M9_U2_ 阅读材料中英文对照版.doc

Advance With English M9U2 Reading The Acropolis now No one has had a greater influence on Western civilization than the ancient Greeks. They made many advances in philosophy, science, mathematics, art, architecture, theatre, politics and sport. The Roman alphabet is a Greek invention, as is the marathon, a long distance race created in honour of a Greek soldier who ran from Marathon to Athens to report the victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. For a period of about 300 years (from 650 to 323 BC), the Greek civilization made advances in various fields that have influenced the world for more than 2,500 years and will continue to do so. In particular, we associate ancient Greek civilization with the capital city of Athens, the greatest symbol of which is the Acropolis. The Acropolis is a large, fiat rock in the centre of Athens, rising up high above the city. In the 5th century BC, the greatest architects and artists of the time began building temples and monuments on this Sacred Rock. On top of the Acropolis, there are three main temples to Athena, the goddess of the city: the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Temple of Athena Nike is the smallest among the three. It used to house a 13-metre-high gold-covered statue of Athena as the Goddess of Victory. The Parthenon, the largest of all three, was built between 447 and 432 BC and contained a gold statue of Athena. The Erechtheum is famous for the six female statues which support part of its roof. The buildings of the Acropolis were made of marble, a very smooth, strong stone. However, throughout history, few ancient monuments have avoided damage altogether. The Acropolis is no different. It has been damaged partly by natural forces like earthquakes, but the greatest damage of all has been caused by man. In 1458, the Turks defeated the Greeks and seized control of Athens. Later, they used the Parthenon as a warehouse and packed it with gunpowder. In 1687, an attack from Italy caused