When I was still an architecture student, a teacher told me, "We learn more from buildings that fall down than from buildings that stand up." What he meant was that construction is as much the result of experience as of theory. Although structural design follows established formulas, the actual performance of a building is complicated by the passage of time, the behavior of users, the natural elements--and unnatural events. All are difficult to simulate. Buildings, unlike cars, can’t be crash-tested.
The first important lesson of the World Trade Center collapse is that tall buildings can withstand the impact of a large jetliner. The twin towers were supported by 59 perimeter columns on each side. Although about 30 of these columns, extending from four to six floors, were destroyed in each building by the impact, initially both towers remained standing. Even so, the death toll (代价) was about-2 245 people lost their lives.
I was once asked, how tall
A. architecture is something more out of experience than out of theory
B. architecture depends just as much on experience as on theory
C. it is safer for people to live in old buildings
D. we learn not so much from our failure as from our success
Do It Yourself Magazine organizes a competition every summer to elect the "Handyman of the year". The winner of this year is Mr. Roy Miller, a Sheffield postman. A journalist and a photographer have come to his house. The journalist is interviewing Mr. Miller for an article in the magazine. W: Well, I’m very impressed by all the work you’ve done on your house, Mr. Miller. How long have you been working on it
M: I first became interested in Do-it-Yourself several years ago. You see, my son Paul is disabled. He’s in a wheel-chair and I just had to make alterations to the house. I couldn’t afford to pay workmen to do it. I had to learn to do it myself.
W: Had you had any experience in this kind of work Did you have any practical skills
M: No. I got a few books from the library but they didn’t help very much. So I decided to go to evening classes so that I could learn basic carpentry and electrical wiring.
W: Wha
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