Paris is the City of Lights. Hong Kong is the most densely populated urban region on the planet. And Mexico City is the world's biggest metropolis that sprawls across more than 1,400 square kilometers but unfortunately sits on one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world. These cities and the complexities that make them up could have remained a mystery had it not been for the National Geographic Channel. In their fresh theme week programs─Megacities, they explore London, Mumbai, New York City, Las Vegas, and the aforementioned cities to unravel the intricate infrastructures of these urban jungles.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas? Gambling? Nightlife? Electricity? While the first two are integral parts of this city, electricity is the life force that keeps Las Vegas pumping. Air conditioners run continuously, slot machines ring out, and millions of volts of the blood of this city surge through the power lines. Without electricity, Sin City would come to a swelteringly hot halt.
New York City is one of the most recognizable locales on the planet. Millions of tourists pay her a visit each year while 8 million call her home. Tourists and residents alike use the notorious New York subway system to get around the Big Apple. In 100 years, this intricate system has expanded from a mere nine-mile line to a four-borough system that combines decades-old hardware with 21st century software. On Megacities: New York, go underneath the city that never sleeps and discover what keeps it on the go.
Like living and breathing human beings, massive metropolises are alive with an energy all its own. Only National Geographic Channel can delve into these wondrous creations of man and go beneath the cities we live and work in.
──by Jerri Graham
1.According to the article, what is known about Mexico City?
(A) There are about 14 million Mexicans living there.
(B) It is mostly unpopulated in the suburbs of the city.
(C) Not only is it large, but it also lies in a region known for earthquakes.
(D) Earthquakes have flattened the city on numerous occasions.
2.What is the primary purpose of the above article?
(A) To show viewers how to make the most of their time abroad.
(B) To discover the primary functions of larger cities.
(C) To give a brief overview of an upcoming program.
(D) To uncover a mysterious criminal gang in the States.
3.Which of the two vital elements were discussed in the article above?
(A) Hydro-electricity and oil production in Las Vegas.
(B) The transportation system and electricity needs of two large cities.
(C) The development of a new way to recycle and water waste in the United States.
(D) The possible side effects of global warming and the sweltering heat it creates.
4.Which of the following wouldn't be considered a topic of discussion for the series?
(A) The water waste system of Paris.
(B) The early detection system for earthquakes in Mexico City, Mexio.
(C) The high rate of crime in Springfield, Illinois.
(D) The complex currency structure of Hong Kong.
單字:
1. metropolis n. 大都市
2.complexity n. 錯綜複雜的事物
3.aforementioned a. 上述的
4.intricate a. 複雜精細的
5.infrastructure n. 基礎建設
6.integral a. 不可或缺的
7.pump vi. 跳動，上下移動
8.slot machine n. 吃角子老虎機
9.volt n. 伏特（電壓單位）
10.swelteringly adv. 悶熱地
11.locale n. 地點
12.borough n. 自治行政區
13.flatten vt. 夷平
14.overview n. 概要
15.hydro-electricity n. 水力發電
16.detection n. 偵測
17.currency n. 貨幣
片語:
1.densely populated 人口密集的
sparsely populated 人口稀疏的
2.make...up/make up... 組成……
= comprise vt.
3.pay + 地方 + a visit 拜訪某地
4.make the most of... 盡量利用……
1.sprawl vi. 蔓延；擴展
例:The farmland sprawled into the woodlands, where wild animals used to dwell.
（農地擴展到野生動物以往棲息的林地。）
2.earthquake-prone a. 易於∕經常發生地震的
注意:
"N-prone"表『易於……的』，常用的此類詞語尚有：
accident-prone 容易發生意外的
acne-prone 容易長痘痘的
例: Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
（日本是全世界最常發生地震的國家之一。）
3.surge vi. 洶湧而至 & n. 湧現
a surge of... 一陣（強烈的）……
例:During the storm, I felt a strange surge of electricity flow through the room.
（暴風雨時，我感到一股奇怪的電流從房間穿梭而過。）
4.come to a halt 停止
bring...to a halt 使……停止
例: The widespread protest brought the experiment on whales to a halt.
（多方的抗議使對鯨魚的實驗停頓下來。）
5.combine A with B 使A與B合併
例:We will combine the girls' class with the boys' class and have a Halloween party.
（我們將把女生班和男生班合併來辦萬聖節派對。）
6.on the go 忙碌的；活躍的
例:This town is always on the go and it feels as if it never sleeps.
（這城鎮總是活力充沛，彷彿是個不夜城。）
7.delve into... 鑽研……；探索……
例:Psychologists delved into the man's past to see what turned him into a murderer.
（心理學家探究那人的過去，以了解是什麼使他變成一個兇手。）
8.in the suburbs of + 都市 在某都市的近郊
= on the outskirts of + 都市
例:Jane bought a house in the suburbs of Taipei, where the property prices are lower.
（珍在房價較低的台北市近郊買了棟房子。）
1.該計劃因經費短缺而停擺。
The project has ______ ______ a ______owing to the lack of funds.
2. 雖然在城市近郊比較便宜，我要花1小時才到得了市中心的辦公室。
Though it is cheaper ______ the ______ of the city, it takes me an hour to get to the office downtown.
答案: 1. come, to, halt 2. in, suburbs/on, outskirts
翻譯
巴黎是燈光之都。香港是全球人口最密集的都會區。而蔓延1,400多平方公里的墨西哥市是世界最大的城市，不幸的是，它同時坐落在全世界地震最頻繁的地區之一。若不是國家地理頻道，這些城市和組成城市的複雜系統就可能成為難解之謎。在最新主題週節目的《超級城市週》裡，國家地理頻道探索倫敦、孟買、紐約市、拉斯維加斯和上述的城市，以解開都會叢林裡複雜基礎建設的秘密。
提到拉斯維加斯時，你第一個會想到什麼？賭博？夜生活？電力？雖說前兩項是拉斯維加斯不可或缺的一環，但電力卻是讓這座都市運轉的命脈。冷氣不停運轉、吃角子老虎機噹噹作響，百萬瓦電力如鮮血般奔騰流過城市的電纜。沒有電力，這座罪惡之城將變得酷熱難耐，唯有停擺一途。
紐約市是地球上最易辨識的地點之一。每年有上百萬名觀光客到紐約一遊，這也是8百萬人的家鄉。觀光客和居民都搭乘惡名昭彰的紐約地下鐵穿梭這顆『大蘋果』。這100年間，地鐵由長僅9英哩的電車線擴展到縱貫4個行政區的複雜系統，綜合數十年歷史的硬體和21世紀的軟體於一身。在《超級城市週：紐約市》中，我們將鑽入這座不夜城的地底，看看到底是什麼讓紐約永遠活躍不已。
就像活生生的人類一樣，大都會充滿自己獨特的活力。只有國家地理頻道才能深入探索這些人造奇觀，窮究我們生活與工作的城市中不為人知的秘密。
標準答案: 1. (C) 2. (C) 3. (B) 4. (C)
from 常春藤解析英語雜誌
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