【正文】 s a new idea, it can cause controversy. But building down is not some kind of impractical idea. It makes sense. There is so much space underground: It can acmodate a lot of traffic, storage, and people. With the new technology we have, we39。t have to pay robots a salary!Isn39。t give up so easily.Think creatively? What do you suggest?What I39。s overcrowding. Talk to anyone living in a major metropolitan area and they will say the same thing: There39。m just suggesting we invest in a variety of bigger projects and that we dig deeper.What would you say to people who doubt your idea?I can understand their feelings. Whenever there39。t it expensive?Yes, it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive. However, we have new technology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You don39。s true, but you have to think creatively. You can39。s traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.Listen to the interview with Erika Van Beek, an engineer. According to Erika, what should be done about overcrowding in cities?The future building boom?What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?I think it39。s traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.Now listen again and plete the chart with the information you hear.My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass, steel, and concrete. They were designed by an American architect, but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors, and is 452 meters high. I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country.Listen to a talk on controversies about modern buildings. Then fill in the blanks to plete the sentences. Modern buildings: We love them. We hate themThe worldfamous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasn39。s get more information about several kinds of cars, okay?Listen to another person talking about famous buildings in his country and fill in the blanks with information you hear.My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass, steel, and concrete. They were designed by an American architect, but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors, and is 452 meters high. I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country.Listen to a talk on controversies about modern buildings. Then fill in the blanks to plete the sentences. Modern buildings: We love them. We hate themThe worldfamous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasn39。ll sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe I39。s greatest achievement in flight. They thought it was safe, I guess. Who rode in it anyway? Mostly wealthy people. It acmodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like a flying hotel. It sounds pretty great.Yeah, and it was fast. That39。s so funny looking, don39。ll sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe I39。s greatest achievement in flight. They thought it was safe, I guess. Who rode in it anyway? Mostly wealthy people. It acmodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like a flying hotel. It sounds pretty great.Yeah, and it was fast. That39。s so funny looking, don39。U 1 Our earthLA The natural worldListen to Mary and Blake talking about her paper. Then answer the question.What are you working on, Mary?I’m finishing my paper. It’s due tomorrow, Blake.What’s the topic?It’s about Greenland.Greenland. Hmmm that’s part of Canada, right?I think you need to study your world geography, Blake.Well, isn’t it near Canada?Yes, it’s off the coast of northeast Canada, but it’s part of Denmark.Oh, I didn’t know that. Well, what’s your paper about exactly?In my paper, I answer the question “Is Greenland really green?” In other words, is Greenland covered by a lot of plants and trees?Is it?What do you think?Let’s see Greenland is in the Arctic Circle way up north. It’s cold, so “Is Greenland really green?” I’d answer “probably not.”You’d be correct. It’s too cold here. In the north, a lot of the ground is frozen. The summers are short, so only the surface thaws.That sounds tough.It’s hard for the construction industry. It’s not easy to build in Greenland.It sounds so harsh. Why would anyone want to go there?There are big mountain ranges on the coasts. They’re great for hiking and outdoor sports. And there are lots of animals there. You can sometimes see whales swimming in the harbors.That sounds cool! Ok, so if it’s not really a “green” place, why was it named “Greenland”?The first settlers wanted to attract other people. They gave it an attractive name. Listen again. Circle True or False. Gustav and Carolina are international students. They are telling Bart about their summer work experience in the United States. Did they enjoy themselves?So what exactly did you do over the summer?We worked as volunteers at Glacier National Park.I’ve never been there. What’s it like?It’s beautiful. There are mountains and lakes … and, of course, glaciers!How was the job?We had to do a lot of physical work. It was kind of hard.That’s true, but it was exciting, too! We actually saw bears!Wow! That does sound exciting. Maybe I should apply. I’ll need a job next summer.Sorry, Bart, but you can’t apply to that program. It’s a special program for international students.Listen to two people talking about natural wonders and manmade structures. Pay attention to the expressions they use. 1. Mt.