【英语趣味课堂】旧金山-San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the most well-known cities in America, mainly because the city has great weather, wonderful views, and many famous landmarks². The city is on a peninsula so it is surrounded by water, with the Pacific Ocean on one side and San Francisco Bay on the other.

 

The most famous landmark¹ in San Francisco is probably the Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The bridge was completed in 1937 and is still widely used today. The bridge has an Art Deco design and unique orange color, making it not only practical, but beautiful as well.

 

Another famous landmark with an Art Deco design is Coit Tower, which is 210 feet tall and sits atop Telegraph Hill. The tower was designed to look like a fire hose nozzle in memory to the many brave firemen who battled the Great San Francisco Fire from the 1906 earthquake.

 

In San Francisco, even the prisons are unique. Alcatraz is now probably one of America's most famous prisons. It sits on an island in San Francisco Bay so it offers some of the best views of the city. Alcatraz is no longer in use but open for tourists year round.

 

Unlike the other landmarks that can be seen from afar, Lombard Street is a famous spot that is hard to find. The street sits in a very hilly residential³ area. Originally, the street was designed with many curves to make it safe to travel down. The street is lined on both sides with various bushes, trees, and flowers making it a drive-thru garden.

 

Like other large American cities, San Francisco has many tall buildings, or skyscrapers⁴ as they are commonly called. The most famous of these is the Transamerica Building which is shaped like a pyramid. The building is not the tallest in the city, but it is definitely its most memorable⁵.

 

学习内容：

 

peninsula

 

The city is on a peninsula so it is surrounded by water. 

A 'peninsula' is a long, thin piece of land that is surrounded by water on all sides except the small area where it's connected to the mainland. Notice the following:

 

The people on the peninsula are very different from people on the mainland.

There is a beautiful view from the tip of the peninsula.

suspension bridge

 

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. 

On a 'suspension bridge' the part of the bridge where you drive is hanging by cables from the main bridge posts. Notice the following:

 

The government is building a suspension bridge so people can walk across the river.

Suspension bridges work well in places that have earthquakes.

sits atop, sits on

 

The Colt Tower sits atop Telegraph Hill, and Alcatraz sits on an island in San Francisco Bay. 

We can use 'sits atop' in the same way we use 'sits on top of.' It is used to talk about a location that has an elevation⁶ or something that is located at a high place. If we just say 'sits on' it means that the location is on top of something, but not necessarily at a higher elevation. Notice the following:

 

The whole modern city of Mexico City sits atop the ancient Aztec city.

A big statue sits atop a hill to the west of the city.

nozzle

 

The tower was designed to look like a fire hose nozzle in memory to the firemen who battled the Great San Francisco fire. 

A 'nozzle' is something that is used to spray water. It is usually found at the end of a hose or plastic spray bottle for cleaning supplies. Notice the following:

 

The nozzle on that bottle is broken.

This nozzle has many different settings, so it's great for watering the garden.

year round

 

Alcatraz is no longer in use but is open for tourists year round. 

Something that is open 'year round' doesn't close during a particular season. It is open all the time. Notice the following:

 

Our gym has a beautiful pool for people that like to swim year round.

Most of these players play soccer year round.

skyscrapers

 

San Francisco has many skyscrapers, the most famous of which is the Transamerica Building. 

'Skyscrapers' are very tall buildings that are found in the city. They have many floors and are usually used for offices or apartments. Notice the following:

 

The city looks beautiful at night when all the skyscrapers are lit up.

Saigon has millions of people living there, but there are almost no skyscrapers.

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

3 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

4 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

5 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

6 elevation   

n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高

参考例句：

• The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。
• His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。