英语文摘:Future cities painted green at Shanghai Expo

SHANGHAI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- What will the future city look like?

A statue hanging in the Pavilion of Future in Shanghai Expo Park describes the development of cities in a parabolic way.

"When the lights come on, the shadow of the statue, which looks like the skyline of New York City, appears on the white screen in front of visitors. And when the lights come from the right side, the shadow on the left screen looks like Shanghai skyline," says pavilion guide Ni Wenhua.

A visitor stands in front of a giant electronic book in the Pavilion of Future at the World Expo Park in Shanghai, east China, on May 1, 2010. Shanghai World Expo park formally opened to public on Saturday. The Pavilion of Future invites visitors to imagine what cities will be like in the future through movies, books and sculptures.

But the skylines come from unexpected materials -- city garbage, including refrigerators, tyres, bicycles, metal parts, and steering wheels.

"The statue is a warning that the development of cities should not be a process of polluting. It should a harmonious process of coexistence between people and the environment," Ni says.