If waking up to a sea breeze and panoramic ocean views is your idea of heaven, you might consider moving to a floating city.

A group of marine biologists, nautical engineers and environmentalists plans on building a floating city, or “seastead” as soon as in 2020. The group has settled on the design and believes semi-independent cities would be the perfect place to try new modes of government and agricultural methods, for example, in a bid to work out how to tackle the world’s problems.

The Seasteading Institute claims that building floating cities is the first step to testing new ideas on how to feed the hungry, cure the sick, clean the atmosphere and enrich the poor, for example. It plans to build floating islands to host aquaculture farms, floating healthcare, medical research islands, and sustainable energy powerhouses. 

The square and pentagon platforms would measure 164 ft (50metres) in length and they would have 164 ft-tall (50 metre) sides to protect buildings and residents. The platforms will be made from reinforced concrete and support three-storey buildings such as apartments, terraces, offices and hotels for up to 100 years, according to the plans. Between 250 and 300 people will call the first floating city home. 

The Institute says their team is now actively engaged in diplomacy with host nations, telling them that hosting an autonomous seastead city in their territorial waters would produce significant economic, social and environmental benefits for their citizens. The Institute claims it will “give people the freedom to choose the government”. If inhabitants disagree with the city’s government, they could float their colony to another city, forcing governments to work to attract citizens.

The first floating city is predicted to cost $167 million (£109 million) but the Institute now needs to raise the cash and find a suitable spot for its idyllic city if it is to be built.

The Institute aims to have tens of millions of residents by 2050 and hopes to have dozens and eventually hundreds of platforms linked together to create an idyllic kingdom. 

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1.The purpose of building a “seastead” is to _______.

A be independent from the control of the government

B try a new type of social system for future life

C experiment the way to solve the world’s problems

D set up a perfect environment for the residents to live in

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章第2段The group ... believes semi-independent cities would be the perfect place... in a bid to work out how to tackle the world’s problems可知，设计建造漂流城市的目的是为了试验解决世界性问题的方法。

2.On floating cities you can find _________.

A aquaculture farms on floating islands

B enough food and medicine for their residents

C islands used as hospitals for the sick people

D islands specially used for providing energy

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章第3段...It plans to build floating islands to host aquaculture farms...可知，漂流城市将建立可漂流的岛屿，并在上面进行水产养殖，故选A。

3.What is the importance of a floating city to a host nation?

A There will be a great change for the environment.

B There will be an economic boom to the economy.

C There will be a social reform to the host nation.

D Its citizens will find a better place to have fun.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据文章第5段... would produce significant economic, social and environmental benefits for their citizens可知，漂流城市进入东道国水域之后，将会给东道国公民们带来很多商机，故选B。

4.What can we infer from the passage？

A The idea of “seastead” will bring a great change to the world.

B The floating city will influence the social system of host nations.

C Residents on the “seastead” have the right to choose social forms.

D The project of the “seastead” hasn’t started for financial problems.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据文章第6段... needs to raise the cash and find a suitable spot for its idyllic city if it is to be built可知，“海上乐园”的建设需要筹集资金，找一个适当的地方进行建筑，由此判断，该项目因为缺乏资金还没有开始。