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The Big Ben is located in the tower at the eastern end of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, Greater London.It was designed by Edmund Beckett and Baron Grimthorpe.

The Big Ben is very famous throughout the world, but nobody really knows why it is called Big Ben.There are two hearsays about this.Some people say that it was named after Benjamin Caunt, a boxer, who was called Big Ben.More people believe it was called after Welshman, Sir Benjamin Hall.He was the commissioner (רԱ) of the work at the time of its installation in 1859.A story was told that during a debate in the Commons on what to call the bell, Sir Benjamin was about to give his ideas when a MP who sat behind the front bench shouted, “Let's call it Big Ben£¡” Then this name came into being.

The bell hasn't gone through a smooth road since the beginning of its design.Because there was great disagreement about the design of the clock.It took fifteen years to build.In 1857, the bell was completed and tested on the ground, but a four­foot crack appeared and the bell had to be cast again.Finally, the clock started ticking on 31 May  1859, and struck its first chime (±¨Ê±) on 11  July.Then in September, the bell cracked again.It was silent for four years but was eventually turned a quarter of a revolution (Ðýת)£®In this way, the crack was not under the striking hammer.Craftsmen made a square above the crack to stop it growing longer and it can still be seen today.

The Big Ben is famous not only for its 13­ton weight, but also for its accuracy (׼ȷÐÔ) which is a result of its precise mechanism (»úеװÖÃ)£®Even one extra penny's weight on the balance will cause a gain of two fifths of a second in twenty­four hours.Although there have been several problems, the bell is still striking today.Its chimes can be heard all over the world on the BBC.

1£®What can we know about the Big Ben?

A£®It is located in the Houses of Parliament.

B£®It is the largest and tallest clock tower in the world.

C£®It is well­known all over the world.

D£®It is the heaviest clock in the world.

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2£®What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A£®The bell worked well at its first test.

B£®The construction of the clock was long but not smooth.

C£®The clock started to strike chimes on 31 May 1859.

D£®The crack finally disappeared after a quarter of a revolution.

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3£®Which of the following can best explain why Big Ben is world­famous?

A£®Accurate and heavy.

B£®Accurate and colorful.

C£®Heavy and colorful.

D£®Attractive and accurate.

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4£®What can we infer from the passage?

A£®Sir Benjamin Hall was a famous architect at that time.

B£®Even the tiniest extra weight on the balance will affect the clock's accuracy.

C£®The chimes of the clock could be heard all over the world.

D£®The clock has been ticking ever since 31 May 1859.

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