Recently Kuala Lumper beat Chicago in a battle of skyscrapers when experts had the country's Petronas Twin Towers measured and declared it the world's tallest building. The title was formerly held by Chicago's 110-story Sears Tower. Its status had been left unchallenged for 22 years.
Buildings in the United States have held the title since 1913, but the need for space has created a skyscraper boom in Asia. According to one building expert, "the ball has started rolling in Asia." However, some experts think that building super-tall skyscrapers is not a matter of economics but ego. Every architect wants to have the honor of having the tallest building in the world. When the planned 1509-foot Shanghai World Financial Center is finished in a couple of years, it will be China's turn to have that honor.

high 固定高度  tall 不断增高  习惯用法         The man is not tall, but he is high in status.
beat = defeat 击败
I try to measure(live) up to my teacher's expectations of me. 符合达到期望    expectations 用复数
or: meet your parents'expectations
on the fifth floor       a fifty-story building         storey(英)
construction    ego = pride    is a matter of ego 面子问题
It's Peter's turn to treat me to dinner finally.    treat sb to sth