Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay that begins with the sentence “ Nowadays more and more people choose to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. ” You can make comments, cite examples or use your personal experiences to develop your essay. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2 .
卢沟桥位于天安门广场西南15公里处,横跨永定河,是北京现存最古老的多拱石桥。卢沟桥最初建成于1192年,1698年重建,由281根柱子支撑。每根柱子上都有一头石狮。这些石狮的头、背、腹部或爪子上都藏着更多的狮子。这些石狮生动逼真、千姿百态,是卢沟桥石刻艺术的精品。桥上的石狮不计其数,因而北京地区流传着“卢沟桥上的石狮子——数不清”的说法。
卢沟桥不仅以其美学特征闻名于世,还被公认为石桥建筑史上的一座丰碑。