阅读理解. Howwouldyouliketocomehomeafteralongday,openthedoor,andwalkintoanelephant?That'swhat
youwoulddoifyoulivedinElephantHouseinMargate,NewJersey.Theelephant-shapedhousewasbuiltin
1881byJamesLafferty.In1962,HerbertGreenbuiltachicken-shapedhouse.
SarahWinchestertriedtobuildaghost-proofhouseinSanJoseCalifornia.Workersbuiltfakechimneys,
doorsthatopenontoblankwallsandstairsthatleadnowhere.Manyroomsweretorndownandthenrebuiltin
anewwaytoconfusetheghosts.Ittook38yearstocompletethehouse!
Somehousesarebuiltofstrangematerials.AhouseinPigeonCove,Massachusetts,isbuiltofmorethan
100,000newspapers.InCanada,GeorgePatbuiltahouseentirelyoutofbottles.
Somehomesstandforgreatwealthandpower.ThePalaceofAlhambrainSpainisoneofthemostbeautiful
homesintheworld.Themanwhobuiltitlovedwater.Astreamrunsthroughall9acresofthepalace.Ineach
roomthereisasmallpoolofsparklingwater.
WealthyAmericansdesigndreamhouses,too.In1895,CorneliusVanderbiltbuiltandmovedintoahouse
namedthebreakers.Hecalledithissummercottage.Itcost$10milliontobuildandhadwallsdecoratedwith
gold.This"summercottage"couldhold60guestscomfortably.
Dreamhousesdon'thavetobeexpensive.AmannamedBaldaserabuiltahousewith90roomsforabout
only$200bydiggingundertheearth.Baldaseraworkedalone.Hespentabout40yearscompletinghis
undergroundhouse.1.Thepassagemainlytalksabout_____.A.oldhouses
B.buildingmaterials
C.buildinghistory
D.unusualhouses2.ThebuilderofthePalaceofAlhambraisprobablyproudof_____.A.theshiningpoolsintherooms
B.hisspecialpersonality
C.hismothercountrySpain
D.thelargeareaofhishouse3.TheBreakerswasbuilt_____.A.in1881bySarahWinchester
B.in1881byJamesLafferty
C.in1895byCorneliusVanderbilt
D.in1962byHerber