©Getty Images via BBC
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- restrict /ri-STRIKT/
- vanity /VAN-ity/
- landmark /LAND-mark/
- novelty /NOV-uhl-tee/
- impose /im-POHZ/
[verb] – to limit the movements or actions of someone, or to limit something and reduce its size or prevent it from increasing
They should restrict smoking in public places.
[noun] – lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness
According to the critics, the mayor’s latest projects are nothing but vanity.
[noun] – a building or place that is easily recognized, especially one that you can use to judge where you are
The Chillon Castle is one of Switzerland’s landmarks.
[noun] – the quality of being new and unusual
Most entrpreneurs believe that novelty is important for innovation.
[verb] – to officially force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received
The government should not impose high tax costs on businesses.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
China has restricted the construction of “super high-rise buildings” in smaller cities, its latest move to crack down costly vanity projects. The country houses some of the world’s mega towers, which includes the 128-story and 623-meter high, Shanghai Tower. Chinese citizens took to social media site Weibo to express their opinions, with some saying that super-high skyscrapers were “not needed… they’re just gimmicky”. “We’re in a stage where people are too impetuous and anxious to produce something that can actually go down in history,” Zhang Shangwu, deputy head of Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning said in an interview with South China Morning Post. “Every building aims to be a landmark, and the developers and city planners try to achieve this goal by going extreme in novelty and strangeness.”
There is already an existing ban on buildings higher than 500 meters but the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, together with the Ministry of Emergency, has imposed tighter limits on October 26, 2021. The new rules state that cities with populations of less than three million people will be restricted from building skyscrapers taller than 150 meters (492 ft). Meanwhile, those with populations larger than that will be restricted from buildings taller than 250 meters. Those who allow projects that violate these new rules will be held to “lifelong accountability”.
There is already an existing ban on buildings higher than 500 meters but the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, together with the Ministry of Emergency, has imposed tighter limits on October 26, 2021. The new rules state that cities with populations of less than three million people will be restricted from building skyscrapers taller than 150 meters (492 ft). Meanwhile, those with populations larger than that will be restricted from buildings taller than 250 meters. Those who allow projects that violate these new rules will be held to “lifelong accountability”.
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you been inside one of your country’s tallest buildings?
- Do you know anyone who works in the construction industry?
- If you were an urban planner, what would you focus on developing in your city? (housing, roads, schools)
- Do you think it was right for China to restrict the construction of “super high-rise buildings” in smaller cities?
- In your opinion, why is urban planning important?
Summarization
Please summarize the whole article using your own words and expressions. You will have one minute to prepare before you answer.
Describe:
Please explain the definition of each word listed below based on your understanding. You can provide example sentences if needed.
- construction
- express
- achieve
- limit
- population