2 . 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 . 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.

6 . How to Travel with Your Friends Without Hating Them

The only thing better than a vacation with friends is a well-planned vacation with friends.     1     Choose your friends, destination and activities wisely and your group will enjoy a fun and memorable holiday-and start getting ready to plan the next one.

Not sure how to plan a trip with friends?

Choose friends you get along well with. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your travel companions, so think of people who have similar general travel habits and are flexible and relaxed.     2     Also consider how much you’ll be willing to compromise.

Decide on a date. Ask your friends when they can take time off from school or work.     3     The larger your group is, the harder it will be to find a time that works for all of you. Be patient and flexible and make a deal when you can.

Discuss a budget early on. Ask your friends to be open about how much you’re each willing to pay for the trip between travel, accommodation, food and entertainment costs.     4     For example, you could say, “I know it’s awkward, bat we should talk about a budget before we start planning everything.”

Pick a destination wisely. A key step in planning a fun trip with friends is picking the perfect destination. Big cities are an excellent pick, as there will likely be activities to suit everyone’s interests.     5     Consider the activities you want to do, sites you want to see and the amount of time you have to travel, as these factors will decide your destination.

7 . Traveling with family members can not only enhance the parent-child relationship, but also broaden the horizons and share happiness and memories. Take a trip with your family to one of the destinations below!

Yellowstone National Park

Kids will love watching Old Faithful, one of nearly 500 geysers (间歇喷泉) in Yellowstone, erupt, and there’s nothing like a hike for family bonding. Keep an eye out for wild animals, or visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center to guarantee some animal interactions. Hotels are expensive, so consider taking advantage of the park’s well-equipped campsites.

Orlando

Appealing, thrilling and fun, Walt Disney World Resort (度假村) is engineered specifically for families. Orlando also has a handful of other theme parks, including Universal Orlando Resort, where you’ll find The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Discovery Cove, an all-inclusive day resort, where you can swim and dive around the park’s coral reef.

Destin

Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park(open seasonally)features waterslides and a lazy river, while the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is home to animals kids love, including dolphins and penguins. And if you’re looking for an adventure on the water, consider booking a boat tour at Henderson Beach State Park or Crystal Beach Park. Just don’t forget to pack your beach hat.

Anaheim

Anaheim, California has been home to Disneyland Resort since 1955. After catching up with Mickey and friends, visit Anaheim’s Adventure City Amusement Park or Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park—another top amusement park in the U.S. And if you’ re in town during baseball season, you can catch a game at Angel Stadium.

8 . Scientists train AI to read human thoughts

Scientists have created a new tool that can turn people’s thoughts into words. It works by using an AI program called GPT-1 to translate brain activity words. In order to achieve this, scientists did a lot.

First, scientists got everything ready before the tests. They invited some volunteers. Each spent sixteen hours listening to stories in a scanner (扫描仪). They imagined the stories as they heard them, and the scanner recorded their brain activity. GPT-1 made connections between the ideas in the stories and the recordings of the listeners’ brain activity.

Then came the tests. The scientists did them in three different ways.

Test 1

The researchers played a new story. GPT-1 was only given recordings of the volunteers’ brain activity. But the words that GPT-1 predicted were very similar to the words in the story that they were listening to. The words weren’t exactly the same, but they often carried the same meaning. For example, when a volunteer was listening to a story about a woman who didn’t have a driver’s license, the program came up with this: “She hasn’t even started to learn to drive yet.”

Test 2

The scientists also carried out the test when volunteers imagined their own stories. “It really works at the level of ideas. The ideas are the same but expressed in different words,” says Alexander Huth, one of the scientists behind the study.

Test 3

The researchers showed the volunteers silent movies, with no spoken words at all. GPT-1 could still figure out the basic ideas.

After the tests, the scientists say that GPT-1 is the first AI program to turn what people are thinking into words without brain surgery (外科手术). The tool isn’t something that can be easily used today, mainly because of the size and the cost of the scanner. In the future, they believe, a similar but cheaper tool could help people who have lost the ability to speak because of an injury or disease.

The scientists say their tool can’t be used to “read people’s minds” without permission. The tool only works if the person wants to share their thoughts.

10 . Thru hiking (徒步旅行) for long distances with your equipment on your back ________ placing yourself at the mercy of other people’s kindness. I thought it would be ________ to share some of the amazing experiences I’ve had regarding kindness of ________. Experiencing people’s kindness has left me inspired.

The first kindness is the Trail Angels who ________ their doors to hikers for support. They ________ rides to town for food or equipment and then provide essentials like showers, laundry and ship packages. They are people who ________ care for those who are away from home and need help.

Trail Magic can ________ at any time or place. The day I was climbing Mt. Baden Powell, there were two Japanese ladies sitting on the hillside resting. As I ________, they began clapping, stopped me, asked me about the trip, shared me some fruit and one woman bowed low and said, “I respect you.” Wow! What ________ words to hear!

One Saturday morning in the San Gabriel mountains, as we crossed a highway, trail runners in their vehicle pulled over to ________ us fruit. An hour down the trail, day hikers stopped and asked about our trip, opened their packs of ________ and asked, “What would you like to eat.” A few miles further we ________ Glennwood Cabin (格伦伍德小屋) and were fed pizza and drinks. At 9: 00 a. m. we were all pumped up and talking about this ________ day of kindness.

Now I am preparing for the next section hike to the Mojave desert. Thank you God for those who show a ________ heart and express the spirit of ________.