Incredible experiences in Bucharest
Admire one of the world’s largest buildings
The world’s biggest parliamentary building, Palace of Parliament, happens to be in Bucharest. Hour-long guided tours manage to take in just a fraction of the building’s three-million-plus square feet (there are more than a thousand rooms) and focus on the tons of marble, hardwood, and gold used in the building’s construction in the 1980s, a time when Romania was trying to feed its own people. Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, both played a direct role in the construction. It was originally intended to house the presidential offices and the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party but was never finished.
See remains of old “Paris”
“Paris of the East” was Bucharest’s nickname in the decades before World War II. Decades of communist misrule and a tragic earthquake in 1977 brought much of the old city down but there are places here and there where that former elegance can still be glimpsed. The Cismigiu Gardens in the center of the city is a pearl of park built around a romantic lake and featuring old-growth trees and gracious, wrought-iron signposts and benches.
Learn about Romania’s roots
Walking though Bucharest’s busy streets, it’s easy to forget that outside the capital and a U large cities, Romania is a largely agricultural country, with a long and rich peasant tradition.The amazing Museum of the Romanian Peasant shows off the elaborate woodworking, pottery-making, egg-painting, and weaving skills of the peasantry in a way that’s both educational and amusing. Small tongue-in-cheek signs at the entrance to each room poke fun at modern life, bring a chuckle, and draw you in. Downstairs there’s a side exhibition on the Communists’ efforts to nationalize the peasantry in the 1970s and 1980s.
Appreciate 21st-century art
Romania has exploded onto the contemporary art scene in recent years. The excitement was generated initially by a group of young painters and visual artists from the northern city of Cluj-Napoca, but at least some of the action has shifted to the capital as new galleries and design centers open up. It’s hard to pinpoint precisely what constitutes Romanian contemporary art, though critics point to shared elements of wit and dark humor, a somber mood, and bits of surrealism in defining a common style.
1.Tourists to Bucharest can do the following things EXCEPT__________ .
A. admiring beautiful scenery of a park
B. appreciating its unique contemporary art
C. learning about the agricultural development in Romania
D. seeing the old city of Bucharest that has been well-preserved
2.It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
A. Ceausescu and Elena were two famous architects
B. Romanians might have suffered a lot during the 1970s and 1980s
C. Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the largest building in the world
D. Romanian’s 21st-century art originated from the capital city Bucharest
Julie was one of my favorite students at the University of Nebraska. I remember her coming to me after class one day. While most students hurriedly left, Julie_______to ask questions about the next week’s exam.
Julie never_______it to the exam, though. The day after our conversation, she was tragically struck by a truck.
In Julie’s ward, her parents stood in quiet_______The physician entered, cleared his_______, and said, “Your Julie has only a few_______to live.” He felt the_______to ask, “Would you consider donating some of her organs?”
_______, in a neighboring state, Mary leaned forward, her eyes following every movement of her child. She was_______memories to enjoy when she could no longer_______him.
Several states away, John, 26, was reading to his sons, his body connected to a life-giving “artificial kidney”. Doctors had given him a________of only weeks to live. His only hope was a kidney transplant.
Julie’s grief-stricken parents________the physician’s question in their mind. Julie had once said she wanted to be an organ donor________her death.________as they were, they turned to the physician, responding, “Yes. Julie always gave to others while living. She would want to give in death.”
Within 24 hours, Mary was informed she would receive one of Julie’s eyes, and John was told to prepare for a kidney transplant. Julie’s other organs would give life and________to other waiting recipients.
“Julie died right after her twentieth birthday. My heart breaks again and again, at each birthday, at each________: when she might have graduated; when she might have married…” says Julie’s mother. “But Julie’s life was a________to us. Knowing that in her death, she gave life and sight to others is________to us, and remembering that we carried out her________has helped us________ the loss of her.”
I may have had a small part in teaching Julie how to live. But she, and her family, are still teaching me an even greater lesson how to________.
1.A. continued B. offered C. remained D. came
2.A. got B. made C. took D. deserved
3.A. embarrassment B. shock C. disbelief D. desperation
4.A. hand B. mind C. throat D. pocket
5.A. months B. hours C. minutes D. weeks
6.A. urge B. pressure C. freedom D. pride
7.A. However B. Meanwhile C. Anyhow D. Somewhat
8.A. calling up B. picking up C. setting up D. storing up
9.A. see B. touch C. hug D. feel
10.A. prescription B. notice C. diagnosis D. prediction
11.A. turned over B. figured out C. thought up D. took in
12.A. by virtue of B. in the event of C. on account of D. for fear of
13.A. Miserable B. Hesitant C. Passionate D. Motivated
14.A. happiness B. sight C. encouragement D. promise
15.A. ceremony B. crossroads C. milestone D. junction
16.A. lesson B. bless C. gift D. chance
17.A. comforting B. heartbreaking C. rewarding D. demanding
18.A. arrangements B. expectations C. wishes D. values
19.A. over B. through C. beyond D. with
20.A. give B. sacrifice C. help D. die
Kelly, what do you think of the guy who has a sweet voice?
To be frank, he is _________.
A. not the salt of the earth B. not my cup of tea
C. a person of interest D. a man in the street
Hope there will be an end to the trade war between China and the US.
Indeed, otherwise both sides _________ a lot.
A. must suffer B. were to suffer C. suffered D. would suffer
As an American living in-Tianjin for about 10 years, Chris says that it has been a ________ be a witness to China’s great progress.
A. privilege B. preference C. priority D. principle
With the application of 5G technology __________ profound changes in almost all fields throughout the world.
A. will come B. are coming C. comes D. come