Crowds wait patiently while queuing in front of the No. 6 entrance to the World Expo site yesterday. At 10:17am, on the 177th day since the opening of the Expo on May 1, the total number of visitors to the event hit 70 million, meeting the target Expo organizers set when Shanghai applied in 2001 to host the world event. Yesterday, more than 748,000 visitors went to the Expo site, bringing the total visitorvolume, so far, to 70.45 million.

WITH a week to go, visitor numbers at the Shanghai World Expo have topped the 70 million figure that organizers predicted would attend the six-month event.

More than 748,300 people had visited the Expo site by 9pm yesterday, bringing the total attendance to 70.45 million.

Despite the wet and cold weather, many people chose to visit yesterday as it was the last day on which standard ticket holders could enter the Expo site. The final week is limited to peak-day ticket holders.

At 10:17am, the Expo welcomed visitor number 70,000,001 since the event started in May. As this was relayed on the information screen in the operation center, staff began cheering and taking photographs.

"Our prime concern is that visitors have a good experience at the Expo," said Hong Hao, the director of the Shanghai Expo Coordination Bureau. "But of course we are happy that this record has been achieved."

Organizers were prepared for a busy day. From morning at Yaohua Road Metro station, a broadcast reminded Expo ticket holders to buy the return subway ticket in advance, as there would be a huge passenger turnout at night.

Queues snaked around popular pavilions, with visitors enduring lengthy waits by reading magazines and nibbling on snacks.

Staff worked to ensure that queuing went smoothly.

He Chao, a member of security staff at the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, repeated for hours on end: "Please do not forget your line position and remember your number when you come back."

"I'm determined to see the pavilion," said a visitor, surnamed Teng, lining up in the queue. Teng has already visited the Expo site several times and seen many of other popular pavilions.

Belgian visitor Jan Deconinck left the queue after taking a photograph of waitingvisitors. "I think it's better for me to just tour around to see others," he said.

Mei Haixing, 59, a retired teacher in Shanghai, has so far visited the Expo 28 times. He has written a 400-page diary including pictures, souvenirs and signatures from the different pavilion curators.

"The Expo is like a huge museum of the different cultures of the world," he said.

Daily attendance at Expo exceeded 600,000 people last week.

"We have gained much experience and confidence from dealing with huge numbers on earlier occasions," said Xu Ding, an administrator with operation center.

Xu said it is vital not to relax yet, though. "It still remains unknown how many people will switch standard tickets for peak-time ones."

People can pay an extra 40 yuan to trade in expired standard tickets for the peak-day tickets.

During the last week of the Expo, from today until Sunday, daily visitor numbers will be limited to between 400,000 and 500,000, said Huang Jianzhi, deputydirector of the Shanghai Expo Bureau.

Pavilions are currently preparing their final shows to mark the end of Expo. Details will be revealed soon.

• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
• visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)
• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)
• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
• screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中英语单词)
• director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中英语单词)
• bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)
• reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)
• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
• patiently [´peiʃəntli] ad.有耐心地；坚韧地 (高中英语单词)
• limited [´limitid] a.有限(制)的 (高中英语单词)
• broadcast [´brɔ:dkɑ:st] v.&n.散布 a.广播的 (高中英语单词)
• smoothly [´smu:ðli] ad.光滑地；顺利地 (高中英语单词)
• pavilion [pə´viljən] n.大帐篷；亭子 (高中英语单词)
• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
• lining [´lainiŋ] n.衬里；衬料 (高中英语单词)
• dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)
• switch [switʃ] n.开关 v.转换 (高中英语单词)
• deputy [´depjuti] n.代理人；代表 (高中英语单词)
• subway [´sʌbwei] n.地铁；地道 (英语四级单词)
• arabia [ə´reibiə] n.阿拉伯 (英语四级单词)
• belgian [´beldʒən] n.&a.比利时人(的) (英语四级单词)
• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)
• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
• enduring [in´djuəriŋ] a.持久的 (英语六级单词)
• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)
• administrator [əd´ministreitə] n.管理者，行政人员 (英语六级单词)