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1、Unit 5 Text A Sydney Opera House,Pre-reading questions Read the following questions first, which will help you understand the following passage better, and then answer the questions after reading it carefully.1. In what way does Sydney Opera House represent “Australia”?2. What does Sydney Opera Hous
2、e look like?3. Who is Jorn Utzon and how is he connected with Sydney Opera House?,1 Sydney Opera House must be one of the most recognizable images of the modern world - up there with the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building - and one of the most photographed. Sydney Opera House is a late moder
3、n architecture. It is admired internationally and proudly treasured by the people of Australia.2 Not only is it recognizable, it has come to represent “Australia”.3 Although only having been open since 1973, it is as representative of Australia as the pyramids are of Egypt and the Colosseum of Rome.
4、4 The Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point, which reaches out into the harbor. The skyline of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the blue water of the harbor and the Sydney Opera House, viewed from a ferry or from the air, is dramatic and memorable.,5 Ironic, perhaps, that this Australian icon - the Op
5、era House with a roof evocative of a ship at full sail - was designed by renowned young Danish architect - Jorn Utzon who understood and recognized the potential provided by the site against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbor. He gave Australia a challenging, graceful piece of urban sculpture in
6、 patterned tiles, glistening in the sunlight and invitingly aglow at night. The glass walls are a special feature of the building, constructed according to the modified design by Utzons successor architect, Peter Hall. 6 In the late 1950s the New South Wales (NSW) Government established an appeal fu
7、nd to finance the construction of the Sydney Opera House, and conducted a competition for its design.7 Utzons design was chosen. The irony was that his design was, arguably, beyond the capabilities of engineering of the time. Utzon spent a couple of years reworking the design and it was 1961 before
8、he had solved the problem of how to build the distinguishing feature - the “sails” of the roof.,8 Design and construction were closely intertwined. Utzons radical approach to the construction of the building fostered an exceptional collaborative and innovative environment. The design solution and co
9、nstruction of the shell structure took eight years to complete and the development of the special ceramic tiles for the shells took over three years. The project was not helped by the changes to the brief. Construction of the shells was one of the most difficult engineering tasks ever to be attempte
10、d. The revolutionary concept demanded equally revolutionary engineering and building techniques. Baulderstone Hornibrook (then Hornibrook Group) constructed the roof shells and the interior structure and fitout. At the behest of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) the NSW Government changed
11、 the proposed larger opera hall into the concert hall because at the time, symphony concerts, managed by the ABC, were more popular and drew larger audiences than opera.,9 The venture experienced cost blow-outs and there were occasions when the NSW Government was tempted to call a halt. In 1966 the
12、situation - with arguments about cost and the interior design, and the Government withholding progress payments - reached crisis point and Jorn Utzon resigned from the project. The building was eventually completed by others in 1973. After more than 30 years, the Sydney Opera House has its first int
13、erior designed by Utzon. The Utzon Room, a transformed reception hall that brings to life Jorn Utzons original vision for his masterpiece, was officially opened on September 16, 2004.,10 Sydney Opera House has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and become a symbol of both Sy
14、dney and the Australian nation. It stands by itself as one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind.11 Sydney Opera House was inscribed in the World Heritage List in June 2007: “Sydney Opera House is a great architectural work
15、 of the 20th century. It represents multiple strands of creativity, both in architectural form and structural design, a great urban sculpture carefully set in a remarkable waterscape and a world famous iconic building.” UNESCO,Exercises of Text A,Part One Go over each of the following sentences care
16、fully and select the answer that is closest in meaning to the underlined word.,1. The skyline of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the blue water of the harbor and the Sydney Opera House, viewed from a ferry or from the air, is dramatic and memorable.A. Admirable B. unforgettable C. changeable D. irritable2
17、. Ironic, perhaps, that this Australian icon - was designed by renowned young Danish architect - Jorn Utzon. A. established B. committed C. renewed D. distinguished3. The glass walls are a special feature of the building, constructed according to the modified design by Utzons successor architect, Peter Hall. A. cooperator B. replacementC. executor D. director,
