英語時間｜Why do some houses have a sloping roof?【612期】
發佈時間：00:00 2022-02-24
Western houses usually have a triangular roof covered with shingles. They are slanted and held against one another at a central ridge. This is because of the heavy rain and snow that often occurs in the West. Snow is heavy. If it builds up on the roof, it will add weight and cause the roof to collapse. It is important to get rid of this heavy weight quickly.
A roof that slopes also allows rainwater and snow to slide off once it hits the roof. If the roof is level, water and snow cannot slide off. It will collect on the roof, which could then break under the weight.
How steep should the roof be?
In an area where rain and snow is heavy and frequent, houses should have steeper roofs. In areas where rain and snow is uncommon, houses can have a roof that is flatter. For example, snow is unlikely to fall in Hong Kong, so almost all houses here have a flatter roof.
Vocabulary
shingle (n) 屋頂板
slant (v) 使傾斜
collapse (v) 倒塌
get rid of (v phr) 去掉
slope (v) 傾斜
level (adj) 平的
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