CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING OPENS WORLD'S LONGEST SEA-

CROSSING BRIDGE

By James Griffiths, CNN

Updated 1049 GMT (1849 HKT) October 23, 2018

Hong Kong (CNN)Chinese President Xi Jinping officially opened the world's longest
sea-crossing bridge Tuesday at a ceremony in the southern city of Zhuhai.
The $20 billion megaproject further connects mainland China with the semi-
autonomous territories of Hong Kong and Macau, with a 55-kilometer (34-mile)
road bridge that has been in the works for almost nine years.
It's a key element of China's plan for a Greater Bay Area covering 56,500 square
kilometers (21,800 square miles) of southern China, and encompassing 11 cities,
including Hong Kong and Macau, that are home to a combined 68 million people.
"I declare the Hong Kong -- Macau -- Zhuhai bridge officially open," Xi said in a
seconds-long speech before a giant display showing the bridge.
The announcement was greeted with applause from the hundreds of guests in
attendance, including the leaders of Hong Kong and Macau, Carrie Lam and
Fernando Chui, and Guangdong Party Secretary Li Xi.
The bridge will open to the public for the first time on Wednesday.
 GREATER TRANSPORT LINKS
Proponents of the bridge say it will significantly cut journey times between the
cities, enabling commuters and tourists to easily move around the region.
"With the bridge, the traveling time between Hong Kong and the Western Pearl
River Delta region will be shortened significantly, thereby bringing the Western
Pearl River Delta region within three hours' drive from Hong Kong," the city's
transport secretary, Frank Chan, said Friday.
Despite the focus on drive time however, private car owners in Hong Kong will not
be able to cross the bridge without a special permit. Most drivers will have to park
at the Hong Kong port, switching to a shuttle bus or special hire cars once they are
through immigration. Shuttle buses cost $8 to $10 for a single trip depending on the
time of day.

Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds on stage after official opening of the China-
Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong Bridge, October 23, 2018.
Critics however point to limited demand in Hong Kong for the project, and
competition from improved rail links and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge, which
once completed around 2024 is expected to cut traffic on the Zhuhai link by over
25% within 20 years.
For critics of the Chinese government, the bridge is seen as a tool to drag Hong
Kong -- which boasts a semi-democratic legislature and independent judiciary --
closer into Beijing's grip.
"You can't see the existing transport connections -- in a literal way. But this bridge
is very visible ... you can see it from the plane when you fly in to Hong Kong, and
it's ," lawmaker Claudia Mo told CNN earlier in the year.
"It links Hong Kong to China almost like an umbilical cord. You see it, and you
know you're linked up to the motherland."
 HUGE ENGINEERING EFFORT
Built to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, a super typhoon and strikes by super-
sized cargo vessels, the bridge incorporates 400,000 tons of steel -- 4.5 times the
amount in San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
It also includes a 6.7-kilometer (4-mile) submerged tunnel to help it avoid the busy
shipping paths over the Pearl River Delta. The tunnel runs between two artificial
islands, each measuring 100,000 square meters (1 million square feet) and situated
in relatively shallow waters.
While an impressive engineering feat, the building of the bridge brought its own
controversies. The Pearl River Delta is home to an endangered Chinese white
dolphin population that has been buffeted by massive land reclamation efforts in
Hong Kong and other cities.
Conservation experts previously told CNN they feared the bridge, as well as
ongoing expansion of Hong Kong airport, could be the final nail in the dolphins'
coffin, sending the local population into terminal decline.
1. What have you understod from the reading news?
We understand that it is a key element of China's plan for a Greater Bay Area and it
covers 11 cities. Which will reduce travel times between cities from three hours to
30 minutes and will allow travelers and tourists to easily move around the region.
However for critics of the Chinese government, the bridge is seen as a tool to drag
the city, which has a semidemocratic legislature and an independent judiciary and
has seen numerous mass protests in recent years, closer to Beijing's control.
2. Have you ever read something similar before?
No, we read few international news and in Peru there are no such long bridges.
3. Write 06 cognates in English?
President – Presidente
Megaproject – Megaproyectos
Territories – Territorios
Kilometers – Kilometros
Public – Publico
Demand - Demanda
4. Who has written this?
It was written by James Griffiths of CNN on October 23, 2018.
5. How much time have you taken to traslate this?
We translated it around 30 minutes.
6. What has been the main idea?
Publicize the new bridge that links Hong Kong and China.
7.Have you agreed with the autor?
Yes, we share the same thoughts on the subject.
8. In general have you liked the news?
Yes, we think they are interesting topics.
9. What have been the most difficult words to understand?
Some of the words that are difficult for us are: Announcement, earthquake, efforts.
10. Why have you chosen the news?
We found it interesting and of global knowledge.