阅读理解。
Like a Heaven on Earth
Many cities have slogans (宣传标语) to attract you to visit and spend your tourist money. These are
usually written by a travel agency, and no matter how clever or well thought out, they often fall on the deaf ears of experienced travelers. But there are proverbs that are time-tested-like this one, which translates
to: Up in the sky there is heaven, down on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.
That's a pretty bold declaration (宣言) when you consider the size of China and the many beautiful
places to see within its borders. Yet, Suzhou's beauty has won it boasting (自夸) rights.
Suzhou, built in 514 BC, has a storied past. Marco Polo spent time there in 1276 while on the Silk
Road. Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War in Suzhou when it was the kingdom of Wu.
While famous for its gardens, Suzhou has long been inspirational to artists, musicians and craftsmen.
There is far more to Suzhou than its gardens - respect for art, just for starters.
There is a peaceful air that reflects the spirit of the area. You can see that it is a city trying to remain
very livable and keep its beauty even as it grows.
Perhaps it's the smiles you see on the streets, or maybe the way they take care of the elderly in the
city. Maybe it is the way they promote art and culture as the government provides studio space for artists
to work on their traditional skills - or it could be that there are pockets of beauty all over the city.
You don't have to go far to find one of these to escape the honking horns (汽车喇叭响) or the
electric bikes, and find your own little piece of Heaven on Earth.
1. The underlined phrase "fall on the deaf ears" probably means _____.
A. are paid no attention to
B. are noticed
C. are paid much attention to
D. are understood
2. What dose the author think of Suzhou's slogan?
A. It needs to be better translated.
B. A travel agency wrote the slogan.
C. It matches reality.
D. It is meaningless.
3. The author believes tourists appreciate Suzhou mainly because of ______.
A. its long history
B. its convenient facilities
C. the beautiful gardens in the city
D. the atmosphere and spirit of the city.
4. According to the article, which of the following statements about Suzhou is NOT TRUE?
A. It attracts many artists.
B. Drivers are not allowed to honk in Suzhou.
C. Its has a history of over 2000 years.
D. The large number of tourist visitors has affected its culture.
