Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, Sweden, is a transportation hub▼ for the people of this northern country. From here, people begin trips to faraway▼ places, including sandy beaches, humid jungles, and wind-blown deserts. What has made the Arlanda Airport special, however, is that travelers once had a chance to feel their destination's weather before ever setting foot on a plane. It wasn't magic. It was Climate Portal, and it ran for a few months in 2015.
Climate Portal was an installation in the Arlanda Airport that was able to copy the weather as it was occurring anywhere around the world. With a combination of heaters▼, air conditioners, fans, and sprinklers▼, the Climate Portal could make the weather feel like any destination selected by a traveler waiting for his or her flight inside one of three cabins▼. The Climate Portal went a step further by also including a video of the destination. The system was connected to weather stations around the world via the Internet, so it could mimic almost any kind of weather in real time.
So what was the value of Climate Portal? Of course, it was a fun and interesting way to pass the time while waiting for a flight. It was also very practical. Just reading weather data▼ doesn't mean very much. How cold is five degrees Celsius? How dry is that desert? How humid is that rainforest? By letting travelers experience the weather firsthand, they were able to make last minute purchases at airport shops. In the words of Yvonne Boe, communication manager at the Arlanda Airport, "It's also a preview of where you're going. So you know if you need to get that warm sweater or an extra pair of sunglasses before boarding." It must have been fun to start a trip before even stepping on a plane.
1. What was Climate Portal's purpose?
(A) To teach travelers about weather patterns▼.
(B) To let people experience the weather in other locations.
(C) To connect travelers with their families.
(D) To help people who are afraid of flying.
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2. Which of the following systems was NOT included in the Climate Portal?
(A) Video.
(B) Sprinklers.
(C) Air conditioners.
(D) Online chats with local people.
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3. What is true about Climate Portal?
(A) The weather it produced was similar to that of where people were headed.
(B) Travelers could change the weather to be more comfortable.
(C) Videos ran advertisements for airport shops.
(D) It only provided samples of good weather.
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4. What was the practical value of Climate Portal?
(A) Parents used it to teach children about distant places.
(B) Fewer people complained about the wait for flights.
(C) It allowed travelers to make last-minute preparations.
(D) Travelers' bodies adjusted to the weather at their destinations sooner.
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