1 . We humans have always been obsessed with reaching higher, building taller, and touching the sky. In effect, we have been building towers and buildings each taller than the other. Today, we will look at four of the tallest buildings in the world.
Burj Khalifa
Since it opened on January 4, 2010, the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world. The United Arab Emirates broke world records in the 21st century for building a needle-like, 162 story skyscraper in Dubai. A public observation deck called “At the Top” is located on the 124th floor. The top floor is home to a private VIP club, closed to anyone except members.
Taipei 101
Featured in many videos, the tallest building in Taipei, China, is famous for its unique shape and awesome fireworks display every year. It houses lots of hotels, offices, apartments, and an observatory deck. There’s an outdoor round observatory square on the 91st floor of the building, at 392m above the ground, it’s now the third highest open-air observation deck in the world.
Shanghai World Financial Centre
The Shanghai World Financial Centre, is a soaring glass skyscraper with a distinctive opening at the top in Pudong District, Shanghai, China. The construction of this building began in 1997, but due to the crisis in Southeast Asia, it temporarily halted and resumed in 2003. Its final height is 492 metres and has 101 floors.
International Commerce Centre (ICC)
The ICC building, completed in 2010 in West Kowloon, is the tallest building in Hong Kong, China, and one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers at 484 metres. Original plans were for an even taller building, but zoning laws prohibited the construction of buildings higher than the surrounding mountains. The design of the skyscraper was revised (修改) and plans for a pyramidal-shaped top were abandoned.
1. What do Burj Khalifa and Taipei 101 have in common?| A．They have observatory decks. |
| B．They are open for half a day. |
| C．They are famous for their unique shapes. |
| D．They have the same number of floors. |
| A．Shanghai World Financial Centre. |
| B．Burj Khalifa. |
| C．International Commerce Centre. |
| D．Taipei 101. |
| A．There’s an outdoor round observatory square on the 92nd floor of Taipei 101. |
| B．The top of ICC building is the shape of pyramid. |
| C．It took longer time than expected to finish Shanghai World Financial Centre. |
| D．Everyone can visit the top floor of Burj Khalifa. |
| About Old Faithful —The Most Famous Geyser (间歇性喷泉) in the World Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser was named for its frequent eruptions (喷发) — which number more than a million since Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. When does Old Faithful erupt? Basic prediction of Old Faithful is dependent upon the duration of the previous eruption. During visitor center hours, geyser statistics and predictions are maintained by the naturalist staff. People speak of the average time between eruptions. This is misleading. The mathematical average between eruptions of Old Faithful is currently 74 minutes, but it doesn’t like to act average! Intervals can range from 60-110 minutes. Visitors can check for posted prediction times in most buildings in the Old Faithful area. How high does Old Faithful erupt and how long will it last? Old Faithful can vary in height from 100–180 feet with an average near 130–140 feet. This has been the historical range of its recorded height. Eruptions normally last between 1.5 to 5 minutes. I heard Old Faithful isn’t as faithful as it used to be. Is it slowing down? It depends on what you call faithful. The famous geyser currently erupts around 20 times a day and can be predicted with a 90 percent confidence rate within a 10 minute variation. Prior to the 1959 earthquake, Old Faithful erupted 21 times per day. That’s a significant decrease in activity for geologists tracking each eruption, but to visitors seeing one or two eruptions…it looks just fine. How many gallons of water are expelled during an eruption? It depends on the duration of the eruption. Scientists estimate that the amount ranges from 3,700 gallons (for a short duration of 1.5 minutes) to 8,400 gallons (for a longer duration of 4.5 minutes). How hot is the water in Old Faithful? During an eruption, the water temperature at the vent has been measured at 204°F (95.6°C). The steam temperature has been measured above 350°F! |
| A．13:06 | B．14:06 | C．15:06 | D．16:06 |
| A．The geyser’s name indicates that it always erupts regularly, 20 times a day, once every 74 minutes. |
| B．When it is erupting, people should keep a safe distance due to its freezing coldness. |
| C．Old Faithful is a well-known geyser which can expel at least 3700 gallons water each time. |
| D．To check the eruption time, visitors may refer to predictions on the posted timetables. |
| A．The Yellowstone official website. |
| B．Local travel pamphlets introducing Yellowstone. |
| C．A recently-issued guide book on Yellowstone. |
| D．A travel magazine column about Yellowstone. |
3 . In recent years, 3D printers have mostly been used to create small, specialized items. This includes parts for automobiles, airplanes and medical devices. Many consumer products can also be 3D printed as well, from clothes to foods. Now, an increasing number of startup companies are using 3D printing to build entire homes. Since the technology is still developing, not many have yet been built. However, the top companies plan to greatly increase production in the coming years.
The startup company Icon, based in Austin, Texas, made news in 2018 by completing the first permitted 3D printed home in the U.S. At the time, it said the home had been built in just a day. Since then, the company says it has been developing new technologies in robotics, software and manufacturing materials. It designed its own 3D printer and said the robot-powered machine could create structures up to 185 square meters. The printing process uses a cement-based mixture that Icon says is stronger and saves more money than traditional building materials.
To date, Icon has completed 24 3D printed homes in the U.S. and Mexico. Among them was a community of 3D printed homes in a poor neighborhood in Mexico. The company has also completed a series of structures for homeless people in Austin. And it says it plans to open America's first housing development of 3D printed homes this summer.
A New York company, SQ4D, also uses 3D printing technology to build homes. In February, the company showed off a 130-square-meter model home to demonstrate its printer'sabilities.SQ4D plans to sell its homes starting at $299,000. The company has even started listing the homes on the Internet selling site Zillow. Kirk Andersen is SQ4D's director of operations. He told Reuters the 3D printer will permit buyers to easily create their own home design, room by room.
While 3D printing as a home building method is just getting started, Andersen said others in the construction industry need to get prepared for big changes. “This is the beginning. This is just scratching the surface,” he said.
1. What can we learn about 3D printing technology from Paragraph 1?| A．It needs to be perfected. | B．It enjoys the highest status. |
| C．It is being used for building homes. | D．It helps produce some large and unique items. |
| A．They're more comfortable. | B．They're more environment-friendly. |
| C．They're more complex. | D．They're less expensive. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Favorable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The development of smart homes. | B．The importance of 3D printers. |
| C．3D printing in building homes. | D．Construction industry's future. |
