阅读理解。
The Taj Mahal (泰姬陵) is a love story, a sad and beautiful one. If it didn't exist, we would easily imagine
that the story of its construction was simply a fairy tale. Three hundred years ago, there lived an Indian
emperor called Shah Jahan. His wife was a beautiful and bright woman whom he loved greatly. Her title was
Mumtazl Mahan: its shortened form Taj Mahan, means "pride of the palace". In the year 1630 this beloved wife
of the emperor died. He was so brokenhearted that he thought of giving up his throne. He decided out of his
love for his wife, to build her the most beautiful tomb that had ever been seen.
He called in the best artists and architects from India, Turkey, Persia and Arabia and finally, the design was
complete. It took more than twenty thousand men working over a period of 18 years to build the Taj Mahan,
one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
The building itself stands on a marble platform 29 meters square and 6-7 meters high. Towers rise from
each of the four corners. The Taj itself soars another 61 meters into the air. It is an eight-sided building made
of white marble.
The emperor planned to build an identical tomb of black marble for himself on the other side of the river
connected by a silver bridge. However his son put him into a prison in the palace before he could finish, and
for the rest of his life, he could only gaze across river at the tomb of his beloved wife.
1. The whole passage tells us about _____. [ ]
A. a beautiful fairy tale
B. the story of the Taj Mahal
C. white and black marble tombs made for two emperors
D. the love story of Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Taj Mahal? [ ]
A. It was completed quickly owing to the efforts of the best artists and workers.
B. A lot of people took part in the building work.
C. It is a magnificent building.
D. It is a tomb for the emperor's beloved wife.
3. The emperor's own tomb was designed to be _____. [ ]
A. 61 meters high
B. eight-sided
C. black-coloured
D. white-colored
4. The emperor _____. [ ]
A. died soon after Taj Mahan died
B. was killed by his son
C. was beloved by his people
D. died after 1648
