Reading
The Burj Khalifa
Before you start reading, study the following vocabulary:
bail-out
to claim
mosque
excavation work
to deserve
dwarf
spire
susceptible
The Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building. It’s 828m high, far taller than the previous record holder, Taipei 101. Known as the Burj Dubai during construction, the tower was renamed after the leader of Dubai's oil-rich neighbor, Abu Dhabi, which gave Dubai a $10bn bail-out to help it pay off its debts.
Construction of the Burj Dubai began in 2004, at the height of an economic boom. The tower has 160 floors and more than 500,000 sq m of space for offices and flats. The tower also claims the highest occupied floor, the tallest service lift, and the world's highest observation deck – on the 124th floor. The world's highest mosque and swimming pool are located on the 158th and 76th floors.
The opening ceremony, held 1,325 days after excavation work started, was attended by some 6,000 guests. Though not complete on the inside, it was officially opened by Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In a surprise move he renamed it Burj Khalifa – after the president of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan.
Sheikh Mohammed described the tower as "the tallest building ever created by the hand of man".
"This great project deserves to carry the name of a great man. Today I inaugurate Burj Khalifa," he said. A dramatic fireworks and light show took place around the tower while a screen displayed its exact height, which had previously been kept secret. At 828m, Burj Khalifa dwarfs the 508m Taipei 101 and the 629m KVLY-TV mast in the US, the tallest man-made structure. Its spire can be seen 95km away.
Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, the developer behind Burj Khalifa, said in an interview that the building's design had posed unprecedented technical and logistical challenges, not just because of its height, but also because Dubai was susceptible to high winds and was close to a geological fault line.
"We have been hit with lightning twice, there was a big earthquake last year that came across from Iran, and we have had all types of wind which has hit us when we were building. The results have been good and I salute the designers and professionals who helped build it," he said.
Burj Khalifa In Numbers
95: distance in km at which its spire can be seen
504: rise in meters of its main service lift
57: number of lifts
49: number of office floors
1,044: number of residential apartments
900: length in feet of the fountain at the foot of the tower, the world's tallest performing fountain
28,261: number of glass cladding panels on the exterior of the tower
Questions
What do the following phrases mean?
- “At the height of an economic boom” was
- “I SALUTE the designers and professionals” means
- “UNPRECEDENTED technical and logistical challenges” mean
- “This great project DESERVES to carry the name of a great man” means
- “The Burj Khalifa DWARFS the 508m Taipei 101” means
Are the following sentences correct?
1. The Burj Khalifa has more than 150 floors.
2. The Burj Khalifa is the second tallest building in the world.
3. The tower's spire can be seen 50 km away.
4. Dubai's ruler renamed the tower after himself.
5. There are high winds in Dubai.