Question

There was a time when New York City buildings were almost all the same height.

Today you can see buildings of different heights that seem to touch the sky. They are called skyscrapers(摩天大楼). They shape the famous New York City skyline.

It started about 90 years ago. It began like a race. This wasn't a race down the street or around a track(跑道). It was a race for the sky. Who was racing? Buildings were.

Their builders were actually racing to build the world's tallest skyscraper.

The race started slowly.

First came the Woolworth Building, in 1913. It rose 792 feet(英尺) on the southern side of the city. Then the race heated up.In1930, two skyscrapers were nearing completion. The Bank of Manhattan Building was finished first. It rose up to 927 feet into the sky. Builders were then putting a round roof（屋顶）on the top of the Chrysler Building. It rose up t0 925 feet. The Bank of Manhattan, two feet taller, seemed to be the winner.

A few weeks later, New Yorkers saw a strange sight（景象）.  The day that the Chrysler Building was to be completed, workers raised a shiny metal, spire（尖顶） through the top of the building, adding 121 feet to the building's height! At l,048 feet, the Chrysler Building was now the world's tallest.

But the race was not over.  A year later, in 1931, the Empire State Building became the new winner.At l,250 feet, it was the world's tallest building.

In 1973, even that record was broken. Builders finished the World Trade Center. At 1,368 feet high, it rose above all other buildings in New York City.

Time goes on. As technology improves, taller buildings are being built. The race is still on.

A.根据短文内容简要回答问题。

1.Which skyscrapers had been the world's tallest buildings? Please list them.

2.During which period of the time did the race heat up?

B．将短文中划线的句子译成汉语。

3.

4.

C．请给短文拟一个适当的英文标题。

5.

Answer

1.The Woolworth Building, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center.

2.From 1930 to 1931.

3.今天你可以看到不同高度的建筑物，它们似乎可以触摸天空。

4.以1250英尺的高度，它成为世界上最高的建筑物。

5.Race for the sky./A race for the sky

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文给我们讲述的是纽约摩天大楼的比赛，从90年前起，纽约建起了很多的摩天大楼，他们就像是在比赛一样，一个建筑比一个更高。从1930年到1931年，比赛更加激烈，一座座的摩天大楼建筑起来。而且随着科技的发展，更高的大楼在建筑起来，比赛仍在继续。

1.这篇短文给我们讲述了世界上著名的摩天大楼，在短文中提到了很多摩天大楼，其中有the famous New York City skyline、the Woolworth Building,、The Bank of Manhattan Building、the Chrysler Building、the Empire State Building等。

2.根据短文第三段中的介绍可知，从1930年起，Then the race heated up，比赛升温了。先是The Bank of Manhattan Building was finished firs，紧跟着是Builders were then putting a round roof（屋顶）on the top of the Chrysler Building。然后But the race was not over. A year later, in 1931, the Empire State Building became the new winner到1931年，帝国大厦成为了最高的建筑。

3.buildings of different heights这个短语中of 短语做的是后置定语，修饰前面的名词buildings；另外，这个句子中还有一个that引导的定语从句，修饰先行词buildings。seem to do sth.好像去做某事；touch触摸。

4.at 1,250 feet以……的高度，是一个介词短语，feet是一个长度单位，英尺。the world’s tallest building世界上最高的建筑物。根据文意可知，这里说的是1931年，帝国大厦建成后，它以1,250英尺的高度，成为世界上最高的建筑物。

5.这篇短文给我们讲述的是纽约摩天大楼的比赛，从90年前起，纽约建起了很多的摩天大楼，他们就像是在比赛一样，一个建筑比一个更高。从1930年到1931年，比赛更加激烈，一座座的摩天大楼建筑起来。而且随着科技的发展，更高的大楼在建筑起来，比赛仍在继续。因此这篇短文最好的题目是A race for the sky。

【考点定位】：任务型阅读。