Coit Tower
Coit Tower provides 360 degree views of San Francisco and the bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge. The most fantastic views can be seen from the observation deck, which is reached by an elevator. It costs $7 to get on the elevator. It is 4.9 miles from Coit Tower to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Crissy Field
Crissy Field, a former army airport located south of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio, was rebuilt in 2001 and offers wide walking and cycling trails between the Marina Green and Fort Point. It offers wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge, picnic areas and a small sandy beach which is popular with families. Along Crissy Field, visitors can stop for lunch at the Warming Hut, the Beach Hut Cafe or the House of Air. Distance from the Golden Gate Bridge: 2.4 miles from the Marina Green.
Fort Point
For a close view of the bridge, visit Fort Point, which is a Civil War time brick fort that can be entered through the Marine Drive park at Crissy Field. Although Fort Point never had any military (军事的) action, the Golden Gate Bridge's chief engineer, Joseph Strauss, redesigned the bridge to preserve the fort as a "fine example of some kind of art". Distance from the Golden Gate Bridge: 1.2 miles.
Lands End
Lands End near Lincoln Park offers a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors can walk along a paved sidewalk near the 17th hole of the Lincoln Park Municipal Golf Course. Here, there are several benches and photo opportunities to picture the beauty of the bridge. Distance from the Golden Gate Bridge: 3.0 miles.
The Taj Mahal (泰姬陵) is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian architecture (建筑). It is at Agra in northern India. It lies beside the River Jumna in the middle of gardens with quiet pools.
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mogul emperor (皇帝) Shah Jahan, who ruled India in the seventeenth century. It is in memory of his favorite wife, born in Arjumand Banu Begum, known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The building, which was completed between 1632 and 1638, was designed by a local Muslim architect (建筑师), Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The whole building, with gardens and gateway structures, was completed in 1643. The Taj Mahal stands at one end of the garden tomb with marble (大理石) path. The room is softly lighted by the light that passes through double screens of carved marble set high in the walls. The building now is kept in good condition.
It took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan planned a similar building, but in black instead of white, to lie on the other side of the river. But before it could be built, Shah Jahan was imprisoned (监禁) by his son and buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.
Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Sometimes, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership which is good for both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the backs of sheep. This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites (寄生虫) on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so because they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.
Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The relationship develops until the two partners cannot manage without each other. This is so in the corals of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as "dustmen", taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen which the animal needs to breathe. If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from receiving light so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.
George Watford works at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in New York City. He gets some unusual phone calls. One day, he got a call about a mountain lion living in a small building. "We didn't believe it," Watford said. "But when we got there, sure enough, there was a mountain lion sitting at the front window looking out at us." The big cat's owner knew that his neighbors were unhappy about the animal. He didn't try to stop us taking it away.
In one year, the ASPCA took in 9,459 different animals, not counting cats and dogs. That number includes a lot of rabbits and monkeys, but the ASPCA has also taken many other exotic pets from people's homes. These animals can't be set free into the wild because they wouldn't survive. The ASPCA tries to find homes for them in zoos or special areas for animals.
It's against the law to sell wild animals in New York City. Many buildings don't even allow dogs or cats, not to mention more exotic animals. Still, the ASPCA takes away most of the exotic animals not because of complaints, but because the pet's owner needs help. A lovely baby lion or bear will finally grow up to be dangerous. "When they bite, it isn't because they hate you. It's because they're wild animals," said exotic animal expert Kathi Travers.
Travers is quick to give speeches against raising wild animals as pets. Too often people think that caring for a wild animal is the same as caring for a dog or a cat. "To love an animal is not enough," Travers said. "There has to be respect, and respect is not taking an animal, sticking it in a little cage, and expecting the animal to be happy."
Recently some American scientists have given a useful piece of advice to people in industrialized nations. They say people should eat more of the same kind of food eaten by humans living more than 10,000 years ago.
The scientists say that the human life has changed greatly. Our bodies have not been able to deal with these changes in lifestyle and this had led to new kinds of sicknesses. So they are called "diseases of civilization". Many cancers and diseases of the blood system are examples of such diseases.
Scientists noted that people in both the Old Stone Age and the New Stone Age enjoyed very little alcohol or tobacco, probably none. However, a change in food is one of the main differences between life in ancient times and that of today.
Stone Age people hunted wild animals for their meat, which had much less fat than domestic ones. They ate a lot of fresh wild vegetables and fruits. They did not have milk or any other dairy products, and they made very little use of grains. We eat six times more salt than our ancestors. We eat more sugar. We eat twice as much fat but only one third as much protein and much less vitamin C.
But scientists say that we would be much healthier if we eat much the same way the ancient people did, cutting the amount of fatty, salty and sweet food.
A. Stone Age people lived a simple life.
B. These new sicknesses were not known in ancient times.
C. In that case, they would live much healthier.
D. Ancient people also got lots of physical exercise.
E. But today, we enjoy eating a lot of these.
F. People today probably don't want to live like our ancestors.
G. Modern people used to suffer from "diseases of civilization".
In China, the Spring Festival is the most important of all the holidays in the year. Two important things 1 to make this holiday different from all the others: giving presents and spending it 2 the family. Many weeks 3 the Spring Festival, we know it is coming. In the 4 goods for this special holiday appear and outside them are the special New Year decorations. The advertisements 5 all the newspapers tell us that there are "Only five 6 shopping days to Spring Festival". 7 you go, you will realize that.
Spring Festival, which comes "only8 a year”, is coming again. Giving 9 to one's family is a very sweet custom. The spirit behind the present matters most, not the present 10. It is good at Spring Festival to 11 to the hometown and meet parents, grandparents and as many aunts, uncles and cousins as possible.
In the past, 12 New Year's Eve, all the members of a family 13 stay at home making dumplings together. 14 many people enjoy watching TV. During the day, children wear their new clothes. The evening is usually spent in games, talking, more eating and 15.
It's not often (sun) in Paris, people still love to walk along the banks of the Seine (塞纳河畔). They love the view of the city's old buildings, especially Notre Dame Cathedral (巴黎圣母院) and the world famous Eiffel Tower, have become the iconic (象征性的) symbol of Paris for hundreds of years . (fortunate), that view has been forever changed. On April 16, 2019, a fire (destroy) the spire of the 850 year old cathedral, and two thirds of the roof. The fire shocked Parisians. Citizens gathered around the giant church, singing hymns (圣诗) and (pray) for the hundreds of firefighters who fought the flames.
The church is not only a historical treasure, but also home to many religious (sculpture). Despite (it) long history and many treasures, at first the cathedral needed the help of a writer (become) world famous. It is Victor Hugo's novel, the Notre Dame de Paris ， reminds people to protect the beautiful old buildings. We hope the historical building can be reconstructed soon.
