103.The Tallest Building in the World p.203

 

　　Recently Kuala Lumper beat Chicago in a battle of skyscrapers¹ when experts had the country's PetronasTwin Towers measured and declared it the world's tallest building. The title was formerly² held by Chicago's110-story Sears Tower. Its status had been left unchallenged for 22 years.
Buildings in the United States have held the title since 1913, but the need for space has created askyscraper boom in Asia. According to one building expert, "the ball has started rolling in Asia." However,some experts think that building super-tall skyscrapers is not a matter of economics but ego³. Every architectwants to have the honor of having the tallest building in the world. When the planned 1509-foot ShanghaiWorld Financial Center is finished in a couple of years, it will be China's turn to have that honor.

 

high 固定高度  tall 不断增高  习惯用法         The man is not tall, but he is high in status.
beat = defeat 击败
I try to measure(live) up to my teacher's expectations of me. 符合达到期望    expectations 用复数
or: meet your parents'expectations
on the fifth floor       a fifty-story building         storey(英)
construction    ego = pride    is a matter of ego 面子问题
It's Peter's turn to treat me to dinner finally.    treat sb to sth
 

1 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

3 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。