The Winter Palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died before the palace was completed and only Catherine the Great and her successors were able to enjoy the great interior (内部) of Elizabeth’s home. Many parts of the palace’s impressiv
e interior have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the building. Today the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings arranged side by side along the river embankment, houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world.
The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great bought a collection of 255 paintings from the German city of Berlin. Today, the Hermitage boasts over 2.7 million exhibits and displays, a diverse range of art and artifacts (手工艺品) from all over the world and throughout history (from Ancient Egypt to the early 20th century Europe). The Hermitage’s collections include works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, a collection of Rembrandts and Rubens, many French Impressionist works by Renoir, Cezanne, Monet and Pissarro, and several works by Rodin. The collection is really worth a stop for all those interested in art and history. The experts say that if you were to spend a minute looking at each exhibit on show in the Hermitage, you would need 11 years before you’d seen them all. However, we suggest you choose a guided tour instead!
Location: Dvortsovaia Naberezhnaia, 32-38.
Open: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, Sunday till 5 pm.
Closed: Mondays. Ticket-office closes 1 hour before closing time.
小题1: According to the passage, the Winter Palace was built for ______.
A．Catherine the Great.
B．Empress Elizabeth
C．Peter the Great.
D．Empress Elizabeth’s successors小题2: What’s the main reason why many parts of the palace’s impressive interior were remodeled?
A．Catherine the Great and her successors didn’t like the design.
B．Empress Elizabeth wanted to remodel the palace.
C．A huge fire destroyed most of the building in 1837.
D．The building became old itself.小题3: According to the passage, which of the following is CORRECT?
A．The Winter Palace was built between 1753 and 1761.
B．The Hermitage’s collections don’t include works by Monet.
C．The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia.
D．The Hermitage Museum was founded in 1764 when Empress Elizabeth bought a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin.小题4:If you want to visit the museum, when can you go?
A．At 10:30 am on Monday.
B．At 10:00 am on Tuesday.
C．At 11:00 am on Sunday.
D．None of the above.
