YOUprobablythinkyouknowaboutLondon’sproblems.Thepeopleareunfriendlyit’swaytooexpensiveandthefoodisterrible-sowhydosomanytouristsflock(蜂拥)there?Londonwasnamedtheworld’smostpopularcitybetween

Question

YOU probably think you know about London’s problems. The people are unfriendly it’s way too expensive and the food is terrible - so why do so many tourists flock (蜂拥) there?

London was named the world’s most popular city between July and September 2013. It edged out other world-famous cities such as New York and Paris welcoming 4.9 million visitors according to the UK Office for National Statistics.

Amazingly this was an increase of almost 19.5 percent on 2012 - the year when the Olympics happened in summer.

So can London’s success be explained? Well maybe. As the English writer Samuel Johnson once said “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life”. London life is often crazy and expensive but if you can think of something you can probably do it there.

Anywhere in the city you can often look around a great museum such as the British Museum watch a concert at a historic venue (场所) like the Royal Albert Hall or dance the night away in a cool nightclub such as Fabric.

And it’s not just about culture – there are also world-famous sporting venues around the city. Many tourists like to watch soccer matches at stadiums such as Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium or Tottenham’s White Hart Lane. Tourists even came to watch British tennis player Andy Murray’s famous victory at the Wimbledon tennis tournament (锦标赛) in 2013.

Yes but what about the food? Well even if you don’t like British food – and if you’ve never had real fish and chips or a summer pudding then perhaps you should wait until you’ve tried them – there is plenty of great food from all over the world available in London’s many restaurants.

London like many of its buildings has a long history but also never lacks a vibrant pulse (充满活力的脉搏). All over the city history and modernity come together to make it an essential place for tourists to discover.

1. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A. To show the effects of the 2012 London Olympics.

B. To analyze why London appeals to tourists.

C. To compare London with other world-famous cities.

D. To talk about common problems in London.

2. The underlined phrase “edged out” in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A. took the lead of

B. had a lot in common with

C. followed the example of

D. became more popular than

3. In Samuel Johnson’s eyes life in London is probably ______.

A. relaxed B. boring

C. colorful D. challenging

4. According to the article London is attracting many visitors from across the world mainly because ______.

a. it is a city rich in culture and attractions

b. most local people are friendly

c. the sporting venues around the city are worthy of a visit

d. British food enjoys a good reputation among visitors

e. the city has a combination of history and modernity

A. abc B.ace C. bcd D. bde

 

Answer 1

1.B2.D3.C4.B

分 析：
本文讲的是伦敦这座城市虽然有很多问题，比如不友好的市民，昂贵的物价和糟糕的食物等，但是伦敦仍然以它的文化、运动、食物和现代与历史的结合成为全球最受欢迎的城市之一。1.推断判断题。文中从文化、运动、食物和现代与历史的结合等多个角度阐述了伦敦吸引了大量的游客的原因，故选B。2.词意猜测题。结合上下文，从文中第三段中“London was named the world’s most popular city between July and September 2013. It edged out other world-famous cities such as New York and Paris welcoming 4.9 million visitors according to the UK Office for National Statistics..”可以推断出此处应该是英国比纽约和巴黎更受欢迎，故选D。3.理解分析题。从“As the English writer Samuel Johnson once said ‘when a man is tired of London he is tired of life’”可以看出在Samuel眼中，伦敦的生活应该是丰富多彩的。故选C。4.理解分析题。从最后一段中“London like many of its buildings has a long history but also never lacks a vibrant pulse (充满活力的脉搏). All over the city history and modernity come together to make it an essential place for tourists to discover.”可以看出主要原因是文化、运动、现代与历史的结合三个方面论述的，故选B。
考点：
考查社会文化类阅读