The Taj Mahal (泰姬陵) is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian architecture (建筑). It is at Agra in northern India. It lies beside the River Jumna in the middle of gardens with quiet pools.
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mogul emperor (皇帝) Shah Jehan, who ruled India in the seventeenth century. It is in memory of his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Bagam, known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The building, which was completed between 1632 and 1638, was designed by a local Muslim architect (建筑师), Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The whole building, with gardens and gateway structures, was completed in 1643. The Taj Mahal stands at one end of the garden tomb with marble (大理石) path. The room is softly lighted by the light that passes through double screens of carved marble set high in the walls. The building now is kept in good condition.
The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build. Shah Jehan planned a similar building, but in black instead of white, to lie on the other side of the river. But before it could be built, Shah Jehan was imprisoned (监禁) by his son and buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.
小题1:The Taj Mahal was built for____ .
| A．Mumtaz | B．Shah | C．Either Mumtaz or Shah | D．Both Mumtaz and Shah |
小题2: Why do you think Shah Jehan was buried next to his wife?
| A．His own tomb hadn’t been built. | B．He hoped to be buried there. |
| C．King and Queen should be buried together | D．He liked Mumtaz all his life. |
小题3:The passage mainly tells us____ .
| A．why the Taj Mahal was built |
| B．the love story between Shah and Mumtaz |
| C．some information about the Taj Mahal |
| D．the Taj Mahal—the pride of Indians |
小题4:Form the passage we can learn that____ .
| A．the Taj Mahal looks more beautiful than before . |
| B．the Taj Mahal doesn’t exist now. |
| C．the Taj Mahal has completely changed. |
| D．the Taj Mahal has become a place of interest. |
