The British Museum is the biggest one in the world. There are about a hundred things in the museum to see. You can see (钟表) which have been telling the time for 600 years. You can also see Roman money, and some of the earliest books in the world-they even (包括) Shakespeare's works!
The British Museum was founded nearly 300 years ago by a doctor, Sir Hans Sloane. The man liked (收集) such things as books, drawings, clothes, money, animals and flowers. He also hoped that this visited by people after his death. His (愿望) came true, and the museum opened in 1759, six years after he died.
There was a reading room in the museum. Something was (不寻常的) in the room.
Cool air came up through small holes in the tables. Hot air flowing under the floor kept readers' feet warm. Since its opening, many (著名的) men have written and studied there. And the (图书馆) is growing faster and faster-—there are four kilometers of new shelves each year!
The British Museum (改变) a lot. It is now open every day of the year, except for three (假期). Small machines tell you about the museum and as you walk around it, you can look and listen at the same time. So if you are one of the British Museum's two (百万) visitors this year, don't try to see it all too quickly. There is a lifetime of looking in the British Museum.
