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World's tallest bridge opens in China
A record-breaking bridge opened to traffic on Sunday in China. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in mountainous Guizhou Province is now the world's tallest bridge. It stands at a lofty height of 625 metres above the Beipan River. The feat of engineering also has the longest span of any bridge that has been constructed in rugged terrain. The bridge is 2,890 metres long, with the main span stretching 1,420 metres. The crossing will have a significant impact on the economy, logistics, and travel times in the region. It will slash the travel time between the two sides of the Beipan River from two hours to just two minutes. A spokesperson said it would revitalize rural areas.
China is displaying an impressive level of prowess in bridge-building. The website highestbridges.com lists the 18 tallest bridges in the world, all of which have been constructed or are under construction in China. The top three are in Guizhou, which also boasts a further 32,000 spans. Nearly half of the 100 highest bridges in the world are located there. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is also full of cutting-edge engineering features in its wind-resistant design and high-altitude construction. The spokesperson expects the bridge will become a sightseeing spot and attract more than a million visitors a year. It has a cafe, a geological museum, and a bungee-jumping centre.
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Talk about these words from the article
record / bridge / mountainous / height / feat / engineering / terrain / travel time / impressive / prowess / construction / cutting edge / high altitude / sightseeing / cafe
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True / False
1) The record-breaking Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is a footbridge. T / F
2) The main support of the bridge is 625 metres tall. T / F
3) The bridge has the longest span of any bridge in the world. T / F
4) The bridge cuts travel time across the river from 2 hours to 2 minutes. T / F
5) The world's 18 tallest bridges are in China. T / F
6) There is a total of 32,000 bridges in China. T / F
7) The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is expected to be a tourist spot. T / F
8) People will be able to bungee jump from the Huajiang Canyon Bridge. T / F
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Discussion
1) What do you think of bridges?
2) What kinds of bridges are there in your country?
3) Should there be bridges across oceans and seas?
4) How great is it that engineers can create amazing bridges?
5) What is the greatest ever feat of engineering?
6) What impact do bridges have on local economies?
7) Would you worry about being on a high bridge?
8) Where would you like to see a bridge built?
