The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California is one of the world’s most beautiful bridges．It is also one of the most visited places in the world．More than 1800 hundred million vehicles have used the bridge since it opened more than 70 years ago．
The bridge was painted “International Orange” because that color went well with the natural surroundings．The color also is easier to see in the heavy fog that often covers the area．But the Golden Gate Bridge was not named for its orange color．It was named for the body of water that it crosses,the Golden Gate Strait,which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean．
Planning for the bridge began in the 1920s when the area around San Francisco was growing．People living in the area needed another way to get to the city besides small ferries．Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer for the project．Work began in 1934．Mr．Strauss demanded the strongest safety protections in the history of bridge building．These included the first use of”hard hats”to protect the workers’ heads and special glasses to protect their eyes．A special safety net was suspended under the bridge．This net saved the lives of 19 men during the construction．
The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937．It extends 1280 meters across the water．The total length is 2737 meters．It was the largest suspension bridge(吊桥)in the world until 1964．That is when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in New York City．Today, the Golden Gate Bridge is the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world．
29．What was the Golden Gate Bridge named after?
A．The Strait it crosses B．The color of paint
C．The local climate D．Its natural surroundings
30．How did people cross the Golden Gate Strait before the bridge was built?
A．By plane． B．By train． C．By road． D．By boat．
31．Why was a special safety net suspended under the bridge?
A．Because it can protect the environment,
B．Because it can prevent workers from falling．
C．Because it can make construction easier．
D．Because it can save building materials from falling．
32．What do we know about Joseph Strauss?
A．He built the first suspension bridge in the world.
B．His safety measures were not of practical value．
C．He attached importance to the workers’ safety．
D．He demanded strong measures to ensure the safety of the bridge．