Buildings above me clouds
VIDEO
Big buildings are nothing new. The ancient Egyptians built the Pyramids. The Italians bullt tall towers in the
Middle Ages. The French built huge cathedrals. However, it was difficult to build very tall buildings because
the bricks were not strong enough. Then, in 1852, Elisha Otis invented the elevator and in the 1880s
engineers developed a new building technique using steel. It was now possible to build tall buildings with
strong steel without worrying how to get to the top.
In big cities such as Chicago and New York that needed living space for families, and offices for businesses,
skyscrapers were the perfect solution. Some very brave men worked on these buildings as it was a
dangerous job. Imagine walking along narrow beams hundreds of feet above the ground! For this reason,
Mohawk Indians from Canada and ex-sailors did most of the work as they were not scared of heights. In
fact, the word 'skyscraper' comes from the name sailors gave to the tallest mast on a ship.
In 1885, the world's first skyscraper, a ten-storey office building, opened in Chicago,
Between 1930 and 1931, the Empire State Building grew almost one floor higher every day
The 3,400 men who worked on it finished it in 14 months.
These days, skyscrapers decorate every city skyline, and each year taller and taller bulldings
appear all over the world. At present, the world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa, in the
United Arab Emirates. With over 1,200 stores, this building is a city in itself. Astana, the
capital of Kazakhstan, also has its share of skyscrapers, The Triumph of Astana
is one of the most impressive. It was finished in 2006 and it has 39 floors, with
shops, offices, apartments and a hotel.
Who knows what's next. The sky is the limit!
'1 foot = 30,48 cm
a) 6471 Read the text and answer the questions,
KNOW?
Dire State
is struck by
9 100 times
1 Why couldn't people build really tall buildings in the past?
2 When could people start building skyscrapers?
3 How did the invention of the elevator change the history of buildings?
4 Why did people want to build skyscrapers in cities?
5 Why are tall buildings called 'skyscrapers'?
6 How fast did the Empire State Building grow?
7 What can you find in the Triumph of Astana in Kazakhstan?
So we decided that we'd make it a great day, a holiday for all the family, and do everything we could to make Mother happy. Father decided to take a holiday from his office, so as to help in celebrating the day, and my sister Ann and I stayed home from college classes, and Mary and my brother Will stayed home from High School.
It was our plan to make it a day just like Christmas or any big holiday, and so we decided to decorate the house with flowers. We asked Mother to do it, because she always does it.
The two girls thought it would be a nice thing to dress in our best for such a big occasion, and so they both got new hats. Father had bought silk ties for himself and us boys. We were going to get Mother a new hat too, but it turned out that she liked her old hat better than a new one.
After breakfast we decided that we would hire a motor car and take Mother for a beautiful drive away into the country. But on the very morning of the day we changed the plan a little bit. We all felt that it would be nicer to have a definite purpose. It turned out that Father had just got a new rod the day before, and he said that Mother could use it if she wanted to: in fact, he said it was practically for her, only Mother said she would rather watch him fish than fish herself.
So we got everything arranged for the trip. Mother cut up some sandwiches and packed all up in a basket for us.
When the car came to the door, it turned out that we couldn't all get in. Father said that he could stay at home and work in the garden. The girls said that Mother had only to say the word and they’d gladly stay t home and work.
In the end it was decided that Mother would stay at home and have a lovely restful day round the house. It turned out anyway that Mother didn't care for fishing and also it was just a little bit cold and fresh out-of-doors, though it was lovely and sunny, and Father was afraid that Mother might take cold if she came.
We had the loveliest day. Father and the boys fished, the girls met quite a lot of people. We all had a splendid time.
It was quite late when we got back. We sat down to dinner. It was grand. When it was over all of us wanted to help clear the things up and wash the dishes, only Mother said that she would really much rather do it.
When we all kissed Mother before going to bed, she said it had been the most wonderful day in her life and I think there were tears in her eyes.
Вы когда-нибудь были в цирке?
Yes, I was in the circus about 2 years ago. I remember I really liked looking at the view.
Да, я была в цирке пару лет назад. Я помню, мне очень нравилось смотреть на представление
2. Have you watched circus performance on TV?
Вы смотрели цирковое представление на ТВ?
No, I didn`t look circus show on TV. It seems to me more interesting to watch it live, instead of to look through the screen.
Нет, я не смотрела цирковое представление на тв. Мне кажется интереснее наблюдать его вживую, а не смотреть через экран.
3. Do you enjoy clowns?
Вам нравится клоуны?
I don't like clowns. They seem to me terrible and not funny. Many children are afraid of them.
Мне не нравятся клоуны. Они кажутся мне страшными и совсем не смешными.
Многие дети их боятся.
4. Do you like watching trained animals?
Любите ли вы наблюдать за дрессированными животными?
I like to watch the trained animals. They are funny and amusing. Animals are very cute, and I enjoy watching them perform different tricks.
Мне нравится наблюдать за дрессированными животными. Они смешные и забавные. Животные очень милые, и мне доставляет удовольствие смотреть, как они выполняют разные трюки.