Holidaymakers who are bored with baking beaches and overheated hotel rooms head for a big igloo. Swedish businessman Nile Bergqvist is delighted with his new hotel, the world’s first igloo hotel. Built in a small town in Lapland, it has been attracting lots of visitors, but soon the fun will be over.

In two weeks?time Bergqvist’s ice creation(作品) will be nothing more than a pool of water. “We don’t see it as a big problem,” he says. “We just look forward to replacing it.”

Bergqvist built his first igloo in 1991 for an art exhibition. It was so successful that he designed the present one, which measures roughly 200 square meters. Six workmen spent more than eight weeks piling 1,000 tons of snow onto a wooden base; when the snow froze, the base was removed. “The only wooden thing we have left in the igloo is the front door,” he says.

After their stay, all visitors receive a survival certificate recording their success. With no windows, nowhere to hang clothes and temperatures below 0℃, it may seem more like a survival test than a relaxing(轻松的) hotel break. “It’s great fun,” Bergqvist explains, “As well as a good start in survival training.”

The popularity of the igloo is beyond doubt: it is now attracting tourists from all over the world. At least 800 people have stayed at the igloo this season even though there are only 10 rooms. “You can get a lot of people in,” explains Bergqvist. “The beds are three meters wide by two meters long, and can fit at least four at one time.”

1. Bergqvist designed and built the world’s first igloo hotel because ________.
A. he believed people would enjoy trying something new
B. he wanted to make a name for the small town
C. an art exhibition was about to open
D. more hotel rooms were needed

2. When the writer says “the fun will be over,” he refers to the fact that ________.
A. hotel guests will be frightened at thought of the hard test
B. Bergqvist’s hotel will soon become a pool of water
C. holidaymakers will soon get tired of the big igloo
D. a bigger igloo will replace the present one

3. according to the text, the first thing to do in building an igloo is ________.
A. to gather a pool of water       B. to prepare a wooden base
C. to cover the ground with ice   D. to pile a large amount of snow

4. When guests leave the igloo hotel they will receive a paper stating that ________.
A. they have visited Lapland            
B. They have had an ice-snow holiday
C. they have had great fun sleeping on ice  
D. they have had a taste of adventure

【答案与解析】这是一篇介绍度假雪屋如何应运而生的文章。

1. A。由文中第1句 Holidaymakers who are bored with baking beaches and overheated hotel rooms head for a big igloo. (那些对在沙滩上晒太阳或对过热的旅店房间感到厌倦的度假人现在去雪屋度假)可以推断人们总是喜欢新鲜事物，应选 A。

2. B。这道题考查考生的思维能力和生活常识。既然是雪屋，总归是要融化的，所以第二段第一句话 In two weeks’ time Bergqvist’s ice creation will be nothing more than a pool of water 是对 soon the fun will be over 的诠释。