C

For tourists tired of traditional sightseeing tours, one Berlin tour guide is offering something altogether different: a tour of Berlin’s public conveniences.

Tour guide Anna Haase wanted to take visitors to Berlin off the beaten track and came up with the novel idea of showing them some of the German capital’s most famous toilets.

She takes groups ar ound the city’s lavatories, telling them about the history of the toilet’s development from biblical times to the present day and showing them toilets ranging from the oldest and most primitive to the newest and most technical.

Haase came up with the idea of taking a closer look at Berlin’s “WCs” after attending the annual International Tourist Guide Day in 2005 in Berlin, when the theme was “oases of calm”.

“I thought my colleagues would probably all do tours of parks and churches, but I wanted to break a taboo and explain the history of Berlin’s hygiene and toilet culture, ”she told Reuters.

Highlights of the tour include a visit to a toilet block dating from the late 19th century and a trip to the Kaiser’s fully restored bathroom at the Potsdamer Platz square.

She also wants to use the tour to draw attention to the lack of toilets for tour groups in Berlin.

Haase says that the toilet tours are in demand, especially from clubs and societies, as well as from people with a specialist or professional interest in the topic.

“At first people tend to turn their nose up, but then they are generally surprised at the interesting facts that they learn about on the tour, ”she said.

In keeping with the tour’s theme, the meeting point is at the 19th century toilet block at the Gendarmenmarkt square, while a restaurant called “The Loo” is the finishing point. There tourists are shown a Japanese automatic toilet which costs as much as a small car, according to Haase.

59. What did Anna Haase mean by saying “I wanted to break a taboo”?

A. She had to do her job well.

B. She wanted to break the routine.

C. She wanted to have a break.

D. She was eager to work with other guides.

60. What can be learnt from the text?

A. Toilets in Berlin are the best around the world.

B. Berlin has taken many ways to encourage tourism.

C. Berlin has a “revolution” in the management of public toilets.

D. There are no enough toilets for tour groups in Berlin.

61. Why is “The Loo” chosen as the finishing point of the tour?

A. It’s a famous restaurant.

B. The toilet there has a long history.

C. It’s where an automatic toilet lies.

D. It stands near the Gendarmenmarkt square.

62. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A. Berlin—Tourist Resort

B. Toilets—Public Facilities

C. Famous Guide—Anna Haase

D. Special Tour—Famous Toilets

D

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya(弥勒大佛)in sitting posture. The Buddha is located in Sichuan Province, facing Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River. In December, 1996, the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage(世界遗产).

The statue was begun in  the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty, and finished in the year 803. The Buddha is 71 meters high. The 8-meter-long instep(脚背)is big enough for one hundred people to sit on and the 28-meter-wide shoulder is large enough to be a basketball playground.

A monk called Hai Tong is connected with the Buddha forever. At that time, wild waters brought out many boat accidents and people just put the disaster down to the presence of a water spirit. So Hai Tong decided to make a statue beside the river thinking that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control. After 20 years’ begging from door to door, he finally collected enough money for the plan. When some local government officials tried to get this amount of money, Hai Tong said that they could get his eyeballs but not the money raised for the Buddha. After he dug out his eyeballs, these officials ran away scared. The project was half done when Hai Tong passed away, and two of his disciples(门徒)continued the work. After a total of 90 years’ hard work, the project was finally completed.

Having such a long history, the Buddha was nearly destroyed by the wind and rain. The Chinese government began the repairing work in 1963 under the instructions of experts from UNESCO.

63. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. To explain the Leshan Giant Buddha briefly.

B. To tell us how the Leshan Giant Buddha was built.

C. To say where the Leshan Giant Buddha is.

D. To mention how the Leshan Giant Buddha came into the World Heritage.

64. How did Hai Tong get the money for the Buddha?

A. By calling for donation.

B. By working on the river.

C. By asking the government.

D. By selling his eyeballs.

65. According to the passage, the Leshan Giant Buddha　　　.

A. was completed when Hai Tong was alive

B. didn’t exist now

C. played a good role in controlling the river

D. has been a World Heritage site for over ten years

66. In this passage, Hai Tong can be best described as　　　.

A. generous　　　　　　　　     B. cruel

C. easy-going          D. long-suffering