3 . The Golden Gate Bridge is a well-recognized landmark in the United States. It spans (横跨) the Golden Gate Strait — a mile-wide stretch of water that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. It is also one of the tallest.

The idea for a bridge across the strait had been around for many years, because San Francisco suffered from its isolated location. Planning for the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1916, but the design underwent many changes before construction finally started in 1933.

Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer in charge of the bridge project. However, he had little experience with the construction of suspension bridges (吊桥). For this reason, other engineers, architects, and designers made great contributions to the design and construction of the bridge. For example, the bridge owes its art deco (装饰派艺术) style and distinctive orange color to the architects Irving and Gertrude Morrow. Charles Alton Ellis did much of the technical work necessary to build the bridge.

It was not easy to get the project started. Financing had to be found, and there was much opposition to the very idea of a bridge. The US Navy, for example, feared, that a bridge would block ship traffic. The Southern Pacific Railroad, which ran the ferry fleets (轮渡船队), feared competition from the bridge. Many experts did not believe that it would be possible to build such a long bridge under such difficult circumstances. There are strong currents and heavy winds on the bridge site, which made construction dangerous.

The construction of the bridge finally began in 1933. The construction work set new standards for safety — workers were among the first required to wear hard hats, and a safety net saved the lives of nineteen men while the bridge was built. The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, when the bridge was opened to pedestrians (行人). It was opened to cars one year later. The bridge was finished ahead of schedule and cost much less than originally budgeted.

Because the Golden Gate Bridge is the first sight for many people arriving in the United States by ship, it is sometimes called the “Statue of Liberty” for the West Coast.

5 . One of the world’s greenest office buildings will formally open its doors this week. It’s a project of the environmentally progressive Bullitt Foundation. Its ambition is bold: to showcase an entirely self-sustaining office building hoping that others will create similar projects.

The first thing that strikes you about the new Bullitt Center is an emphasis on walking. “In a building this size, any place else in Seattle it would have two elevators. Here, the stairway is obvious and attractive,”says Denis Hayes, CEO of the foundation. He explains there is an elevator, but it’s well-hidden. The staircase encourages exercise and the concept helps cut down on energy use.

This is one of dozens of visionary decisions that went into this building. “It has eyes, ears, a nervous system and a brain and it responds to its environment in a way that seeks to optimize (优化) things,” he says. He points across the street to a mini weather station. It sends data to the building so it can decide what it should do to conserve energy.

“I think it’s fair to say we were all a bit skeptical in the beginning, ”says Chris Rogers, the founder of a firm in cooperation with the foundation. Rogers and the others set out to meet the ambitious goals of the Living Building Challenge, a green building standard set by local architects.

Clearly this building is not for everyone. If you think of it as simply an office building, it was relatively pricey to design and build. But if you view it as a laboratory, an educational center and a bold effort to change how things are built, the calculation changes.

Still, one could wonder, is it possible to build more with similar self-sustaining features at a reasonable cost? If this building isn’t reproducible, then this experiment will have failed, says Rogers. But if it is successful, he’s optimistic others will follow the foundation’s lead. Rogers points out that over the past couple of decades, many builders have been integrating green elements into their buildings.

7 . Some educators are trying to engage(吸引) students’ attention with technology, such as educational videos, computer gaming and AI just to name a few. But using these methods in the classroom can be very challenging. Teachers using these tools often struggle to keep students focusing on the materials, competing with the latest social media, and can feel limited by using them to get some knowledge across. Graphic novels(图画小说) offering visual information married with text provide a means to engage students in the classroom.

Educators have used this method in their teaching. For example, instead of filling out problem sheets, students in a math class were asked to read a mystery called Who Killed Professor X? In this story, all of the suspects(嫌疑人)are famous mathematicians. As they tried to figure out the connections between the suspects, students often forgot that they were doing math focusing instead of finding secret details to solve the problem. Although this is just one experience for these students, it improves their confidence and shows them how math can be fun.

Jason Ho, an assistant professor at Dordt University, uses Max the Demon Vs Entropy of Doom to teach his physics students about a topic. This topic can be particularly difficult for some students because they can’t physically touch something. Ho said graphic novels can create an engaging learning environment, and most of his students now understand the subject by getting clear explanations for some ideas.

Although the Internet offers a lot of math and physics resources, it can be tiring to search through many hours of videos to find the perfect one to get the “aha!” moment in learning. Graphic novels provide a staring point with a wide range of topics. Want to learn about programming? Try the Secret Coders series. Need more female role models in science? Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier could be just what you're looking for.

With all that graphic novels offered, we believe that the right set of graphic novels can inspire future scientists as much as any single person can.

9 . Are you anxious about how to spend your holiday with your kids effectively? Are you at a loss due to not knowing how to stimulate your kids’ interest? Now just satisfy your teens’ desire for the unusual in Bristol with shopping and attractive art.

While it can be tough to persuade some teens to embrace art, you’ll find it easier in Bristol. You won’t have to rack your brains (绞尽脑汁) to encounter the handiwork of the city’s famous one, because there are more than 200-odd street artists in the city where The Wall offers a two-hour tour of the must-see works and Bristol’s 30 years of graffiti history. There are spray-painting workshops too, if your teens want to give it a shot.

If all that graffiti leads to a new-found interest in art, then the next step is Wake The Tiger, a new art experience. Through mysterious creative works, hidden forests and secret passageways, you and your family will enter the magic world. It’s perfect for teen fantasy fans.

Remember Skins? The 00s drama was a hit with teens for its realistic plot, and now a new one is discovering it on Netflix. Much of the show was filmed in Bristol and the Bristol Film Office has put together a map of all of the key locations. Visit Bristol and the Bristol Film Office have also mapped other hit shows, including Sherlock and Doctor Who.

If your teens are keen to develop their vintage (复古的) rock style, take them to Park Street to discover the vintage shops, including Uncle Sam’s Vintage, perfect for everything from American varsity (校队的) jackets to Levi’s jeans, as well as The Vintage Thrift Store, Loot Vintage and Sobeys.

10 . People are always living with technology nowadays. Here comes a smart home, which is controlled by the touch of a button.     1     This acts like a remote control to activate household systems and monitor inside temperatures. If done successfully, a smart home system will be integrated so seamlessly that a household will appear to run itself.

Home automation is designed to introduce efficiency to a home.     2     An efficient smart home uses sensors to prevent over watering of outdoor gardens and control room temperatures, all of which can reduce expenses. In addition to cost savings, home automation often provides a sense of security to homeowners.

Families with children or elderly adults in the home may be reassured by some safeguards in smart home security, like fire alarms that alert the appropriate agencies in the event of a problem. Lighting activation runs on timers, which can be a life saver if an oven is left on when someone leaves the home.     3    

Home automation is not just for safety, however.     4     With a centralized control unit, a person does not have to leave the couch to turn down the blinds or even order groceries, which can be automated.

    5     Such a home becomes dependent on technology for routine tasks. If something goes wrong with the central automation unit, it is not just one appliance at risk as malfunctions can disrupt systems that are vital to running a home. As a result, for all people, a home can become a place of technical faults that repeatedly require repair.