【明報專訊】The development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (粵港澳大灣區) has been unveiled. The Greater Bay Area comprises the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and the nine cities of Guangzhou (廣州), Shenzhen (深圳), Zhuhai (珠海), Foshan (佛山), Huizhou (惠州), Dongguan (東莞), Zhongshan (中山), Jiangmen (江門) and Zhaoqing (肇慶) in Guangdong province. The total area is 56,000 km2 and the total population is around 70 million as of end 2017.

The Greater Bay Area is aimed at promoting economic cooperation between the 11 places. Set to play an important role in the development, Hong Kong is positioned as an international financial, transportation and trade centre under the bay area plan. Hong Kong, together with Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, are named as four key cities of the bay area and core (核心) engines for regional development. It is believed that the bay area will create enormous opportunities for young people to study, work and start their own business.

sources: Ming Pao, www.bayarea.gov.hk

■Quiz

1. Zhuhai is named one of the four key cities of the Greater Bay Area. True / False

2. How large is the Greater Bay Area? _________

3. What is Hong Kong's position under the bay area plan?

Hong Kong is the international ___________, __________ and trade centre.

(Answers on next text)

■English highway﹕Enormous

Enormous means "very big in size". Note that it is not used with "very".

e.g.

(ˇ) Your house is absolutely enormous.

(╳) Your house is very enormous.

■Game

Can you fill in the missing names of the two cities?

Hints: (A) is the capital of Guangdong province

■Glossary

ramble (v) 漫遊

unveil (v) 公布

financial (adj) 金融的

regional (adj) 地區的

[Smarties' Power English 第241期]