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相关文章：空中美语：The Age of Glass玻璃新世纪(二)

Standing 137 meters tall, the Wall Center towers over downtown Vancouver. Its transparent1 glass walls blend in naturally with2 the modern skyline. The top of the building captures a sunny sky and floating clouds, while the busy city life passes by down below. This building is a circular stage, where everyday dramas dance on its glass screen.

Since the discovery of glass 4,000 years ago, people have been fascinated by3 its beauty and wonder. Part of the fascination is how it is made. Its main ingredient, pure silica from sand, is ordinary. But when it is heated to 2,000 degrees, it melts. When it is cooled, the sand magically becomes a shining solid4 chunk. This amazing change attracts the architects.

In 1988, I. M. Pei built the glass pyramids outside the Louvre. Some say this modern architecture takes away the classic beauty of the Louvre. However, the transparent glass panels create a surprisingly harmonious5 relationship with the museum. When the sunset reflects6 on the glass, these pyramids glorify the Louvre even further.

to be continued ...

屹立 137 米高，沃尔中心大饭店矗立于温哥华市区。饭店透明的玻璃墙自然融入这现代的天际线。大楼顶端捕捉到晴空和浮云的景致，楼底则映照着忙碌的都会生活。整栋大楼是座圆形的舞台，在玻璃帷幕上演绎着日常的剧码。

自从 4 千年前发现玻璃后，人类一直着迷于玻璃的美丽与奇妙，部分原因源于玻璃制作的方法。玻璃的主原料（由沙提炼出的纯硅）看似普通，但加热到 2 千度就融化了。冷却时，沙子就神奇地变成闪亮而坚固的硬块。这惊人的变化深深吸引着建筑师。

1988 年，贝聿铭在卢浮宫外建造玻璃金字塔。有些人说这现代建筑破坏了卢浮宫的古典美。然而，透明的玻璃板创造出与卢浮宫之间惊人的和谐关系。当日落映照于玻璃上，这些金字塔让罗浮宫更加璀璨耀眼。

Vocabulary

1. transparent adj. clear enough to be seen through 透明的

The boat’s floor was transparent, so we saw many fish.

2. blend in with phr. to mix nicely 融入

His green pants blended in with the forest trees.

3. be fascinated by phr. to be strongly interested in 感到着迷

I have always been fascinated by wild animals.

4. solid adj. hard; not empty 坚固的；固体的

The table is made of solid wood.

5. harmonious adj. working well together 和谐的

The married couple lived a harmonious life together.

6. reflect v. to throw back 映照

The light reflected off the mirror and into my eyes.

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