新概念英语第三册 Lesson 17 The longest suspension bridge in the world 讲义

Lesson 17The longest suspension bridge in the world Part 1: Text Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.' Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal, for on November 21st, 1964, the greatest bridge in the world was named after him. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island. It has a span of 4260 feet. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer. Two great towers support four huge cables. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea. These alone took sixteen months to build. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'. Part 2: New words and expressions 1.suspension [s s'pen n] n.悬，吊 2.agreeable [ 'gri bl] a.宜人的 3.situation ['sitju'ei n] n.地点，地方 4.locate [l u'keit] v.位于 5.immortal [i'm :tl] a.永生的，流芳百世的 6.Brooklyn ['bruklin] n.布鲁克林 7.Staten n.斯塔顿(岛) 8.span [sp n] n.跨度 9.cable ['keibl] n.缆索 10.concrete ['k nkri:t] n.混凝土 11.suspend [s s'pend] v.悬挂 12.length [le θ] n.根，段; 长度 13.estimate ['estimit, 'estimeit] v.估计 14.capacity [k 'p siti] n.承受量，容量 15.immensity [i'mensiti] n.巨大 16.elegant ['elig nt] a.优美别致的 17.faintly ['feintli] ad.微细地 ★suspension [s s'pen n] n.悬，吊 suspension bridge 悬桥 spring suspension 弹簧悬置 ★agreeable [ 'gri bl] a.宜人的 1.agreeable person 易相处的人 2.be agreeable to do sth 乐意做某事 I am agreeable to do what you suggest. 我乐意照你的建议去做。 ★situation ['sitju'ei n] n.地点，地方 in this situation 在这种场合,关于这一点 in the present situation 在目前形势下 例：The economic situation is now different. 现在经济形势不同了。 ★locate [l u'keit] v.位于 1.locate in sth The head company decided to locate in Qingdao.总公司设在青岛。 2.locate sth in sth Quickly he located the trouble in the engine and set it right. 他很快找出并排除了发动机的故障。 ★immortal [i'm :tl] a.永生的，流芳百世的 1.adj. 不朽的；永世的 immortal fame 不朽之名 The play contained one immortal line. 剧本中有一句不朽的名言。 2.n. 不朽的人物；神 Shakespeare is one of the immortals. 莎士比亚是不朽的人物之一。 ★span [sp n] n.跨度 1. a span of··· The ... ...