英国的“鲨鱼屋”

许丽

英国牛津有一处“鲨鱼屋”，近日被当地政府指定为“保护建筑”。

1A famously strange statue in the city of Oxford，England recently received official protection as a his⁃toric landmark. However， Magnus Hanson⁃Heine， theson of the man who built the artwork， was not happyabout the special recognition.

2about the special recognition.2It is a 7.6 meters tall model of a shark. Thestrange part is in the sculpture’s being positioned up onthe top of the Hanson⁃Heine house. It appears from the street as if the huge fish dovestraight through the home’s roof.

3Magnus Hanson⁃Heine’s father， Bill， put up the sculpture in 1986 as a protest againstwar and nuclear weapons. He worked on the art project with his friend， sculptor John Buck⁃ley.

4Bill was an American who studied law at the University of Oxford and made the townhis home. He got the idea for the sculpture after he heard American warplanes fly over hishouse one night in April， 1986.

5Magnus Hanson?Heine called the local government’s declaration about the sculpture“absurd”. His father， he explained， never sought nor accepted permission to put up theshark.“In fact， he strongly believed，”his son said，“that the government should not decidewhat art the public should see.”And， Magnus Hanson⁃Heine noted， the same local council（议会） that declared the shark historic and to be protected， had spent years seeking its re⁃moval.

6While that message is serious， the strange sculpture that rises over the otherwise nor⁃mal street incites some fun and laughter as well， especially when someone asks about themodel shark’s unseen head. The story is that it crashed through to just above the toilet.“That，”a laughing Magnus Hanson⁃Heine said，“is a myth.”

Reading Check

Inference

1. How did Magnus Hanson⁃Heine feel after the sharks official protec⁃

tion？

A. Surprised.

B. Unhappy.

C. Shocked.

D. Curious.

Detail

Vocabulary

2. Why did Bill put up the sculpture？

A. To offer a myth.

B. To tell a story.

C. To fight against war.

D. To ask people to appreciate art.

Vocabulary

3. What does the underlined word“absurd”in paragraph 5 mean？

A. Unique.

B. Professional.

C. Common.

D. Ridiculous.

Language Study

Text⁃centered chunks

as if 好像

put up 建造;搭建

in fact 事实上

as well 也;还