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EDMONTON, CANADA — The Etzio is one of the oldest buildings in one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, but it’s set to be knocked down.Edmontonians are hoping more can be done to preserve (保留) more of the city’s history.
“The reason the area is popular in the first place is because it’s a historic neighbourhood. And I think it’s important that we preserve that history，” said Mark Wilson, owner of Vivid Print, a shop on Whyte Avenue at 103 Street.
Wilson’s business is located in a building two doors down from the Etzio, a building that is more than a century old. But after 117 years on Whyte Avenue, the building i s coming down to make way for a new threefloor development.
“It has become acceptable to simply pull down old buildings and put up new buildings that look old，” said Wilson. “The words on the sidewalks here say historic area. Well, it’s not historic if all the buildings are 10 years old.”
It’s a move that disappoints Wilson and others on the street who believe more should be done to keep the character of Edmonton.
“I think in this area it’s important because it keeps the flavour of Edmonton, a nd Edmonton is known for Whyte Ave.，” said a woman on Saturday afternoon.
“Some of the old culture should still be there, I think，” added a man who was walking along the street. “It makes Edmonton unique (独一无二的). Without it,_it just becomes another mall or it could be any other city in the world.”
Wilson — looking fondly at the old building — believes a little piece of history is lost with every building that’s torn down.
After the Etzio building is torn down, the Old Strathcona Hotel and the Ross building will be the only two buildings left from the 1800s.
语篇解读：本文是一则新闻报道。古建筑面临拆除，市民多有不舍。
1．Why does Wilson consider the Etzio important?
A．It helps him develop his business.
B．His neighbours live there.
C．It’s a symbol of history.
D．His shop is inside it.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“because it’s a historic neighbourhood”可知，Wilson认为Etzio重要是因为它是有着100多年悠久历史的古建筑，是历史的见证。
2．In Wilson’s eyes, what will be done to the city is ______.
A．acceptable B．popular
C．unpleasant D．strange
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第四段Wilson说的话和第五段中的“It’s a move that disappoints Wilson”可以推测，Wilson对于拆除Etzio这一做法感到不愉快。
3．What does the underlined word “it” in the text refer to?
A．The Etzio building. B．The old culture.
C．Edmonton. D．The street.
解析：选B 代词指代题。倒数第三段中连续出现了四个代词it；我们先来分析第一个it：It makes Edmonton unique，这句中的It指代上一句中的Some of the old culture；接着的这句Without it, it just becomes another mall or it could be any other city in the world中的第一个it指代的也是the old culture，第二、三个it均指代Edmonton。该段的大意为：古老的文化应该保留下来，这些古老的文化使得Edmonton很独特；如果没有这些古老的文化，那么Edmonton这个地方就会变成另一个商场，或者和世界上的任何一座城市没什么区别。
4．Which can be t he best title for the text?
A．117yearold building to be torn down
B．New development being met with disagreements
C．Edmonton business owner makes a move
D．Old buildings in Edmonton face an uncertain future
解析：选A 标题归纳题。本文是一则新闻报道，文章首段就点明了主旨，即：The Etzio is one of the oldest buildings in one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods，but it’s set to be knocked down。由此可知，A项作标题统领了全文。
