48. piccadilly circus

　　it is difficult to say what is the real center of england, but many people would choose piccadilly circus. this is because it is not only central but also the heart of london’s entertainment world. within a few hundred yards of it we find most of london’s best-known theatres and cinemas, the most famous restaurants and the most luxurious night-clubs.

　　in the middle of piccadilly circus there is a statue said to be of eros, the god of love. few people know that it really represents the angel of christian charity. this statue is the first that was ever cast in aluminum2 . on cup final3 night and new year’s eve it is boarded up to prevent over-enthusiastic revelers from climbing onto it.

　　the buildings around the circus are rather nondescript, though some of them are large and quite imposing. 4 many of them are decorated with bright neon signs advertising goods and entertainments; piccadilly circus at night is a colourful sight.

　　underneath piccadilly circus there is an important tube station with escalators leading down to two different lines. the ticket-hall, which is just below street-level, is a vast circular hall with showcases, hired by various stores, let into the walls. there are entrances from all the main streets that converge at the circus. 5

　　it is particularly in the evening that piccadilly circus is thronged with people going to the theatre or the cinema, or perhaps to a restaurant. many others have come for an evening stroll6 ; they will probably have a cup of coffee or a glass of beer before they go home . the crowd is a motley7 one , for it is composed of people of many nationalities. the peoples of the british commonwealth are well represented, as there are many indians, pakistanis, west indians and africans in london; they are either working here or studying. some of them wear their national dress. many foreign visitors mingle with the crowd, some from the continent, some from more distant places. it is interesting to try to identify different nationalities by their style and type of clothing. this is no longer as easy as it used to be. the atmosphere is distinctly cosmopolitan, and one hears a great variety of languages. it has been said that if you listen carefully, you may even hear english8 !

　　阅读自测

　　Ⅰ. according to the passage , fill in th e bla nks with proper words:

　　1. in the middle of piccadilly circus, there is a statue, which represents the of christian charity. on cup final night and new year’s eve it is up to prevent over-enthusiastic fans from climbing onto it.

　　2. the buildings around the circus are large and quite .

　　3. underneath the circus there is a station with leading down to two different lines.

　　4. on the circus, many foreign visitors with the crowd. it is really a one.

　　Ⅱ. questions :

　　1. why is piccadilly circus called the center of london?

　　2. what is the interesting thing in piccadilly circus?

　　参考答案

　　Ⅰ. 1. angel / boarded 2. imposing 3. tube / escalators 4 . mingle / motley

　　Ⅱ. 1. because it is not only central but also the heart of london’s entertainment world. 2. ( 略)