Clean energy
A Read the magazine article about the Amager Resource Centre in Denmark and choose the best answer for each question.
Turning waste into energy—and fun
How would you like to go skiing in summer in a city with no mountains? You can do that right in Copenhagen, Denmark! The city has no hills, so local architects decided to create one—on the roof of a power plant!
The Amager Resource Centre, also known as CopenHill, is a waste-to-energy plant located in an industrial area of the city. The plant turns local waste into energy to provide electricity and heat.
But this building does a lot more than that. It was cleverly designed as a public space for sport and entertainment as well. The machinery inside the plant is ordered from tallest to shortest, so the roof is shaped like a hill. A special eco-friendly surface covers the rooftop, and people can ski on it—all year round! The plant also has a huge outdoor climbing wall. Reaching a height of 85 metres, it is the tallest man-made climbing wall in the world.
If you just want to relax and have something to eat, you can also visit the restaurant at the top of the plant and take in amazing views of the city. Enjoy a wonderful dining experience—while green energy is created under your feet.
Because it mixes clean energy production with sport and entertainment, CopenHill is an excellent use of urban space. It is also a wonderful example of what we can achieve with a little creative thinking.
1 What is CopenHill mainly used as?
a A sports centre. b A restaurant. c A waste-to-energy plant. (
c
)
2 How does CopenHill help the environment?
a It gets rid of CO₂. b It turns waste into energy. c It reduces air pollution. (
b
)
3 What special feature allows people to ski on the roof?
a Snow machines. b A man-made skiing wall. c An eco-friendly surface. (
c
)
4 What makes having a meal at CopenHill special?
a Meals are cooked using clean energy.
b Green energy is produced beneath you.
c You can watch skiers from your table. (
b
)
5 Why is CopenHill an excellent use of urban space?
a Because producing energy is the most important use of urban space.
b Because Copenhagen needs better sports facilities.
c Because it offers different uses in the same space. (
c
)
