The Beijing Water Cube 北京水立方
by Lars Berry
The Water Cube is set to make a splash for the 2008 Olympics.
北京水立方势必在 2008 年奥运会引起轰动。
China is no doubt one the most remarkable places in the world today, particularly in terms of its architectural marvels. Its buildings, many of them epic in size and design, range from the ancient to the high-tech and modern. National Geographic Channel''s China Special Month is about the stories of the modern-day architectural projects in China that are producing amazing new buildings for the world to enjoy.
Beijing Water Cube is one of the programs in this series, and it is very much about the modern as opposed to the ancient. The Beijing Water Cube is a building for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The building, which will be the National Aquatics Center, is indeed in the shape of a cube, but its appearance is far from run-of-the-mill. It is made of a steel honeycomb-like frame covered in a unique skin that is modeled after soap bubbles. Simply put, the effect is that the Water Cube looks like an enormous cube-shaped bundle of bubbles.
The bubbles are made of a plastic called ETFE, which is also used to protect spaceships from cosmic radiation. One of the advantages of ETFE is that it traps solar energy in the winter and reflects it in the summer, helping to control the building''s temperature. 3,500 bubbles had to be cut individually and sized in order to create the honeycomb-like structure. The bubbles are not identical or symmetrical, but seem to be organized randomly, with different shapes and sizes nestled together. Despite its random appearance, however, the soap-bubble structure used in the design has a geometry that''s perfect for a high-tech building. Soap bubbles actually always cling together in regular patterns, and the fragile-looking skin of the building''s bubbles—the plastic covering is only 1/5 of a millimeter thick!—is entirely safe.
Tune in to Beijing Water Cube to get the full story on this incredible new structure.
1. Which of the following is true about the Beijing Water Cube?
(A) It is made with a huge number of steel cubes.
(B) It is meant to show Chinese architecture, old and new.
(C) The plastic is put in place around a steel frame.
(D) It was finished during the last Olympics and will be used in the 2008 Olympics.
2. Regarding ETFE, which of the following can NOT be inferred from the article?
(A) The plastic is extremely thin.
(B) The plastic feels like soap when you touch it.
(C) An astronaut might find ETFE useful.
(D) The plastic helps the building stay cool on hot summer days.
3. According to the article, soap bubbles are a good model for a building because _____.
(A) they are cheap and easy to get
(B) they are transparent
(C) their structure is not as delicate as it seems
(D) they blend in with the environment
4. Which of the following could be another title for the article?
(A) An Amazing New Building for the Olympics
(B) The Discovery of ETFE
(C) Soap Bubbles Can Be Used for Many Things
(D) The Water Cube Replaces All Older Chinese Buildings
1. in terms of... 就……而言
例: The film is a huge success in terms of the box office.
（就票房而言，这部电影极为成功。）
2. marvel
n. 令人惊奇的人∕事∕物 & vi. 感到惊奇
marvel at... 对……感到惊奇
例: The tourists marveled at the fantastic view from Taipei 101.
（游客对台北 101 大楼鸟瞰下来的美景大呼惊奇。）
3. as opposed to... 而非……；与……相反
opposed a. 对立的；相反的
例: You should do what you know is right as opposed to what other people tell you is right.
（你应该做自己知道是对的事，而非别人告诉你什么是对的。）
4. in the shape of... 以……的形状∕型式
= in the form of...
例: I saw many statues in the shape of angels when I was traveling.
（我旅行时看过很多天使的雕像。）
5. be far from + N/adj. 一点也不……
= be not + N/adj.+ at all
例: What he said was far from true.
= What he said was not true at all.
（他的话一点儿也不对。）
6. be modeled after...
以……为模板而设计∕制作
model oneself on sb 以某人为榜样
例: This hotel is modeled after a French castle.
（这间旅馆是模仿法国古堡设计的。）
例: Janet modeled herself on her father and became a doctor.
（珍妮特效法父亲，成为一名医生。）
7. Simply put, S + V 简言之，……
= To put it simply, S + V
例: There are going to be many changes soon. Simply put, everything will be different.
（近期内将会有许多改变。简言之，每件事将会不同。）
8. reflect vt. 反射 & vi. 反省；仔细考虑
reflect on/upon... 反省……；仔细考虑……
例: I will reflect on your suggestion and give you an answer tomorrow.
（我会仔细考虑你的建议，明天给你答复。）
9. size vt. 按某种尺寸制造
size up... 评估……
= evaluate vt.
例: After sizing up the situation, I changed my mind.
（评估情况后，我改变了心意。）
10. identical a. 完全相同的
be identical to... 与……完全相同
例: The new flavor of soda seems to be identical to the old one.
（这种汽水的新口味似乎和旧的一模一样。）
11. randomly adv. 随意地，任意地
= at random
例: After playing the video game for a while, I started hitting the buttons at random.
（玩了一会儿电动游戏后，我开始随意地按按钮。）
12. random a. 随意的，任意的
例: The survey was based on a random sample.
（这份调查是根据随机抽样。）
13. cling vi. 依附；紧握不放；坚持
三态为：cling, clung, clung。
cling to... 紧紧抓住……；坚持……
例: The child clung to his mother in the crowded department store.
（这个小孩在拥挤的百货公司中紧抓着妈妈不放。）
例: Whatever you do, you must cling to your principles.
= Whatever you do, you must stick to your principles.
（你不论做什么，都必须坚守原则。）
14. be put in place 放在适当的位置
例: Don''t worry. The books and magazines are all put in place.
（别担心。书本和杂志都放置妥当了。）
15. blend in with... 与……融合在一起
例: I don''t like to stand out; I dress in a boring way so that I blend in with the crowd.
（我不喜欢引人注目；我穿着普通以融入人群。）
中国无疑是现今世界上最值得注意的国家之一，尤其以建筑成就而言。中国的建物从古代建筑到高科技及现代化都有，其中更不乏规模及设计都相当壮观的建筑物。国家地理频道的《新中国特辑》节目将介绍中国现代建筑工程，看它们如何打造出让全世界惊叹的建筑物。
《北京水立方》是这系列节目的单元之一，本单元的内容无关古代，而是相当现代化。北京水立方是为 2008 奥运会所打造。这座建筑物将会成为国家游泳中心，它的外型正如其名成立方体状，但外观却非常与众不同。水立方是由蜂巢状的钢铁框架所构成，而框架被模仿肥皂泡泡结构的特殊薄膜所覆盖。简单来说，水立方看起来就像无数个泡泡所组成的巨大立方体。
这些泡泡是由一种称为 ETFE（乙烯–四氟乙烯共聚物）的塑料所制成，它也用来保护宇宙飞船免于宇宙辐射的伤害。ETFE 的好处之一就是它能够在冬天时储存太阳能，而夏天时将太阳能反射出去，帮助控制建筑物的温度。3,500 个泡泡必须按一定大小分别切割，以建构出蜂巢状的建筑物。这些泡泡并非完全相同或对称，反而像是没有规则的组织，但不同形状及大小的泡泡却又紧紧相连。尽管外表看起来很不规则，这些肥皂般的泡泡却拥有足以建造高科技建筑的完美几何结构。事实上，肥皂泡泡总是以规则的模式紧靠在一起，而包覆建筑物的塑料泡泡薄膜虽仅 0.2 公厘厚，看起来很脆弱，但实际上却是安全无虞。
请锁定《北京水立方》，以全面了解这座令人叹为观止的建筑物。
1. 下列关于北京水立方的叙述何者为真？
(A) 它是由一大堆钢制立方体所组成。
(B) 它想要呈现中国建筑的新旧面貌。
(C) 塑料被适当放置在钢铁框架的周围。
(D) 它完成于上一届的奥运期间，将在 2008 年的奥运会启用。
题解: 根据本文第二段，北京水立方由蜂巢状的钢铁框架所构成，而框架被类似肥皂泡泡结构的特殊薄膜所覆盖。第三段开头则指出，这些泡泡是由一种称为 ETFE 的塑料所制成，故选 (C)。
2. 关于 ETFE，下列何者无法从本文推断出来？
(A) 这种塑料极度地薄。
(B) 这种塑料摸起来像肥皂。
(C) 航天员或许会发现 ETFE 很有用。
(D) 这种塑料有助建筑物在炎热的夏天保持凉爽。
题解: 根据本文第三段，ETFE 可用来保护宇宙飞船免于宇宙辐射的伤害，它能够在冬天时储存太阳能，而夏天时将太阳能反射出去，帮助控制建筑物的温度，而且它只有 0.2 公厘的厚度。文章中未提及 (B) 选项的叙述，故选之。
3. 根据本文，肥皂泡泡对于建筑物是种好模型，因为 _____。
(A) 它们便宜又容易取得
(B) 它们是透明的
(C) 它们的结构并非看起来那么脆弱
(D) 它们能和环境融为一体
题解: 根据本文第三段，肥皂般的泡泡拥有足以建造高科技建筑的完美几何结构。事实上，肥皂泡泡总是以规则的模式紧靠在一起，而这些看起来很脆弱的塑料泡泡虽仅 0.2 公厘厚，但实际上却安全无虞，故选 (C)。
4. 下列何者也可作为本文的标题？
(A) 《一座令人叹为观止的奥运新建筑》
(B) 《ETFE 的发现》
(C) 《肥皂泡泡功能多多》
(D) 《水立方取代所有中国旧建筑》
题解: 综观本文，文章内容主要关于为 2008 奥运所建立的北京水立方游泳中心，选项 (A) 作为标题最为贴切，故选之。
标准答案: 1. (C) 2. (B) 3. (C) 4. (A)
1. cube n. 立方体
2. remarkable a. 值得注意的；非凡的
3. architectural a. 建筑（学）的
architecture n. 建筑；建筑（学）
4. epic a. 巨大的，宏伟的 & n. 史诗
5. aquatics n. 水上运动
6. run-of-the-mill a. 普通的，一般的
7. honeycomb-like a. 如蜂巢般的
8. enormous a. 巨大的
9. bundle n. 大量，大批
10. cosmic a. 宇宙的
11. radiation n. 辐射（能）
12. solar energy n. 太阳能
13. individually adv. 分别地，个别地
14. symmetrical a. 对称的
15. nestle vi. 依靠，依偎
16. geometry n. 几何（学）
17. fragile-looking a. 看起来脆弱的
fragile a. 脆弱的；易碎的
18. millimeter n. 公厘
19. regarding prep. 关于
= concerning prep.
20. astronaut n. 航天员
21. transparent a. 透明的
22. replace vt. 取代，替代
1. no doubt 无疑地
= without (a) doubt
2. range from A to B 范围从 A 到 B（都有）
3. tune in to... 转到……频道；收看∕收听……
4. a huge/large number of + 复数名词 很多的…… |