Eiffel Is an Eyeful

　　Some 300 meters up,near the Eiffel Tower's wind-whipped summit the world comes to scribble.Japanese,Brazilians.Americans-they graffiti their names,loves and politics on the cold iron-transforming the most French of monuments into symbol of a world on the move.

　　With Pairs laid out in miniature below,it seems strange that visitors would rather waste time marking their presence than admiring the view.But the graffiti also raises a question:Why,nearly 114 years after it was completed,and decades after it ceased to be the world's tallest structure,is the Tour Eiffel still so popular?

　　The reasons are as complex as the iron work that graces a structure some 90 stories high.But part of the answer is,no doubt,its agelessness,regularly maintained,it should never rust away.Graffiti is regularly painted over,but the tower lives on.

　　"Eiffel represents Paris and Paris is France.It is very symbolic,"says Hugues Richard,a 31-year-old Frenchman who holds the record for cycling up to the tower's second floor-747 steps in 19 minutes and 4 seconds,without touching the floor with his feet."It's iron lady,it inspires us，"he says.

　　But to what?After all,the tower doesn't have a purpose.It ceased to be the world's tallest in 1930 when the Chrysler Building went up in New York.Yes,television and radio signals are beamed from the top,and Gustave Eiffel,a frenetic builder who died on December 27,aged 91,used its height for conducting research into weather,aerodynamics and radio communication.

　　But in essence the tower inspires simply by being there-a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will.To the technically minded,it's an engineering triumph.For lovers,it's romantic.

　　"The tower will outlast all of us,and by a long way,"says Isabelle Esnous,whose company.manages Eiffel Tower.

　　31.Why does the author think the Eiffel Tower is transformed into symbol of a world of the move?____________

　　A.Tourists from all over the world come to the Eiffel Tower by car or by plane.

　　B.Tourists of all nationalities come to scribble on the cold iron of the tower.

　　C.The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in the world.

　　D.The Eiffel Tower represents all the towers in the world.

　　32.What seems strange to the author?____________

　　A.Visitors prefer wasting time scribbling to enjoying the view.

　　B.Visitors spends much time watching other people scribbling.

　　C.Only Japanese,Brazilians and Americans like to mark their presence.

　　D.Scribbling spread from country to country.

　　33.Which statements is NOT true of Hugues Richard?____________

　　A.He is a cyclist.

　　B.He is a record holder.

　　C.He climbed 747 steps up the tower in 19 minutes and 4 seconds.

　　D.He cycled up to the tower's second floor.

　　34.What did the builder use the Eiffel Tower for?____________

　　A.Sending radio and television signals all over the world.

　　B.Conducting research in various fields.

　　C.Giving people inspiration.

　　D.Demonstrating French culture.

　　35.Which of the following is nearest in meaning to "(The Eiffel Tower is like) a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will”?____________

　　A.Visitors can do whatever they want on the tower.

　　B.Visitors can paint on the tower whatever they want.

　　C.Visitors can imagine freely what the tower represents.

　　D.Visitors can draw on a blank canvas provided by the Tower management company.

　　参考答案：

　　31.B　第一段提供了答案。

　　32.A　第二段第一句中的句型would rather do something than do something else，也可以用prefer doing something to doing something else的句型来表达。所以，A是正确答案。

　　33.C　第四段告诉我们，Hugues Richard蹬车上塔，打破世界纪录。C不是正确选项，因为他cycling up to the tower‘s second floor，而不是climbing up the tower.

　　34.B　选项A不是正确选项，因为Gustave Eiffel没有也不可能使用该塔向全世界发射电视信号。第五段的最后一句提供了答案。

　　35.C　第六段的大意是：对不同的人，埃菲尔铁塔有不同的象征意义。

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）