The Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan finished building Taj Mahal in 1648. He was a rich and powerful emperor, and he built the Taj Mahal as a memorial for his wife. 小题1: The word “taj” means crown, “Mahal” was the name of his wife. Twenty thousand people worked for 18 years to complete this beautiful domed(圆顶屋) building. A thousand elephants carried huge stones and jewels from all over India and central Asia to the Taj. Shah Jahan wanted this memorial to be a burial place for himself and his wife.
The Taj Mahal is on the Yamuna River in Agra in northern India. 小题2: Its picture is in most travel books and brochures. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset. For about fifteen rupees (or about US$0.33), anyone can enter this peaceful and quiet place.
As you enter, you pass through beautiful, silent gardens. From the gardens, you cross a wide courtyard. Suddenly, you see the dome of the main building through a tall, red sandstone gate. At daybreak, the Taj Mahal’s white walls turn rose. At noon, they blaze（发光）white. At dusk, they become dark grey. 小题3:
After you pass through the gate, you step onto a wide stone platform. You look over another garden with pools. Everything is arranged carefully in fours. 小题4: The garden is divided into four parts. There are straight rows of colorful flowers and trees in each of the parts. At the four corners of the Taj Mahal, there are pointed tall towers. After the gardens, you go down stone steps towards the main building with the tomb and the graves of Shah Jahan and his wife.
After hundreds of years, the Taj Mahal remains a lovely and peaceful place. 小题5:
A．It was a monument of love.
B．Four is a special number in the Moslem religion.
C．Many people want to visit the Taj Mahal some day.
D．This beautiful building is truly a jewel for all people.E. The Taj Mahal is most beautiful by the light of the full moon.
F. To many people around the world, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of India.
G. From the cool, dark gates, the Taj Mahal seems to float between earth and sky.
