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How many historic churches, pubs or buildings are there in your city? Are there worth preserving? Or
are they just a waste of space? There are arguments for and against spending money on historic buildings.
Dangerous staircases. Uneven floors. A lack of IT infrastructure. The problem with many old buildings
is that they're… old - and extremely expensive to modernize. Take the case of the Combination Room in Cambridge University. It was built in 1347 and was initially used for lectures. Later, it became the
Regent House - the university's parliament. It's of enormous historical value and cultural interest.
However, it doesn't meet accessibility standards for disabled people. As a result, a lift needs to be
installed, but not everyone is happy about this. "Noting will persuade me that this lift would not in its effect, be a substantial alteration to the most precious room in the university. It would destroy the symmetry of
that beautiful room," said one user.
In general, modern buildings don't have this type of problem. They can be built according to the latest
environment standards, with draught proofing and insulation to help reduce carbon emission and save
energy. They can also be made wheelchair accessible, and they can be designed to ensure maximum
comfort and space. Anyone who's been to a modern cinema, theatre or concert hall recently may
understand the difference between the new buildings and older ones, which tend to have smaller seats, less space and poorer acoustics.
Very often, there's money to be made by knocking down old building… especially if they're in city
centers. So, the biggest threat to many historic buildings comes from developers. One of Croydon's oldest pubs, The Rose and Crown, is a perfect example of this. A property development company has recently
been granted permission to convert the 18th century building into flats, much to the disappointment of
many local residents. "The bar is full of unique features and perfect examples of a traditional London pub.
It really would be truly tragic for this Grade II listed building to be turned into soulless flats," said a spokesperson for English heritage.
So, are these buildings really worth preserving? "Traditional buildings such as churches, town halls, schools and hospitals give England its character," the spokesman added. "This is about guaranteeing the future of the past. It's about making the past part of our future. This is why we exist."
1. ________ are not accessible to the Combination Room in Cambridge university without a lift.
A. The old
B. The disabled
C. The young
D. The deaf
2. One of the users is against installing a lift in the Combination Room for all the reasons
exceptthat ________.
A. It is extremely expensive to modernize the old building.
B. The lift would do harm to the symmetrical beauty.
C. The lift would not come into use at all.
D. It's rich in historical value and cultural interest.
3. Which of the following advantages of the modern buildings isnotmentioned in the passage?
A. reduction of carbon emission and energy saving
B. installation of IT infrastructure
C. wheelchair accessibility
D. maximum comfort and space
4. By saying "This is about guaranteeing the future of the past. It's about making the past part of
our future. This is why we exist." in the last paragraph, the spokesman probably means ______.
A. Traditional buildings represent our culture so that we should protect them and learn from the
past to enrich the future.
B. Traditional buildings stand for the past of the city so that we should be reminded of the past.
C. Traditional buildings are so precious that we should live in them to memorize the past.
D. Traditional buildings are so rare that we should make full use of them.
5. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. How to modernize old buildings
B. Combination Room, the treasure of Cambridge University
C. The threat to the old buildings
D. Old buildings, to preserve or not

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