Beijing Daxing International Airport:Airport for the future

主题语境：中国建筑篇幅：326词建议用时：6分钟

1 Beijing Capital Airport was opened in 1958 and by now it is the world's second-busiest behind Atlanta in the US.Thus the second Beijing airport—Beijing Daxing International Airport has been built in Daxing to take the pressure off the overcrowded existing international terminal in southern Beijing.

2 The overall design concept of the new Daxing International Airport is based on the traditional Chinese architecture principle, which uses a central courtyard to interconnect various spaces.The 700,000 sqm airport,equivalent to 97 football courts,is the world's biggest free-standing terminal with five connected concourses (中央大厅) serving four runways. In the aerial view, it looks like a giant phoenix reborn from the ash which is about to take off at any minute.

3 From start to finish,the airport was designed with empathy(共情)for travelers.The longest distance between security checkpoints and departure gates is a mere 600 meters,roughly an 8-minute walk.Customer-service robots provide and update airport information,and biometric scanners and smart security checks were installed to shorten wait times while improving security. In a nod to comfort, seats and benches adapt to different body types.

4 Filtered glass blocks 60 percent of the heat entering the terminal while 8,000 rooftop windows allow enough natural sunlight to generate 60 percent of the terminal's lighting.Photovoltaic (光电的) cells are mounted on parking garages and cargo areas, while Daxing's heating and cooling systems are powered by geothermal heat pumps (地热泵).10 percent of the airport's energy needs are powered by renewables.Besides,a rainwater collection facility helps the airport reduce its drain on local water supplies.

5 Given the airport's remote location,roughly 50 kilometers from the city center,the master plan noted accessibility as “the most vulnerable aspect of the airport”. In addition to an intercity railway built to help travelers avoid the city's traffic jams, future expansions will include additional rail lines,train station check-in points and an inter-airport link between Beijing Daxing and Beijing Capital.

Reading Check

Detail

1.Which represents the traditional Chinese element of the Beijing Daxing International Airport's design?

A.It's shaped like a flying phoenix.

B.It contains a courtyard at its centre.

C.It has several connected concourses.

D.It lets in sunlight through rooftop windows.

Detail

2.How are robots employed at the new airport?

A.They provide the latest flight information.

B.They scan the luggage of the passengers.

C.They are in charge of the security checks.

D.They adjust the seats and benches accordingly.

Inference

3.What do we know about the new airport's energy system?

A.It depends much on geothermal heat.

B.It relies entirely on renewable energy.

C.It makes the best of natural resources.

D.It consumes much of local energy supplies.

Gist

4.What does the last paragraph focus on?

A.The way the public access the new airport.

B.The basic structure of the new airport.

C.The natural advantages of the new airport.

D.The geographic position of the new airport.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

The overall design concept of the new Daxing International Airport is based on the traditional Chinese architecture principle,which uses a central courtyard to interconnect various spaces.大兴国际机场的整体设计理念基于中国传统建筑原理，利用中央庭院将各个空间连接起来。

【点石成金】本句是一个复合句。which引导的是一个非限制性定语从句，先行词为the traditional Chinese architecture principle。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

be based on 以……为基础

be equivalent to 与……相等/相当的

take off 起飞

from start to finish 从始至终

adapt to 修改；改编；适应