阅读理解。
The Inspiration
Greeks in ancient times believed in many deities (神) or gods. One way they showed their devotion to
gods was to build temples in their honor.
A Shaky Start
The Greeks were building the original Parthenon in about 480 B.C. when the Persians captured
Athens.The Greeks swore an oath (誓言) called "The Oath of Plateau". They swore to fight to death.
They also vowed never to rebuild the city's monuments. The Greeks survived the invasion. They used the
remains of the monuments to build a defensive wall around the city. After thirty years' peace, the Greeks
broke their oath.Their ruler, Pericles, ordered the rebuilding of Athens. They started work on Parthenon.
Fit for a Godness
The Greeks used expensive white marble to build the Parthenon. The Parthenon was 60 feet high and was surrounded by 46 tall Doric columns. The temple was decorated with many sculptures. A continuous
sculpture formed a border around the outside of the building. This horizontal band is called a frieze. Only
325 feet of the original 525 feet of the frieze still exist. A huge 40-foot gilt and ivory statue of Athena was
placed inside the temple.
Changes in Purpose
Over time, many different groups of people used the Parthenon. It was first a Greek temple. Then in
the sixth century, Christians made it a church. Later, in the 1400s, Muslins used it as a mosque. At one
point, it was nearly destroyed by war. Turkish invaders used it to store ammunition. An explosion
destroyed the inside of the building.
The Parthenon stands as a ruin today. Pollution has harmed the outside. Despite the changes over
time, the Parthenon remains one of the most famous buildings in the world.
1. In the long history, the Parthenon had been used as the following except _____.
A. a temple
B. a church
C. a storehouse
D. a mosquito net
2. Why didn't the Greeks rebuild the Parthenon for thirty years after the Persian invasion?
A. They were unwilling to rebuild it.
B. They had no money to rebuild it.
C. They were angry with Athena for allowing the invasion.
D. They had sworn an oath not to rebuild.
3. What caused the temple to lie in ruins?
A. Passing of time, lack of money and people's neglect.
B. Passing of time, an explosion and pollution.
C. An explosion, a volcanic eruption and an earthquake.
D. Pollution, rain and wind.
