Question

    The Big Ben is located in the tower at the eastern end of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, Greater London. It was designed by Edmund Beckett and Baron Grimthorpe.

The Big Ben is very famous throughout the world, but nobody really knows why it is called Big Ben. There are two hearsays about this. Some people say that it was named after Benjamin Caunt, a boxer, who was called Big Ben. More people believe it was called after Welshman, Sir Benjamin Hall. He was the commissioner(特派员)of the work at the time of its installation in 1859.A story was told that during a debate in the Commons on what to call the bell, Sir Benjamin was about to give his ideas when a MP who sat behind the front bench shouted, “Let's call it Big Ben!” Then this name came into being.

The bell hasn't gone through a smooth road since the beginning of its design. Because there was great disagreement about the design of the clock. It took fifteen years to build. In 1857, the bell was completed and tested on the ground, but a four-foot crack appeared and the bell had to be cast again. Finally, the clock started ticking on 31 May, 1859, and struck its first chime(报时)on 11, July. Then in September, the bell cracked again. It was silent for four years but was eventually turned a quarter of a revolution(旋转). In this way, the crack was not under the striking hammer. Craftsmen made a square above the crack to stop it growing longer and it can still be seen today.

The Big Ben is famous not only for its 13-ton weight, but also for its accuracy(准确性) which is a result of its precise mechanism(机械装置). Even one extra penny's weight on the balance will cause a gain of two fifths of a second in twenty-four hours. Although there have been several problems, the bell is still striking today.Its chimes can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C.

1.What can we know about the Big Ben?

A.It is located in the Houses of Parliament. B.It is the largest and tallest clock tower in the world.

C.It is well-known all over the world. D.It is the heaviest clock in the world.

2.What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A.The bell worked well at its first test.

B.The construction of the clock was long but not smooth.

C.The clock started to strike chimes on 31 May,1859.

D.The crack finally disappeared after a quarter of a revolution

3.Which of the following can best explain why Big Ben is world-famous?

A.Accurate and heavy. B.Accurate and colorful.

C.Heavy and colorful. D.Attractive and accurate.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A.Sir Benjamin Hall was a famous architect at that time.

B.Even the tiniest extra weight on the balance will affect the clock's accuracy.

C.The chimes of the clock could be heard all over the world.

D.The clock has been ticking ever since 31 May,1859.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。大本钟位于大伦敦区威斯敏斯特议会大厦东端的塔中。它是由Edmund Beckett 和Baron Grimthorpe设计的。主要介绍了大本钟的得名和设计建造过程。

1.

细节理解题。根据第二段中The Big Ben is very famous throughout the world, but nobody really knows why it is called Big Ben.可知大本钟在全世界都很有名，但是没有人真正知道它为什么被称为大本钟。由此可知，大本钟世界闻名。故选C。

2.

细节理解题。根据第三段The bell hasn't gone through a smooth road since the beginning of its design. Because there was great disagreement about the design of the clock. It took fifteen years to build.可知这个钟从设计之初就没有走过一条平坦顺利的道路。因为在时钟的设计上有很大的分歧。它花了15年的时间才建成。由此可知，这个钟的建造时间很长，而且不顺利。故选B。

3.

细节理解题。根据最后一段中The Big Ben is famous not only for its 13-ton weight, but also for its accuracy(准确性) which is a result of its precise mechanism(机械装置).可知大本钟不仅因其13吨的重量而闻名，而且因其精密的机械装置而闻名于世。由此可知，大本钟闻名于世界是因为它的精确和重量。故选A。

4.

推理判断题。根据最后一段中Even one extra penny's weight on the balance will cause a gain of two fifths of a second in twenty-four hours.可知哪怕多出一分钱的重量，也会在二十四小时内增加五分之二秒。由此可知，哪怕是最微小的额外重量也会影响大本钟的精度。故选B。