TheParthenoninAthensisabuildingwithalongandcomplexhistory.Builtnearly2500yearsagoasatemplecelebratingtheGreekgoddessAthenaitwasforthousandsofyearsthechurchoftheVirginMaryoftheAtheniansthe

　　TheParthenoninAthensisabuildingwithalongandcomplexhistory.Builtnearly2500yearsagoasatemplecelebratingtheGreekgoddessAthenaitwasforthousandsofyearsthechurchoftheVirginMaryoftheAtheniansthenamosque(清真寺)andfinallyaruin.Thebuildingwaschangedandthesculpturesmuchdamagedoverthecenturies.By1800onlyabouthalfoftheoriginalsculpturaldecorationremained.

　　Between1801and1805LordElgintheBritishambassadortotheOttomanEmpirewhichcontrolledAthensactingwiththefullknowledgeandpermissionoftheOttomanauthoritiesremovedabouthalfoftheremainingsculpturesfromthefallenruinsandfromthebuildingitself.LordElginlovedGreekhistoryandtransportedthesculpturesbacktoBritain.ThearrivalofthesculpturesinLondonhadahugeeffectontheEuropeanpublicgreatlyincreasinginterestinancientGreekcultureandinfluencingcontemporaryartistictrends.ThesesculptureswereacquiredfromLordElginbytheBritishMuseumin1816andsincethentheyhaveallbeenondisplaytothepublicfreeofcharge.

　　Sincetheearly1980showevertheGreekgovernmenthasarguedforthepermanentremovaltoAthensofalltheParthenonsculpturesintheBritishMuseum.TheyhavealsochallengedtheBritishMuseumBoardofTrustees'legaltitletothesculptures.

　　TheBritishMuseumhoweverinsiststhatitexiststotellthestoryofculturalachievementthroughouttheworldfromthedawnofhumanhistoryovertwomillionyearsagountilthepresentday.Themuseumconsidersitselfanimportantresourcefortheworld:thebreadthanddepthofitscollectionallowstheworldpublictore-examineculturalidentitiesandexplorethecomplexnetworkofinterconnectedworldcultures.

　　ItalsosaysthatwithinthecontextofthisunparalleledcollectiontheParthenonsculpturesareanimportantrepresentationofancientAtheniancivilization.EachyearmillionsofvisitorsadmiretheartistryofthesculpturesandgaininsightsonhowancientGreeceinfluenced-andwasinfluencedby-theothercivilizationsthatitencountered.

　　51.FormostofitshistorypeoplewenttotheParthenonto______.

　　A.admirethegoddessAthena B.praytotheirgod

　　C.searchforsculptures