In the sixteenth century, Emperor Jahangir ruled India. Prince Khurram was his fifth son. At the age of fifteen, the prince met a beautiful girl, and they fell in love with each other at first sight.
Growing up, he was always better at everything than his brothers. In honor of his victories in battle, Jahangir gave him the name "Shah Jahan", meaning "King of the World".
In 1628, Shah Jahan began to rule the country in place of his father. Beside him stood his queen, the girl he had met when he was 15. He gave her the name "Mumtaz Mahal", and she gave him loving loyalty1, wise advice and children.
In 1631, when Shah Jahan set out with his armies to fight an enemy, Mumtaz Mahal, though in the ninth month of pregnancy2, went with him as she had done many times before. On a warm evening of April in 1631, the queen gave birth to their fourteenth child, but soon afterwards fell ill and died. As she was dying, her husband promised to build her a tomb that the world had never seen.
Six months after her death, Shah Jahan began work on her memorial3, across the Jamuna River near his palace in Agra —the fabulous Taj Mahal. At the center of the tomb lies the dead body of the Empress. Here, at last, he found comfort.
Shah Jahan made something for the world to behold —beautiful, great and pure. The Taj Mahal shows all the world how great a man’s love can be for his wife.
Notes:
1. loyalty n. 忠诚, 忠实
2. pregnancy n. 怀孕
3. memorial n. 纪念馆
Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.
1. The story mainly tells us ______.
A. how the Taj Mahal was built
B. why the Taj Mahal was built
C. when the Taj Mahal was built
D. where the Taj Mahal was built
2. The Taj Mahal stands for ______.
A. a husband’s love for his wife
B. a wife’s love for her husband
C. a husband’s loyalty to his wife
D. a wife’s loyalty to her husband
3. The passage is ______.
A. a fairytale
B. a family story
C. a love story
D. a sci-fi story
4. The best title for the story might be_______.
A. Taj Mahal: Sight of the World
B. Taj Mahal: Great Tomb
C. Taj Mahal: Memorial to Loyalty
D. Taj Mahal: Memorial to Love
参考答案：1-4 B A C D
