1. Which buildings are public buildings?

Off the top of my head, public buildings include libraries, schools, hospitals, and police stations. They’re basically any kind of building that the government pays for through people’s taxes. And the other key thing is that they’re all open to the public. Public buildings are super important to keeping society up and running213. I honestly don’t know where we’d be if we didn’t have access to these kinds of buildings.

2. Do people prefer to live in a new house or an old house?

I guess people prefer living in a new house. Don’t get me wrong214, old houses are great. They have such an amazing atmosphere and they carry a lot of history. But I think people like new houses better because they have up-to-date technology and facilities. For instance, a lot of old houses don’t have air conditioning built in. That would be a challenge to live in during the warm seasons.

3. Do you think museums should be free?

Yeah, I definitely think museums should be free. The main reason is that museums display our culture and preserve our history. Since those things are public matters, they should be open to the public. They should be accessible for everyone. That’s easy to do when the admission is free. Otherwise, people might not be able to visit museums and enjoy the knowledge they carry. That would be a crying shame215.

4. Should government build new public facilities or keep maintaining the old ones?

To be honest, I suppose that the government should strike a balance between216 those two things. On the one hand, having new public facilities can draw in217 more visitors and bring great convenience to local residents. But on the other hand, maintaining the old ones is a good way to save on resources and public funds. So I think that the government should find a way to incorporate both of those approaches. That’s the best way to use their resources.

5. Which is more important to a public building: exterior design, location, or the facility itself?

It seems to me that the facility itself is probably the most important. I mean, those other factors are definitely essential. After all, the building should be attractive and accessible to as many people as possible. That way, it can be super effective and efficient. But people aren’t going to like it if the facility itself isn’t strong. For example, no matter how beautifully a subway station is built, people can’t use it properly if it’s often closed for repair. The function of the building should be prioritized the most. Everything else hinges on it218.

213 keeping society up and running：让社会正常运行
214 Don’t get me wrong:别误解我的意思
215 That would be a crying shame:太不像话了，很可惜很遗憾
216 strike a balance between:在…之间达到平衡
217 draw in:吸引
218 hinges on it:取决于，依赖于…