Practice: read the text «Sculptures under the sea», speak about its main points and think about any sculpture in the world which you admire.

Tourist diving or snorkeling off the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula near Cancun, Mexico might not believe their eyes. That’s because there are amazing sculptures of men, women and children up to 8 meters below the waves.

Sea creatures will soon share the bottom of Mexico’s Caribbean Sea with the world’s largest underwater sculpture park! Eventually, there will be 400 life-size sculptures including people holding hands in a circle, cyclists, office workers and pets. The sculptor, Jason De Caries Taylor, casts his statues from local people, so divers might even see someone they recognize.

Jason hopes that his sculptures will encourage people to think about the environment. Pollution and hundreds of thousands of visitors per year are damaging Mexico’s coral reefs. Jason wants people to swim to the underwater sculpture park instead of the damaged reefs. He creates the statues from cement that attracts sea creatures and encourages coral to grow on them.

So if you ever visit Cancun, why not put on your flippers, snorkel, and swim out to this amazing park? In time, you probably won’t be able to see the sculptures, but you will see the stunning new coral reef!

 

 

                                                    ARCHITECTURE

Warming up: r ead the text and describe the plan of the church and its interior.

HAGIA SOPHIA OR THE CHURCH OF HOLY WISDOM

Though Justinian's domed basilicas are the models from which Byzan­tine architecture developed, Hagia Sophia remained unique, and no attempt was thereafter made by Byzantine builders to emulate it. In plan it is al­most square, but looked at from within, it appears to be rectangular, for there is a great semidome at east and west above that prolongs the effect of the roof, while on the ground there are three aisles, separated by columns with galleries above. At either end, however, great piers rise up through the galleries to support the dome. Above the galleries are curtain walls (non-load-bearing exterior walls) at either side, pierced by windows, and there are more windows at the base of the dome. The columns are of finest mar­ble, selected for their colour and variety, while the lower parts of the walls are covered with marble slabs. Like the elaborately carved cornices and capitals, these survive, but the rest of the original decoration, including most of the mosaics that adorned the upper parts of the walls and the roof, have perished.

Vocabulary

attempt — попытка

to emulate — стремиться превзойти

aisle — боковой неф храма

pier — устой, столб, контрфорс

non-load-bearing — не несущие нагрузку

to pierce — пронзать

slab — плита

to perish — погибать

2/Vocabulary: find all the hidden words in this word search? Words can go in the following directions:

                 Building, Construction, Housing Jobs Word search

 

 

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BUILDER	ROOFER	ENGINEER
URBAN	FOREMAN	CONTRACTOR
DESIGNER	PAINTER	PLASTERER
SITE	ELECTRICIAN	CARPENTER
PLANNER	INTERIOR	CIVIL
PLUMBER	ARCHITECT	LANDSCAPER

3/Video: Watch the video http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_hammond_building_a_park_in_the_sky.html

1) Watch the video and answer the following questions:

a) What is the High Line like today? What it used to be in the past?

b) How many people got interested in the project?

c) What inspired Robert to start the project?

d) What makes the High Line so special?

2) Watch the video again and mark the following statements TRUE or FALSE:

A. The High Line was built on the outskirts of New York and was safe for people.

B. Robert started this project as a volunteer.

C. Robert and his friend were inspired by a landscape from the High Line.

D. So far the project cost $50 million.

E. The High Line is covered in advertising billboards.

F. Robert was frightened that people would dislike his project.

G. People usually have business lunches in the High Line park.

H. The project showed how it is possible to change the way people feel in their city.

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