Stopping to Admire the View(2) | 观景台大赏

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by Matthew Brown

Some of the most beautiful views can be seen from well-designed viewing platforms.

让设计精巧的观景台带你欣赏世界的美景。

Some great viewing platforms can often be found at the top of gigantic skyscrapers. The Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand, for instance, is 328 meters high. When you're standing on the viewing platform near the top, you'll be glad it isn't even higher. The building was constructed using thousands of tons of concrete and steel and designed to give visitors a view of Auckland that's unforgettable. On a clear day, you can see 80 kilometers in any direction. That's not all, though. The platform floor is glass, so when you look down, it looks as though you're walking on air high above the city.

For sheer height alone, the Grand Canyon Skywalk is the winner. Picture this: you are walking toward the edge of the Grand Canyon, and rather than fall into the deep abyss, you keep walking. That's the experience that the Grand Canyon Skywalk will give you. Like the viewing platform at the Sky Tower, the Grand Canyon Skywalk has a glass bottom. If you look down at your shoes, you'll see all the way down to the Colorado River 1,200 meters below. Visitors must put on special slippers lest they scratch the glass on this masterpiece of engineering. It sticks far out over the canyon in a horseshoe shape, and it's strong enough to support 14 elephants.

There are many more fantastic views around the world to be found. If you're traveling, don't forget to reach new heights.

1.  According to the article, which of the following is true of the Dachstein Sky Walk?

(A) Viewers can see in every direction.

(B) It's the highest of all viewing platforms.

(C) It is unusual because it was built on a cloud.

(D) It is located on the border of Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

2.  How is the Aurland Lookout different from the other viewing platforms?

(A) The construction workers bought all their materials from IKEA.

(B) The people that designed it used to be skateboarders.

(C) It has an out-of-the-ordinary shape.

(D) It's made of glass and steel.

3.  The Grand Canyon Skywalk _____.

(A) was built with elephants in mind

(B) is the highest viewing platform mentioned in the article

(C) won the contest for best viewing platform in the world

(D) was designed by the architects of the Sky Tower in Auckland

4.  What can be inferred from the final sentence in the article?

(A) There is a new society that travels to all the viewing platforms in the world.

(B) There are new skyscrapers being built all the time.

(C) These are the only viewing platforms in the world.

(D) Traveling to these places is highly recommended.

这世界充满许多超越人类足迹所能遍及之处。多亏工程界和建筑界的奇才，我们才有机会徜徉在云端以及身处鸟儿飞翔的高空。在世上一些特殊的地方有着美丽又有趣的观景台，让我们能居高临下，俯瞰这个世界。

　　在奥地利的达斯坦天空步道，你会发现自己不是向上看，而是向下眺望云海。这座壮观的建筑比尼加拉瓜瀑布还高，被称为『阿尔卑斯山的阳台』。而这座由玻璃和金属打造成的观景平台，也不负其名地远眺阿尔卑斯山的皑皑山峰。这里的景色近乎完美，游客可以从 360 度的视角，一路望到南方的斯洛维尼亚以及北方的捷克共和国。

　　有些观景台则不只是用来欣赏美景的建筑而已。例如挪威的奥尔兰瞭望台，本身就是一件艺术品。它由著名的建筑师双人组设计而成，矗立于奥尔兰峡湾上，标高 600 多公尺。这座迷人的建筑看起来就像把从宜家家居买来的滑板斜坡盖在山坡上。从侧边看来，它的弧度就像一支回力镖。在瞭望台的尽头，所立之处和脚下的地面仅隔着一片玻璃；胆子够大的人，大可走到瞭望台边缘去看个过瘾。

　　在高耸的摩天大楼顶端也能找到美丽的观景台。例如，位于纽西兰奥克兰的天塔，标高 328 公尺。站在观景台接近顶端的地方，你会庆幸这里已经是最高了。这栋建筑本身由数千吨的钢筋水泥构成，而设计的目的就是要让访客对奥克兰留下毕生难忘的印象。在晴朗的日子里，这里的能见度高达方圆 80 公里。不仅如此，观景台的地板是玻璃制成，所以当你往下看时，彷佛就像走在城市的天空上。

　　单纯从高度来看，大峡谷天空步道则是赢家。想象一下，你往大峡谷的边缘走去，却发现自己不但没有坠入无尽深渊，反而还继续行走，而这正是大峡谷天空步道带给人的体验。和奥克兰的天塔一样，大峡谷天空步道的底部由玻璃制成。只要低头一看，就能看见离脚下 1,200 公尺的科罗拉多河。游客到此必须穿上特制拖鞋，以免在这个建筑巨作的玻璃上留下刮痕。这座马蹄型天空步道从峡谷上方往外突出，足以支撑 14 头大象的重量。

　　世上还有许多美丽的景观等待发掘。如果你正在旅行的话，别忘了往更高的颠峰攀去。

答案：1. (A)2. (C)3. (B)4. (D)

For Your Information

大峡谷天空步道是美国大峡谷西缘瓦拉派印第安保护区内的一个人工观光景点，是世界上第一个空中玻璃悬挂式的观景走廊，以一个马蹄形建构于峡谷悬崖边缘，最远处距离悬崖边缘约 20 公尺。它是由出身上海的美籍华裔商人金鹉（David Jin）所构思，结合来自拉斯韦加斯的工程设计团队于 2004 年 3 月开始兴建，2007 年年初完工，耗资约 4 千万美元。（资料出处：维基百科）