fancystylepopularinthosedays.Itwasalsoatreasuredecoratedwithgoldandjewels,whichtookthecountry’sbestartistsabouttenyearstomake.Infact,theroomwasnotmadetobeagift.ItwasdesignedforthepalaceofFredrickI.However,thenextKingofPrussia,FredrickWilliamI,towhomtheamberroombelonged,decidednottokeepit.In1716hegaveittoPetertheGreat.Inreturn,theCzarsenthimatroopofhisbestsoldiers.SotheAmberRoombecamepartoftheCzar’swinterpalaceinStPetersburg.Aboutfourmetreslong,theroomservedasasmallreceptionhallforimportantvistors.Later,CatherineⅡhadtheAmberRoommovedtoapalaceoutsideStPetersburgwhereshespenthersummers.Shetoldherartiststoaddmoredetailstoit.In1770theroomwascompletedthewayshewanted.Almostsixhundredcandleslittheroom,anditsmirrorsandpicturesshonelikegold.Sadly,althoughtheAmberRoomwascnsideredoneofthewondersoftheworld,itisnowmissing.InSeptember1941,theNaziarmywasnearStPetersburg.Thiswasatimewhenthetwocountrieswereatwar.BeforetheNaziscouldgettothesummerpalace,theRussianswereabletoremovesomefurnituresandsmallartobjectsfromtheAmberRoom.However,someoftheNazissecretlystoletheroomitself.Inlessthantwodays100000pieceswereputinsidetwenty-sevenwoodenboxes.ThereisnodoubtthattheboxeswerethenputonatrainforKonigsberg,whichwasatatimeaGermancityontheBalticSea.Afterthat,whathappenedtotheAmberRoomremainsamystery.Recently,theRussiansandGermanshavebuiltanewAmberRoomatthesummerpalace.BystudyingoldphotosoftheformerAmberroom,theyhavemadethenewonelookeliketheoldone.In2003itwasreadyforthepeopleofStPetersburgwhentheycelebratedthe300thbithdayoftheircity.AfactofanopinionWhatisafact?Isitsomethingthatpeoplebelieve?No.Afactisanythingthatcanbeproved.Forexample,itcanbeprovedthatChinahasmorepeoplethananyothercountryintheworld.Thisisafact.Thenwhatisanopinion?Anopinioniswhatsomeonebelievesistruebuthasnotbeenproved.Soanopinoionisnotgoodevidenceinatrail.Forexample,itisanopinionifyousay“Catsarebetterpetsthandogs”.Itmaybetrue,butitisdifficulttoprove.Somepeoplemaynotagreewiththisopinionbuttheyalsocannotprovethattheyareright.Inatrail,ajudgemustdecidewhicheyewitnessestobelieveandwhichnottobelieve.Thejudgedoesnotconsiderwhateacheyewitnesslookslikeorwherethatpersonlivesorworks.He/Sheonlycaresaboutwhethertheeyewitnesshasgiventrueinformation,whichmustbefactsratherthanopinions.Thiskindofinformationiscalledevidence.BigengtotherescueHisfriendsandfamilycallhim“BigFeng”becauseheisberytallandplayedbasketballasayoungman.Butheisalsobiginadifferentway—hefightshardtoprotectChina’spast.HisrealnameisFengJicaiandhehaswrittenmanynovelsaboutlifeinChina.Severalyearsago,however,heputdownhispenforawhileandbegantoprotecttheclturalrelicsinTianjin,wherehelives.Oncesomeonaskedhimwhyhenolongerwrote.Herepliedthatatthemomenthefeltprotectingculturalrelicswasmoreimportant.Fengloveshishometown.Hebelievesthatoldthingsmustbegivenaplavenexttonewthins,orpeoplewillsoonforgetthergreatpast.Hedoesnotmakespeechestogetotherstohelphiminhisprojects.Insteadhegoesoutanddoeswhathecanhimeself.Ifothersfollowhim,somuchthebetter.OneofhisbiggestprojectswastoprotecttheoldeststreetinTianjin.Alongthatstreetsomeshopshaddonebusinessforsevenhundredyears.Althoughtthecitygovernmentrebuiltthisstreet,theydidsaveitsoldestbuilding.Anotherprojectwasmoresuccessful:hepersuadedthecitygovernmenttobuysomelandinthecentreofthecitysoitcouldnotbesoldforbusinesses.Thisareaisveryimprotantforthehistoryo...
