I_want_to_visit_the_Great_Wall.

　　China's_Great_Wall_is_known_to_the_world_as_one_of_the_seven_great_wonders_of_the_world._It_is_located_in_North_China._It_is_over_6,000_kilometres_in_length_and_25_feet_high_in_average._The_ancient_people_started_to_built_the_wall_in_the_7th_Century_BC_with_earth,_brick_and_stone,_and_joined_it_in_the_Qin_Dynasty._The_Great_Wall_was_built_in_ancient_China_to_keep_out_invaders,_however,_it_is_now_regarded_as_one_of_the_most_important_tourist_spots_in_our_country_or_even_in_the_whole_world._Every_year,_it_is_visited_by_thousands_of_people_from_all_over_the_world.

　　Ⅰ.Fast­reading

　　Answer the following questions according to the text.

　　1．What do foreigners want to see in Beijing?

　　The_grand_sights_of_the_Great_Wall,_the_Forbidden_City_and_the_hutongs.

　　2．When were the most of Beijing's hutongs built?

　　The_majority_of_Beijing's_hutongs_were_built_between_the_13th_and_19th_centuries_during_the_Yuan,_Ming_and_Qing_Dynasties.

　　3．What's the function of the hutongs?

　　The hutongs connect people's homes and people's lives, as well as Beijing's past and present.

　　4．What did the government do with the hutongs after 1949?

　　The_government_undertook_the_preservation_of_many_of_the_oldest_hutongs.

　　5．How about the longest and narrowest hutongs?

　　The longest hutong, Rongxian, is 2 km long; the narrowest, Qianshi, is only 40 cm wide.

　　Ⅱ.Careful­reading

　　Read the text again and fill in the chart with the information in the text.

Paragraphs Main ideas Details Paragraph 1 Definition of the

hutong Originally, the hutong refers to the (1)many_little_alleys connecting the courtyards of traditional houses. Now "hutong" also refers to the (2)courtyards_themselves and even to the communities that live there. Paragraph 2 History of

hutongs Most hutongs in Beijing were built between(3)the_13th_and_19th_

centuries. Hutongs made it easier for the rulers to(4)keep_control_ over_the

_city.