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America's greatest technological achievement, the Hoover Dam, now has a companion
piece, a bridge held up by the longest arch in the Western Hemisphere(半球).The Mike
O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, connects the US states of Arizona and Nevada,
crosses the vast chasm (峡谷) 890 feet above the Colorado River that is controlled by the dam.
The striking 1,900-foot-long structure will improve traffic in the region and help protect the
dam from being destroyed. It is the seventh highest bridge in the world, behind four in China,one
in Papua New Guinea and one in the US state of Colorado.
"The Hoover Dam is the greatest civil engineering achievement in America's history," said the
bridge project manager Dave Zanatell. "Our goal was not to outdo or outshine it. Our goal was to,
in a respectful way,do something that would be great for our generation and that would stand besides
Hoover Dam in a respectful and quality way that would become a part of Hoover's legacy (遗产)."
Just as the Hoover Dam was built in the heart of the Great Depression (大萧条) and was seen as
an example of the nation's can-do spirit, some hope this project can also provide some uplift.
The bridge is surprising: at 1,050 feet, its support arch holds up a roadway that lies on 300-foot-Iong
concrete pillars (柱子), some of the tallest in the world. It contains 16 million pounds of steel.
The idea of the bridge came into being in the 1960s because the top of the Hoover Dam has been
a narrow two-lane road that is the fastest route from Arizona to Las Vegas and then the Pacific
Northwest and Canada.
Access to the dam from each direction is a dangerously winding route,but massive trucks and
passenger vehicles shared it for decades. During the day,when thousands of tourists travel to the dam
from Las Vegas three times as many accidents as on a normal road will happen.
The bridge has a sidewalk on the side facing the dam. The wall on both sides is 54 inches high,so
walkers can take photos there.
1.Which of the following is true of the Hoover Dam?
A. It was completed recently.
B. It was built during the hard times.
C. It has the longest arch.
D. It's the seventh highest dam in the world.
2.What is one of the purposes of building the bridge?
A. To protect the dam.
B. To save the cultures.
C. To outdo the dam.
D. To develop the tourism.
3.The underlined word "uplift" in Paragraph 4 means"______",
A. lift of the heavy object
B. support in money
C. spiritual encouragement
D. instruction in technology
4.Which of the followings shows the right position of the bridge and dam?
5.The text is mainly about_____.
A. the Hoover Dam
B. American western development
C. a tour along the Colorado River
D a recently built bridge
