阅读理解
San Francisco is a spectacular city. It is famous for its steep hills, its earthquakes and the prison island of Alcatraz, but its most famous landmark is the Golden Gate Bridge. This is one of the most beautiful
bridges in the world. It has a simple, graceful shape, and is painted in an attractive orange.
Work on the Golden Gate Bridge started in 1933 and continued for the next four years. The total cost of the bridge was US$35 million. At that time, its span of 1,200 meters made the Golden Gate Bridge the
longest suspension(悬浮) bridge in the world. The bridge is 2.7 kilometers long and, at the middle point,
70 meters above the water of San Francisco Bay. The main cables that hold the bridge are one meter in
diameter. The bridge can safely withstand(抵挡) winds of up to 160 kilometers an hour, and it can sway(摇摆) as much as 8 meters in strong winds.
On Thursday, May 27, 1937, 200,000 people walked across the bridge to mark its opening. People
are still allowed to walk across: it takes about half an hour each way. It is worth the effort. As you cross,
you understand the engineering skill that went into the construction of the bridge. You also get wonderful
views of San Francisco and the Bay Area.
The Golden Gate Bridge has been the scene of many events since it was completed. It was shaken by
the earthquake of 1989. Daredevil(喜欢冒险的) pilots have flown their planes under it. Sadly, too, some people have taken their own lives by jumping from the bridge. But throughout its history, the Golden Gate Bridge has been the symbol of San Francisco, like the Temple of Heaven symbolizes Beijing and the
Eiffel Tower symbolizes Paris
1. How many things make San Francisco famous?
A. Two (its history and its present).
B. Three (steep hills, earthquakes, the prison island of Alcatraz).
C. Four (Golden Gate Bridge, steep hills, earthquakes, the prison island of Alcatraz).
D. Five (the orange color of the bridge, the shape of the bridge, steep hills, earthquakes, the prison island
of Alcatraz).
2. The Golden Gate Bridge has been there for ______ years.
A. less than 70
B. more than 70
C. about 15
D. about 50
3. What is TRUE about the bridge?
A. It was greatly damaged by the earthquake in 1989.
B. It can fight back strong winds of up to 180 kilometers an hour.
C. It has caused many deaths since its opening.
D. It is the symbol of the history of San Francisco.
