倫敦標志性建筑“大本鐘”將接受維修工程，這意味著維修期間人們無法聽到鐘聲。《隨身英語》關注大本鐘所遭受的磨損，以及維修工程會涉及到哪方面的工作。
課文內容
詞匯: repairs 維修
London residents will have to make do without the chimes of Big Ben for a while. After 157 years of nearly uninterrupted service, the iconic clock in London has become worn and requires repairs.
Steve Jaggs, Keeper of the Clock, said: "This project will enable us to give one of Britain's most famous landmarks the TLC it so desperately needs and deserves."
The Elizabeth Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, houses the clock and is visited by 12,000 people a year. It's said to be structurally sound but water caused damage to its masonry and there's corrosion in the cast-iron roof and belfry and the frame which holds the clock's bells. It all needs fixing.
Work will also help to bring the building up to modern health and safety standards. It will have a lift installed to make it easier and quicker to evacuate an injured person and give access to disabled people who can't climb its 334 steps. And at a time when energy efficiency is a concern, the lights which illuminate the clock dials and the belfry will be replaced by low energy LEDs.
Work, with an estimated cost of ￡29m, is set to begin early in 2017 and is planned to take three years. The clock will be silent for only a few months though and might come back to life in very special occasions.
The name Big Ben originally referred to the 13.5 tonne Great Bell within the tower, but ended up being used for the clock and tower too. The clock stands 96m above the Houses of Parliament. It was designed by architect Edmund Beckett Denison and began keeping time on 31 May 1859. Surely it might be our turn to give this famous symbol of Britain some time to rest and recover.
詞匯表
to make do? 將就著，湊合著用
chimes? ?報時鐘聲
uninterrupted?? 沒有中斷過的
worn? ?受到磨損的
repair (noun)? ?維修
landmark?? 地標性建筑
TLC ?(tender loving care 的縮寫)? 細心護理
UNESCO World Heritage Site??? 聯合國教科文組織世界文化遺產地
structurally sound? ?結構上沒有問題
masonry?? 磚石結構
corrosion ?? 生銹、腐蝕
cast iron?? ?鑄鐵
to fix?? ?修理、整修
health and safety standards??? 健康安全標準
to evacuate??? 轉移，疏散
to replace??? 更換
LED ?(light-emitting diode 的縮寫)? ?發光二極管
Houses of Parliament?? 議會大廈
architect?? 建筑設計師
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。
1. Why will the Big Ben fall silent?
2.? Which part of the building was affected by leaks?
3.? Which planned modification will benefit you if you faint while visiting the tower?
4. ?True or false? Big Ben will be silent until 2020.
5. ?Which expression in the text could be used to describe someone who needs a wheelchair continuously to move around?????????
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處 。
1. My sister has got a very bad cold. She needs a lot of __________ if she's to go back to work next week.
repairs???? ??TLC???????? fixing?????? health and safety standards?????
2. There's __________ on the metal gates and they need replacing.
cast iron?? ?? low energy??? ?corrosion?? ?water
3. Joan is not going to miss her plane to London again - she __________ to be at the airport three hours before departure.
plans???????? estimates ??????? ?is enabled?????? might
4. The swimmer trained very hard. He __________ an Olympic medal for sure.
needs??????? ?deserves????? ??? requires?????? ?? takes
5. The CEO was determined to bring the company __________ to standard for it to have a better chance to compete in the market.
on???? ?at??? ??over???? ??up
答案
1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。
1. Why will the Big Ben fall silent?
It has become worn and the clock has to be stopped for repairs.
2.? Which part of the building was affected by leaks?
Elizabeth Tower's masonry was damaged by water leaks.
3. ?Which planned modification will benefit you if you faint while visiting the tower?
A lift.
4. ?True or false? Big Ben will be silent until 2020.
False. ? The repairs to Elizabeth Tower might be made till 2020 but the plan is to keep Big Ben silent just for a few months.
5. ?Which expression in the text could be used to describe someone who needs a wheelchair continuously to move around?
A disabled person.
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處 。
1. My sister has got a very bad cold. She needs a lot of TLC if she's to go back to work next week.
2. There's corrosion on the metal gates and they need replacing.
3. Joan is not going to miss her plane to London again - she plans to be at the airport three hours before departure.
4. The swimmer trained very hard. He deserves an Olympic medal for sure.
