学位英语

第三篇Giant Structures

It is an impossible task to select the most amazing wonders of the modem world since every year more __1__ constructions appear. Here are three giant structures which are worthy of our __2__ although they may have been surpassed by some more recent wonders.

The Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world when they were completed in 1999. With a __3__ of 452 metres, the tall twin towers, like two thin pencils, dominate the city of Kuala Lumpur. At the 41st floor, the towers are linked by a bridge, symbolizing a gateway to the city. The American __4__ Cesar Pelli designed the skyscrapers.

Constructed of high-strength concrete, the building provides around 1，800 square metres of office space __5__ every floor. And it has a shopping centre and a concert hall at the base. Other __6__ of this impressive building include double-decker lifts, and glass and steel sunshades.

The MiUau Bridge

The Millau Bridge was opened in 2004 in the Tam Valley，in southern France. __7__ the time it was built，it was the world's highest bridge, __8__ over 340m at the highest point. The bridge is described as one of the most amazingly beautiful bridges in the world. It was built to __9__ Millau's congestion problems. The congestion was then caused by traffic passing from Paris to Barcelona in Spain. The bridge was built to withstand the __10__ extreme seismic and climatic conditions. Besides, it is guaranteed for 120 years!

The Itaipu Dam

The Itaipu hydroelectric power plant is one of the largest constructions of its kind in the world. It consists of a series of dams across the River Parana, __11__ forms a natural border between Brazil and Paraguay. Started in 1975 and taking 16 years to complete, the construction was carried out as a joint project between the two __12__. The dam is well-known for both its electricity output and its size. In 1995 it produced 78% of Paraguay's and 25% of Brazil's __13__ needs. In its construction, the __14__ of iron and steel used was equivalent to over 300 Eiffel Towers. It is a __15__ amazing wonder of engineering.

词汇：

worthy adj.值得的

surpass v.超过，胜过

symbolize v.象征

congestion n.拥挤

withstand v. 经受住

seismic 地震的

dam n. 堤，坝

hydroelectric adj. 水电的

注释：

1.The Petronas Twin Towers: 国油双峰塔，又称吉隆坡双子塔。建于1997年，共有88层，高达452公尺，曾是世界上最高的摩天楼。国油双峰塔由两幢大楼组成，两幢楼的第41层由58公尺长的天桥连接。这座设计新颖的、大量使用了木锈钢与玻璃等建材的双峰塔是吉隆坡市的象征。不论你在吉隆坡的哪一个角落都可以看到这座十分现代化的建筑物。

2.Kuala Lumpur:吉隆坡（马来西亚首都)

3.The Millau Bridge: 米约高架桥。位于法国西南部的米约市，横跨在塔恩河仙境般的河谷之上，是通住法国南部地中海地区75号高速公路段上的枢纽工程。建造这座斜拉索式桥梁共花费了3年多的时间，总耗资3.94亿欧元。这座大桥全长2.46公里，总重29万吨，大桥距地面270米，大桥斜拉索的最高点距离地面343米，髙出埃菲尔铁塔23米，是当时世界上最高的桥梁。

4.The Itaipu Dam: 伊泰普水电站。伊泰普水电站是目前世界上最大的水电站之一，由巴西和巴拉圭斥资共建，两国电力公司分别拥有水电站的一半产权。整个坝长7 853米，水位落差118.4米。水库面积1 350平方公里(其中巴西侧750平方公里，巴拉圭侧600平方公里），容量290亿立方米。自1991年起，伊泰普水电站每年发电收益约23亿美元。

5.the River Parana: 巴拉那河。南美洲第二大河。

6.Brazil: 巴西(南美洲一国名）

7.Paraguay: 巴拉圭(南美洲一国名）

8.Eiffel Towers: 埃菲尔铁塔。埃菲尔铁塔是法国巴黎着名建筑，也是巴黎的象征。塔高985 英尺，于1889年为世界博览会而建造，其塔身几乎完全由开放晶格的熟铁制成。

练习

A. delightfulB. usefulC. wonderfulD. careful

A. admirationB. passionC. expressionD. detection

A. lengthB. widthC. heightD. volume

A. inventorB. architectC. scientistD. merchant

A. belowB. inC. aboveD. on

A. typesB. partsC. rolesD. features

A. A.tB. withinC. fromD. upon

A. developingB. expandingC. stretchingD. reaching

A. restrictB. reserveC. relieveD. relax

A. mostB. muchC. moreD. less

A. whatB. whichC. whoD. that

A. countriesB. provincesC. areasD. regions

A. waterB. oilC. energyD. food

A. amountB. numberC. qualityD. ratio

A. mainlyB. totallyC. rarelyD. truly

答案与题解

1.C第二句的前半句说的是"要选定当世最令人叹为观止的奇迹是一个无法完成的差事"，后半句解释"做不到"的原因在于每年都有新的更令人叹为观止的建筑出现。本题要选的词应该是与描述constructions极好性状有关的形容词。四个选项中wonderful符合这个要求，而delightful, useful和careful均与constructions极好性状无关，因此不可能是答案。

2.A be worthy of 意为"值得"。Three giant, structures 值得什么呢？值得我们 passion (热情）、expression(表达)或detection(发现）？这三个选项显然不会是答案。Admiration(赞叹)才是答案。

3.C "the tall twin towers"给出了寻找答案的线索。tall towers意为"高楼"，所以452米指的是高度。

4.B本段叙述马来西亚吉隆坡的国油双峰塔。四个选项中只有architect(建筑师)与设计国油双峰塔最相关。其他三个选项与architect相比，相关性就差多了。

5.D floor之前搭配的介词是on。

6.D本段前面的句子描述了国油双峰塔的建筑特色，本句进而介绍塔的其他两个特色，即double-decker lifts (双层电梯）和glass and steel sunshades(建材为玻璃和钢的遮阳篷）。根据上下文判断，features是答案。

7.A at the time(在那时，那时候)是固定搭配，后接从句。

8.D从词组搭配和上下文意思上判断，reaching over 340m at the highest point是最合适的。 reach a height意为"达到某个高度"，而develop a height(发展某个高度），expand a height (扩展某个髙度）和stretch a height(延伸某个高度)都不合理。

9.C congestion是解题的关键词。建造髙架大桥的目的是为了缓解交通拥挤，所以选择relieve是理所当然的。

10.A本句是说米约高架桥的坚固程度，它能经受住最极端的地震和气候条件而不会倒塌。本题的答案是most。the most extreme是形容词extreme的最高级形式。

11.B很明显，the River Parana之后是个非限制性定语从句，连接词只能用which。what不能指代the River Parana。that用于限制性定语从句。Who不能指代非生命的the River Parana.

12.A the Itaipu Dam由巴西和巴拉圭两国斥资共建，所以答案不可能是provinces(省）,areas (区域)或regions(地区）。countries是理所当然的选择。

13.C建造水电站的目的是利用水能发电，获得电能。Energy是答案。本句的下半句 breaking previous records for energy production 中的"energy"也为答案的选择提供了依据。

14.A iron和steel是物质名词，是不可数的，用the amount of iron and steel是对的。

15.D mainly amazing(主要叹为观止的），totally amazing(全部叹为观止的）或 rarely amazing (很少叹为观止的)都与句子的意思接不上。只有truly amazing (真正叹为观止的）才符合上下文的意思。

编辑推荐：

2013年职称英语考试报名专题

2012年职称英语考试真题汇总

（责任编辑：vstara）