Beijing is an ancient city with a long history. It has been the capital of China in many dynasties in the country's long history, and most recently since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. This fascinating capital city, at first glance, seems to effortlessly blend tradition with modernism -- first-time visitors will immediately be struck by the contrasts between old and new and the inescapable sense that change is happening at an accelerated pace.

Beijing has many cultural treasures. Winding for several kilometers in Beijing area, the Great Wall is the only man-made structure that could be seen in space. The Summer Palace is a classic composition of ancient royal gardens, and the Forbidden City is the largest royal palace in the world. The Temple of Heaven is where the emperor used to fete their ancestors, and also the soul of Chinese ancient architecture. The four sites above have been confirmed world cultural heritage by UNESCO. However, the best representatives for Beijing are the vanishing Hutongs and square courtyards. Through hundreds of years, they have become the symbol of Beijing life. Tian'anmen Square being still brilliant today with cloverleaf junctions and skyscrapers everywhere, the old-time scene and modern culture are combined to present a brand new visage of Beijing.

No matter what you're looking for, Beijing has it. And the best part is, there is always more to explore as the city is constantly evolving in the race to modernize and beautify itself. Contrasts and contradictions await you at every turn ----exclusive apartment buildings next to dilapidated old-style buildings, luxury cars driving alongside hawkers transporting their goods on the back of their bikes, ancient temples surrounded by modern high-rises.

北京是一个有着悠久历史的城市。在中国的漫长历史中，它是许多朝代的都城，最近一次就是1949年中华人民共和国成立后它成为了中国的首都。这个迷人的都城，乍一看，似乎很容易就把传统和现代结合在一起了——第一次来参观的游客会立即被它新与旧的对比所震撼，同时，它还免不了给人一种正在加速发展变化的感觉。

北京有许多文化宝藏。蜿蜒于北京城数公里的长城是唯一可以从太空看见的人造建筑。颐和园是古代皇家园林中的优秀作品。 故宫是世界上最大的皇宫。天坛是皇帝祭祀祖先的地方，也是中国古建筑的灵魂。这四处景点已被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。然而，北京最经典的代表却是正在消失的胡同和四合院。历经数百年的历史，它们已经成为北京生活的见证。天安门广场在四页形立体交叉桥和随处可见的摩天大楼的掩映下熠熠生辉。古老景观和现代文化的结合使北京拥有了一个全新的面貌。

不论你想寻找什么，在北京都可以找到。其中最美好的部分就是——总有更多的东西等待着你去发现，这个城市正在不断奔向现代化，变得更加美丽迷人。对比和不同随处可见——高档的公寓大楼紧挨着残破的古老建筑，豪华小轿车与小贩运货的自行车并肩行驶，现代高层建筑包围着古老的庙宇。

modernism n. 现代主义

accelerate vt. 加速

royal adj. 皇室的

skyscraper n. 摩天大楼

inescapable adj. 不可避免的

composition n. 作品

representative n. 代表

contradiction n. 矛盾

Daniel 和 Tom 决定去北京旅游观光，他们觉得有必要先了解一下北京这个城市，于是开始在网上查找相关资料。

D = Daniel 丹 = 丹尼尔 T = Tom 汤 = 汤姆

D: What have you found?

T: Beijing is an ancient city with a long history. Back to 3,000 years ago in Zhou Dynasty, Beijing, which was called "Ji" at the time, had been named capital of Yan. Thereafter, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties all made Beijing their capital. Therefore, Beijing is famous for "capital with thousands of years of history".

D: Oh, it's much older than other capitals.

T: Yes, because China itself is a very ancient country. Do you find any other material about this country?

D: There are many attractive sights in Beijing, such as the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. Maybe we can visit them in our spare time.

T: Good idea. They must reflect the Eastern culture.

D: As Beijing has been confirmed the host city of 2008 Olympics, the spirit of "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics" will surely bring more and more changes to Beijing, promote the development of sports and Olympics in China as well as in the world, and strengthen the friendly communications between Chinese and foreign people.

T: The Olympics are really a significant event for China.

丹: 你查到了什么？

汤：北京是一个历史悠久的古老城市。在3000年前的周朝，北京就被定为燕国的都城，那时候它被称为“蓟”。随后，在辽，金，元，明，清这些朝代里北京都是它们的都城。所以，它因“千年之都”而闻名。

丹：噢，它比其他都城古老多了。

汤：是的，因为中国本身就是一个有着千年历史的古国。你有查到了些什么呢？

丹：北京有许多吸引人的景点，如长城、颐和园、故宫和天坛。也许我们还能在空闲的时候去看看。

汤：好主意！它们肯定展示了东方的文化。

丹：由于北京是2008年奥运会的举办城市，“绿色奥运，科技奥运，人文奥运”的精神必将为北京带来越来越多的变化，促进世界和中国的体育事业和奥运的发展，巩固中国人民和世界人民的友好关系。

汤：对中国来说，奥运会确实是一件有着重大意义的事情。

dynasty n. 朝代，王朝

sight n. 景观

promote vt. 促进

significant adj. 重要的

material n. 资料

confirm vt. 批准

strengthen vt. 加强

假如你的一位外国朋友想来北京观光旅游，想先向你更多地了解一下北京这座城市。你将如何回答他提出的一些问题呢？试着完成下面的对话。

1. 外国朋友：Why is Beijing called "Capital of thousand years"?

你：________________________________________________________

2. 外国朋友：Can you tell me some famous sights in Beijing?

你：________________________________________________________

3. 外国朋友：What is the significance of 2008 Olympics for China?

你：________________________________________________________

1. Because Beijing has been named capital of Yan 3,000 years ago in Zhou Dynasty. Thereafter, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties all made Beijing their capital.

2. Of course. Such as the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.

3. It will surely bring more and more changes to Beijing, promote the development of sports and Olympics in China as well as in the world, and strengthen the friendly communications between Chinese and foreign people.

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