1. The Great Wall
one of the greatest wonders of the world, a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987, the Great Wall winds up and down, across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching almost 10 thousand kilometers, in ruins or have disappeared; the Great Wall symbolizes the strengths and spirit of Chinese people
2. Washington D.C.
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a white dome building and a white monument, the Washington Monument, near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USA. to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington, symmetrical (对称的) buildings, magnificent monuments, important historical landmarks (标志性建筑)
3. The Summer Palace:
situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, 15 kilometers from central Beijing, a beautiful lake surrounded by lovely hills and nice buildings, the unique style of architecture, the fine scenery, picturesque, used to be a place for the imperial family only, a major tourist attraction now
Demos:
1. The Great Wall of China
It is one of the greatest wonders of the world and was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching almost 10,000 kilometers (5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2,000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world. Great Wall carries a considerable part of Chinese culture. It symbolizes the strengths and spirit of Chinese people and China's long history. 2. Washington D.C.
The picture shows a white dome building and a white monument. This is the Washington Monument, which is located near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USA. The monument was built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. Besides, the picture enables us to appreciate the impressive layout of the city. As the capital city and the political center of the U.S., Washington is noted for its symmetrical buildings, magnificent monuments and important historical landmarks.
3. The Summer Palace
Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers from central Beijing. In the picture, we can see a beautiful lake surrounded by lovely hills and nice buildings. The unique style of architecture is fascinating and the fine scenery throughout the place is simply picturesque. The Summer Palace used to be a place for the imperial family only. Now it is a major tourist attraction visited by millions of people each year.
Part D
Test Your Listening
A Compound Dictation
Listen to the passage three times and supply the missing information.
Paris and Washington differ in 1) age and population, but anyone who has seen the two cities can tell that they are very similar.
Of course, Paris is much older than Washington. The 2) French city is over 2,000 years old. Washington, in 3) contrast, is very young. It is only over 200 years old. The population of Paris is also larger than that of Washington's. Paris has more than 4) 2,500,000 people. Washington has
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just over 588.000
In spite of these differences, the 5) similarities are striking. First, both cities are the political 6) centers of their countries. The president of France lives in the heart of Paris, in the Elysee Palace. 7) Likewise, the president of the United States lives in the heart of Washington, in the White House.
Second, the two cities look similar. Pierre Charles L'Enfant, 8) the French engineer who designed Washington, was greatly influenced by the layout of the capital of France. For this reason, many of the buildings and monuments in Washington are symmetrically located in view of one another, just as they are in Paris. 9) Both cities are also the sites of magnificent monuments, important historical landmarks, fine museums, and beautiful parks.
Finally, tourism is as important for Washington as it is for Paris. 10) Every year, millions of tourists from all parts of the world visit these cities to view their attractions. 13
