Page 12 - English 9 |Activity Book 6

Reading Activity

01 Read the texts and answer the questions.

There are three categories of the 'Wonders of the World'. These are the ancient, natural and new Seven Wonders
th
of the World. Some archaeologists published their list on July 7 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal. There were twenty-
five finalists, and the public from all around the world chose their favourites, with the seven most popular
becoming the new wonders of the world.

1. Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum in Agra, India. It was built between 1631 and
1648. It's one of the world's most beautiful structures, and it's an emblem
of endless love. Shah Jahan built it in memory of his wife. He was extremely
wealthy and promised his dying wife to form the foremost beautiful tomb
known to man. It was built with great marbles which may change colour.
For instance, if it's daylight, it's white. In the morning, it becomes pink, and
on a moonlight night, it's metallic. There's a central hall with acoustics and
eight-side rooms within the mausoleum. Inside the mausoleum are the tombs
of Shah and his wife. An enormous pool in the garden reflects the sweetness of the building, sort of a mirror.

1. What makes Taj Mahal special? _________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did Shah Jahan build Taj Mahal? _________________________________________________________________________________

3. How long did it take to build Taj Mahal?_________________________________________________________________________________
4. How does the marble change its colour?_________________________________________________________________________________

2. Christ the Redeemer
The Brazilian architect and engineer, Heitor da Silva Costa, built Christ the
Redeemer between 1922 and 1931 on Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It is a giant statue, so you can see it from even other cities of Brazil. The French
sculptor Paul Landowski also helped build the statue, and they received donations
from Brazilians. It's 38 metres tall, and its arms stretch 28 metres wide. Through
the years, it suffered a lot of damage from natural disasters and has become one
of the seven wonders as the years passed. It attracts millions of visitors every
year, so it is also an essential point for the economy of Brazil.

1. Who built the Christ the Redeemer? _______________________________________________________________________
2. Why can people see it easily from far away? _______________________________________________________________________

3. How does the Christ the Redeemer affect the Brazilian economy? ___________________________________________________
4. How did they get money to build the statue? ___________________________________________________________________________

3. Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is an archaeological site in the Yucatan state of Mexico. The Mayans
did a lot of rituals there. The Maya people built the city, and it is now one of
Mexico's most popular tourist attractions. Christopher Columbus discovered
it. Chichen Itza means "at the mount of the well Itza". The place was used for
astronomical sciences and calendars.
Interestingly, there are 365 steps up the Castillo pyramid, one for each day of the
year. There wasn't much water in those times, and the Mayans used the water
from one lake in Chichen Itza called the Sacred Cenote. Archaeologists found human bones and gold in the lake.
They believed that ancient people used the lake for religious rituals. They made sacrifices in these rituals.

1. Was it a religious place for Mayans? Why? _______________________________________________________________________
2. What do 365 steps symbolise? _______________________________________________________________________
3. For what purposes did people use this place in the past? ____________________________________________________________

ORTAÖĞRETİM 12 ENGLISH-9
GENEL MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ