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The Official Residences of the British Royal Family
Buckingham Palace
We'll start at Buckingham Palace，the Queen's London home.Situated by St.James's Park, Buckingham Palace has been the monarch's(君主的) official London residence since 1837.It has 775 rooms，including 52 bedrooms，188 staff bedrooms，92 offices，and 78 bathrooms.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh live here，along with the Duke of York，and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Highlights at Buckingham Palace include the Changing of the Guard ceremony，which takes place most Days at 11：00a.m.，and the State Rooms that are open to the public every summer.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle，situated just outside London，is the Queen's weekend retreat.It's the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world，built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century.Over 39 monarchs have used Windsor Castle as their residence.St George's Chapel is part of the castle and is the venue(会场) for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018.
The castle is open all year round―it has a worldfamous Royal dollhouse，and there are also talks，performances，and activities for kids.
In 1992，a fire at the castle caused over $50，000，000 in damage.
Sandringham House
Sandringham House in Norfolk is one of the Queen's private residences.It was brought into the family in 1862 by the future Edward Ⅶ，although a fire in 1891 destroyed much of the original building.It's been passed down through the family into the Queen's ownership.The house itself stands within nearly 20，000 acres，with 60 acres of gardens.The rest is a park and uncultivated(未开垦的) land，which is freely open to the public every day of the year.
The British royal family spends Christmas at Sandringham，traditionally walking to church on Christmas morning and meeting the local people.
Anmer Hall
Anmer Hall，a private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge，is also part of the Sandringham estate.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇应用文。主要介绍了几处著名的可供参观游览的英国皇室官方住所。
1．What do we know about Buckingham Palace?
A．It is the oldest castle.
B．It is located in Norfolk.
C．It is abundant in rooms.
D．It is home to Edward Ⅶ.
C [细节理解题。根据第一个小标题下的“It has 775 rooms，including 52 bedrooms，188 staff bedrooms，92 offices，and 78 bathrooms.”可知，白金汉宫的房间非常多。故选C。]
2．Which residence will you go to if your children want to see a performance?
A．Buckingham Palace.
B．Windsor Castle.
C．Sandringham House.
D．Anmer Hall.
B [细节理解题。根据第二个小标题下的“and there are also talks，performances，and activities for kids”可知，如果你的孩子想看演出，你可以去温莎城堡。故选B。]
3．What can we do in Sandringham House?
A．Watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
B．Appreciate the wedding of Prince Harry.
C．Visit the uncultivated land freely.
D．Spend Christmas with the royal family.
C [细节理解题。根据第三个小标题下的“The rest is a park and uncultivated land，which is freely open to the public every day of the year.” 可知，在桑德林汉姆府可以免费参观公园和荒地。故选C。]
