A Square for Celebration|世界的中心

A Square for Celebration

by William Ryan

For many people, Times Square is the center of the world.

　　New Year's Eve is celebrated in every corner of the globe, but there is no place more popular or more famous for its New Year's Eve celebration than New York City's Times Square. At 11:59 PM on December 31, the eyes of the world are fixated on Times Square's sparkling crystal ball as it begins its slow _(1)_. Hundreds of millions of people around the world are at that moment united as they bid a fond farewell to the year that has just passed, and greet the New Year with their _(2)_ hopes and dreams.

　　Times Square is sometimes called the crossroads of the world, and _(3)_ good reason. The actual square is _(4)_ in the center of New York City, where Broadway and 7th Avenue intersect with West 46th Street, just a few blocks south of Central Park. The whole Times Square district is several blocks long from 42nd Street to 47th Street. The district was named Times Square when the _(5)_ of The New York Times newspaper moved into the area in 1904. The site of the original Times building is actually where the New Year's Eve ball drop is now situated. The crossroads of the world is also a _(6)_ description of how culture, art, business, media, and every other part of society all seem to merge in this uniquely diverse neighborhood.

　　Surprisingly, Times Square's biggest claim to fame is that it is the world's most popular tourist destination. Over 300,000 tourists visit the district daily, which equates to 39 million people _(7)_. This total is far more than the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Great Wall of China. With more neon billboards than Las Vegas, more theaters than London's West End, and more eateries than Paris, maybe it is not that surprising.

 

1. (A) horror (B) mixture (C) suspicion (D) descent

2. (A) tropical (B) sufficient (C) courteous (D) optimistic

3. (A) for (B) at (C) over (D) into

4. (A) declared (B) located (C) enclosed (D) neglected

5. (A) headquarters (B) obstacles (C) possessions (D) syllables

6. (A) vicious (B) secure (C) suitable (D) protective

7. (A) scarcely (B) annually (C) violently (D) passively

 

世界的中心

对很多人来说，时代广场是世界的中心。

　　全球的每一个角落都会庆祝跨年夜，但没有任何地方比纽约时代广场的跨年夜庆典更受欢迎或更有名了。十二月三十一日的晚上十一点五十九分，当时代广场这颗闪闪发亮的水晶球开始缓缓降下的时候，全世界的目光都集中于此。世界各地数亿人都在那一刻团结在一起，他们深情地挥别刚刚过去的一年，并以乐观的希望与梦想迎接新的一年。

　　时代广场有时也被称作世界的十字路口，这是有其道理的。真正的广场位于纽约市中心，是百老汇大道、第七大道与西四十六街所交叉出来的三角地带，距离南边的中央公园只有几个街区而已。而整个时代广场地区的涵盖范围从四十二街到四十七街，延伸好几个街区。《纽约时报》总部于 1904 年迁入该地区后，该地区便被命名为时代广场。原时报大厦的地点实际上就是如今纽约跨年夜水晶球落下的所在位置。世界的十字路口也是一个合适的描述，因为文化、艺术、商业、媒体和社会的其他部份似乎都融合在这独特而多元的区域里。

　　令人惊讶的是，时代广场最出名的原因是因为它是世界上最受欢迎的旅游景点。每天有三十多万名游客造访这个地区，这相当于每年有三千九百万名游客。这个总数远远超过了巴黎艾菲尔铁塔或是中国万里长城的游客人数。时代广场拥有比拉斯维加斯更多的霓虹灯招牌、比伦敦西区更多的电影院，还有比巴黎更多的小吃店，那么也许它是最受欢迎的旅游景点也就不那么令人惊讶了。

答案： 1. D 2. D 3. A 4. B 5. A

6. C 7. B