With an announcement made on April 1, Xiong'an has risen from nowhere to become a well-known name in China overnight. The Xiong'an New Area, in Hebei Province, has been set up in a move which is a “major historic and strategic (战略的) choice”, said the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. This is another new area of national meaning after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area.
The Xiong'an New Area, about 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, sits at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang. It will cover around 100 square km at the beginning and will be expanded to (扩展到) 200 square km in the mid-term and about 2,000 square km in the long-term.
It's hoped that the plans will help solve problems such as traffic jams and air pollution in Beijing by reducing the capital's population growth. And by moving manufacturing (制造业) and logistics (物流) to nearby areas, it may reduce some of Beijing's noncapital functions.
Talking about key points for the development of Xiong'an, President Xi Jinping said it should be built into a green, modern and smart area with a beautiful environment, high-end industries (产业) and easy transportation. The area should also be open to the outside world and become a new platform for further development.
【小题1】How many new areas of national meaning have there been in China so far?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．100 | B．200 | C．2,000 | D．2,300 |
| A．manufacturing | B．traffic jams |
| C．air pollution | D．noncapital functions |
| A．In a travel magazine. | B．In CCTV news. |
| C．In a guide book. | D．In a storybook. |
