1The Golden Gate Bridge is a popular bridge in California. It celebrated its seventy-fifth birthday in 2012. The bridge passes o
ver the Golden Gate Strait, which flows between San Francisco and Marin County, California. It connects the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay. The strait is about three miles long and one mile wide.
2In 1872 a man named Charles Crocker first had the idea to build a bridge over the strait. It was not until 1919 that Michael O'Shaughnessy asked some engineers about the possibility of building the bridge. Joseph Baermann Strauss was an engineer. He said he could build a bridge for $25 to $30 million. Other engineers said that it would cost more than $100 million.
3Strauss gave his first plans to O'Shaughnessy in 1921. The plans showed a new kind of bridge. Strauss said it would cost $17 million to build. Another engineer was worried about the design. Plans for a simpler bridge were created instead. Strauss presented his final plans in August 1930. Construction on the new bridge began on January 5, 1933. There were problems right away. Because of thick fog that August, a steamship crashed into one of the bridge's trestles. In December, the trestle was damaged again in a storm. Another terrible accident happened in February 1937. Ten men lost their lives. "Ten tons of wood fell from the bridge into the safety net below" (35). The Pacific Bridge Company had not listened to the state official's warnings. The officials said the framework was dangerous.
4It took more than four years to build the Golden Gate Bridge. People walked across the finished bridge on Pedestrian Day, May 27, 1937. A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "a necklace of surpassing beauty was placed about the lovely throat of San Francisco yesterday," in his story about Pedestrian Day. Cars crossed the bridge for the first time the next day. Since then, more than one billion cars have used the bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge has received many awards and is recognized as a marvel of construction.
Works Cited:
Chopt, William. The Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco: Lighthouse, 2011
Which BEST summarizes this source? A) The Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular bridge in the world. It has received many awards and is recognized as a marvel of construction.This bridge passes over the Golden Gate Strait, which flows between San Francisco and Marin County, California. It connects the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay. The strait is about three miles long and one mile wide. Eliminate B) The ideas and construction of the Golden Gate Bridge span from 1872 to 1937. The bridge connects San Francisco and Marin County, California. Several proposals and price ranges were submitted. One was accepted in 1933. Problems during construction included delays, accidents, and even deaths. The construction lasted four years. Over the years it has received awards and recognition as an amazing structure. C) The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge is an amazing story. In 1872 a man named Charles Crocker first had the idea to build a bridge over the strait. It was not until 1919 that Michael O'Shaughnessy asked some engineers about the possibility of building the bridge. Joseph Baermann Strauss was an engineer. He said he could build a bridge for $25 to $30 million. Other engineers said that it would cost more than $100 million. D) It is no surprise that it took more than four years to build the Golden Gate Bridge. This bridge connects the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay. At first, people walked across the bridge on Pedestrian Day, May 27, 1937. The next day, cars crossed the bridge for the first time. Since then, more than one billion cars have used the bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge has received many awards and is recognized as a marvel of construction.
