As a palace, the Tower of London．was a great place to live．As a prison, it, wasn’t so nice ——especially since so many prisoners lost their heads．Today tourists can explore 5the Tower in the
United Kingdom．Here are some reasons why the Tower was and still is a cool place．
Ravens（渡鸦） are like superheroes．
Well, sort of．Legend says if the ravens that live on the Tower grounds ever leave, the Tower will fall apart．No one knows when the ravens first showed up, but Charles II took the legend so seriously that in the 1670s he gave an official order that six ravens be kept there all the time．Today
there are still always six．
You might have lived at a zoo．
In 1204, King John kept a collection of animals, including lions and elephants．About 50 years later, King Henry III received a polar bear．the bear was kept on a piece of rope so it could fish from the Thames River that flows by the Tower．
If you lived at the Tower today, your mom or dad might be in charge．
The 35 Yeoman Warders（伦敦塔卫士）and their families are among the few still allowed to live at the Tower．Established in 1509 a;? bodyguards! for the king, today they give tours and manage the day-to-day details of the Tower．They’re called "beefeaters," possibly because their job once allowed them to eat beef from the king’s; table．
You need a secret password at night．
Called the "Word," the password changes every 24 hours and is a must-have to enter the Tower
after hours．It’s written on a piece of paper and delivered to the Yeoman on duty for, the night．
You could find buried gold．
In 1662, a goldsmith（金匠） named John Barfcstead supposedly hid more than $40,000 worth of stolen gold somewhere on．the Tower grounds．Many have searched for the gold, but it has never
been found．
小题1:Charles II decided to keep six ravens in the Tower probably because ____,． ;
A．he loved animals a lot
B．he believed ravens helped protect the Tower
C．he wanted to train the ravens to watch the prisoners
D．he thought the Tower was a cool place for the ravens to live小题2:According to the passage, the Yeoman Warders ______．
A．have to part from their families to work at the Tower
B．are currently working as bodyguards for the king
C．sometimes serve as tour guides
D．are fond of eating beef小题3:Which of the following is TRUE about the Tower of London?
A．King Henry III kept lions and elephants in it．
B．It stands on the bank of the Thames River．
C．Nobody is allowed to enter it at night．
D．It is also used as a prison nowadays．
