用英语学英语口语训练：a sponge city 海绵城市
广西南宁有个著名的“那考湿地公园”，里面出现了“海绵城市”这个名词概念。去考过了以后，我就在想一个问题：What is a sponge city? 什么是海绵城市啊？
然而，我又不想直接查中文百度“海绵城市”，用中文来“涨知识”。
将来有机会跟人讨论sponge city时，我还想能直接用英语讨论sponge city的“微话题”。
那么，我们就用英语来回答，既学习英语，使用英语，又用英语“涨知识”吧！
我也知道，直接用英语理解和记忆积累a sponge city一定是有比直接说中文“海绵城市”更大的困难的，但是，为了提高自己的英语能力和口语能力，我不能用中文“偷懒”的。
那我们就直接用英语“涨知识”，又“使用英语”吧。
1) URead 体验英语：
Basically, ‘sponge city’ is a phrase that was invented in China,” says Austin Williams, an urban studies professor at Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou. “Nobody used this phrase until Xi Jinping announced it.”
China's sponge cities: soaking up water to reduce flood risks
China bets on 'sponge cities' to cope with flooding and drought
Unlike most infrastructures in China, the plaza here in Shenzhen has no drains. When rain falls lightly, the water either filters down to the underground through permeable pavements or is soaked up by gardens designed to catch rain. Almost no rainwater flows into street gutters around this plaza. During a period when many big cities -- most recently Houston -- are experiencing extreme rainfall and major flooding, the innovations show in a small way the kinds of preparations that may be needed.
Sponge City: Solutions for China’s Thirsty and Flooded Cities
Flooding is just one of the major water management issues facing China’s urban areas. More than half of China’s cities are considered water scarce. If these water challenges are unresolved, they could have significant economic and security implications for China.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to China’s urban water issues, a new nationwide initiative—the “sponge city” program—offers a flexible solution for both water-scarce and water-logged cities.
这段英语虽然读起来有点长有点难有点“专业”，但还是要强迫自己从里面的阅读后，能用英语形成讨论sponge city的一个“微话题”(至少用英语能“侃侃而谈”上五六句话)。
2) UTalk 自己跟自己说英语，使用英语，形成“微话题”：
1. 读到Basically, ‘sponge city’ is a phrase that was invented in China,” says Austin Williams, an urban studies professor at Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou. “Nobody used this phrase until Xi Jinping announced it.”时，自己跟自己说英语：
Well you know ,China was the first country,not the USA,not Japan, or any other countries, to use the concept of a sponge city.
China was the first one to say a sponge city.
And China's President Xi Jinping was the first person to say a sponge city in China,and the world, too.
说这样的英语，记这样的英语不难吧？还需要中文“辅助”？
2. 读到China's sponge cities: soaking up water to reduce flood risks以及China bets on 'sponge cities' to cope with flooding and drought时，使用英语：
Well a sponge city is about water management, to be more exact, about rainwater management in a city.
When there is too much (rain)water,that is, flooding, a sponge city can soak up(take in) the rainwater to reduce chances of being flooded in the city.
And when there is not enough rainwater, that is, a drought, a sponge city can provide enough rainwater for it.
So the city is just like a sponge, storing water and giving water at the same time.
Unlike most infrastructures in China, the plaza here in Shenzhen has no drains. When rain falls lightly, the water either filters down to the underground through permeable pavements or is soaked up by gardens designed to catch rain. Almost no rainwater flows into street gutters around this plaza. During a period when many big cities -- most recently Houston -- are experiencing extreme rainfall and major flooding, the innovations show in a small way the kinds of preparations that may be needed.
3. 读到Sponge City: Solutions for China’s Thirsty and Flooded Cities时，我们从中有了很好的“说英语”的词汇了：
Well a sponge city is a solution(=an answer) to thirsty(drought) city and a flooded city.
关于sponge city，能用英语记，用英语说这么多英语，做个五六句话的“微话题”，已经可以给自己打满分了，比你只会说英语的sponge city的一个中文单词“海绵城市”已经强千百倍。
欧，对了，我们甚至可以说：A sponge city is a wetland啊！
Why not?
