning tower.

2.When did the tower begin to lean?

     A. from the first day it was built          B. after the first floor was built

     C. after the last floor was built           D. 180 years after it was built

3.When was the tower finished?

     A. in 1173     B. in 1180      C. in 1353    D. in 1474

4.Before being repaired,, the tower leaned every year by another _______

     A. 1 millimeter    B. 45 centimeters    C. 54.5 millimeters    D. 4 meters

5.Which of the following is NOT true about the tower?

 A. It was sinking into the ground      

 B. People were worried it might fall apart

C. It was repaired between 1990 and 1998.    

D. It will need to be repaired again in 200 years.

 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa no longer leans quite so much after a 20 million project to save it was hailed a complete success yesterday. The tower, which was on the verge of collapse, has been straightened by 18 inches returning it to its 1838 position.

The tower, which has been leaning almost since building work first began in 1173, was closed to the public in 1990 because of safety fears. The 183 – foot tower was nearly 15 feet off vertical (垂直) and its structure was found to have been weakened by centuries of strain.

The last attempt at straightening the tower was carried out under orders from Benito Mussolini, who wanted it to be perfectly vertical.

Concrete was poured into the foundations, but the result was that the tower sank further into the soil.

The straightening work involved the extraction of around 70 tonnes of earth from the northern side of the tower, causing it to sink on that side. Before the digging started, the tower was anchored with steel cables and 600 tonnes of lead weights.

However, halfway through the project, concerns at the ugliness of the weights led to their removal and the tower lurched (倾斜) dramatically. “In one night, the tower moved more than it had averaged in an entire year,” said Prof. Burland. The weights were hastily reattached.

The tower’s stonework has also been restored and tourists can clearly see the difference between its levels of limestone and marble.

“If we had not stepped in, the tower would have collapsed between 2030 and 2040,” said Salvatore Settis, the president of the rescue committee. “This is crucial for the tower’s stability and it was a totally Italian success.”

The Italian government stepped in after a tower collapsed in Pavia in 1989, killing four people.

1．What is the passage mainly about?

       A．The Italian government always steps in when towers are to collapse.

       B．Leaning Tower of Pisa no longer leans.

       C．How straightening work for Pisa Tower went on.

       D．Leaning Tower of Pisa is saved from collapse.

2．Why were people not allowed to watch the tower in 1990?

       A．It was destroyed.

       B．It was moved.

       C．It was in danger and also dangerous.

       D．Every tower in Italy was closed then.

3．The underlined phrase “their removal” in paragraph 6 refers to              .

       A．removal of concerns                            B．removal of tower

       C．removal of ugliness                              D．removal of lead pieces

4．According to the passage, we may infer that the tower lean to the          side of its foundation.

       A．east                    B．west                   C．north                  D．south

5．Which of the following statements is right?

       A．20 million project straightened the tower vertical.

       B．The tower has been straightened where it was in 1838.

       C．Concrete poured into the foundations worked in straightening work.

       D．The tower may collapse between 2030 and 2040.