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Firstlistenandthenanswerthequestion.
HasBigBenevergongwrong?
WhenyouvisitLondon, oneofthefirstthingsyouwillseeisBigBen, thefamousclockwhichcanbeheardallovertheworldontheB.B.C. IftheHousesofParliamenthadnotbeenburneddownin 1834, thegreatclockwouldneverhavebeenerected. BigBentakesitsnamefromSirBenjaminHallwhowasresponsibleforthemakingoftheclockwhenthenewHousesofParliamentwerebeingbuilt. Itisnotonlyofimmensesize, butisextremelyaccurateaswell. OfficialsfromGreenwichObservatoryhavetheclockcheckedtwiceaday. OntheB.B.C. youcanheartheclockwhenitisactuallystrikingbecausemicrophonesareconnectedtotheclocktower. BigBenhasrarelygonewrong. Once, however, itfailedtogivethecorrecttime. Apainterwhohadbeenworkingonthetowerhungapotofpaintononeofthehandsandsloweditdown!
Newwordsandexpressions 生词和短语
parliamentn.议会，国会
erectv.建起
accurateadj.准确的
officialn.官员，行政人员
Greenwichn.格林尼治
observatoryn.天文台
checkv.检查
microphonen.扩音器，麦克风
towern.塔
Notesonthetext 课文注释
1 BigBen,大钟的名字，译成“大本”。
2 theB.B.C.是英国广播公司。
3 IftheHousesofParliamenthadnotbeenboureddownin 1834, thegreatclockwouldneverhavebeenerected.如果不是国会大厦在1834年被焚毁的话，这座大钟永远也不会建造。