阅读理解及答案英美概况.doc

Passage 1 England The country of England is where the English language developed. This language is now used everywhere in the world. It has become the language used most on the Internet and for international trade. Buckingham Palace is the home of the royal family. It is in London, the capital city of England which is also called Britain, where a new queen or king is crowned. This special ceremony takes place at Westminster Abbey, a beautiful church. When Princess Diana married Prince Charles, they had a wedding ceremony at another church called Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Since London is the capital city, the Parliament Building is where government leaders do their business. On one end of this building is a clock tower. The large clock is called Big Ben. There are other famous towers in London. One is called the Tower Of London and it was used as a prison. Many famous people have been sent there, such as a wife of King Henry IV in the 16th century. Today it is a museum for tourists where you can visit to see instruments of torture. There is also a display of the Crown Jewels, a very valuable collection of diamonds, rubies and other stones of great beauty. Many are placed in crowns worn by the kings or queens long ago. The Tower Bridge has four towers. This bridge is over the Thames River. This river goes through the middle of London and past Windsor Castle, another home of the royal family. It is a very safe place in time of war. Another famous place is the town called Stratford on Avon. Stratford is the city name and the river Avon flows through this city, so it means Stratford is on the Avon River. It is the home of William Shakespeare, the best writer of plays. He wrote about 50 plays and they are still performed everywhere English is spoken. There are two famous universities in England. They are called Cambridge and Oxford. The school name is the same as the city name, so Cambridge University is in Cambridge, England. Oxford University is in Oxford. 1. In