The Seven Wonders of the World

Of the seven celebrated creations of the ancient world known as The Seven Wonders of the World only the pyramids have survived.

In the 6th century B.C. Nebuchadnezzar (nebjukad'neza] the king of Babylon, ordered to build beautiful gardens on the roof of his palace. These were the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They rose terrace upon terrace to a height of 64 metres and covered an area of 1, 5 hectares. All sorts of trees and flowers were planted there. Accord­ing to the story, these wonderful gardens were laid out to please a queen who came from a hilly country.

Next comes the statue of Zeus [zju: s], which was made by the famous sculptor Phidias ['fidiasj for the temple in Olympia. Zeus — a gigantic figure, seven times lifesize — was seated on a golden throne decorated with precious stones. The fate of it is unknown.

The temple of Artemis ['a: timis] was erected in Ephesus ['efisis], a city in Asia Minor. According to a legend, in 356 B.C. the temple was set on fire by Herostratus [hi'rostratas], who sought thereby to become famous. Some years later it was rebuilt. The new temple was all of white marble and filled with statues and works of art. Its columns were 20 metres in height, its length was 135 metres and its width 70 metres. It was destroyed by the Goths in the middle of the 3rd century A.D.

One of the Wonders has supplied by a widow's tender thought of her husband. Upon the death of king Mausolos [mas'so: les], who had reigned over a small ancient state in Asia Minor, his queen ordered to erect a beautiful tomb known as the Mausoleum [mo: saliam]. It was 50 metres high and its pyramid-like top was surmounted by gigantic statues of Mausolos and his queen. At the beginning of the 15th century it was destroyed by the Crusaders.

The Colossus of Rhodes [roudz] had a short and inglorious history. A bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios [hi: lias] of about 35 metres in height, it was set up in 260 B.C. at the entrance to the harbour of Rhodes. Sixty years later it was overthrown by an earthquake.

The last of the Wonders was the Pharos ['fearasj — the lighthouse of Alexandria [alig'za; ndria]. It was built late in the third century B.C. on the island of Pharos at the entrance to the harbour of Alexandria. For years the flames on its top guided the ships safely into the harbour of Alexandria. It was destroyed in an earthquake.

All the wonders of the world can be found in a small area in the eastern Mediterranean.

Teacher: Preparing for our trip, you were divided into groups, each of which was tasked to prepare a story about one of the ancient wonders of the world.

 

Task 2.

Give a brief description of the wonders of the world, and illustration.

Group 1 Egyptian Pyramids

Group 2 Hanging Gardens

Group 3 Mausoleum

Group 4 Statue of Zeus

Group 5 the Temple of Artemis

Group 6 Rhodes Colossus

Group 7 Lighthouse of Alexandria

 

Task 3.

What do you know about the Great Pyramid of Giza? Listen to the text. Try to guess and choose the correct variant from the list.

Task 4.

Answer the following questions:

1. Can we call the historical sources of the " Seven Wonders of the World" - architectural and sculptural monuments of the ancient art?

2. Why is cultural heritage an important link between epochs?

3. What creation of the ancient world known as The Seven Wonders of the World survived?

 

Students can answer:

1. All the seven wonders of the world are monuments of the ancient art, we can call them historical sources.

2. Works of art, cultural heritage – an important link between the eras, generations, and people. Art can pass on to future generations not only material but also spiritual values.

3.Of the seven creations of the ancient world known as the “Seven Wonders of the World" only the pyramids have survived.

 

Teacher: It was a very difficult task to create wonders of the world. It took a lot of time and energy. It took a lot of efforts and lives. However, early people managed to do it.

1. How did they manage to do it?

2. What helped them?

3. What could they use for building?

 

Students:

St.1: Early people did not have cranes and lorries.

St.2: Early people had rafts and sledges.

St.3: Early people couldn't use diggers.

St.4: Early people could use ropes.

St.5: Early people didn't have lorries and cranes but they could use camels and horses.

 

II. The New Wonders of the World

Teacher: The Seven Wonders of the World laid the foundation of wonders of human civilization. The story goes on. List of Wonders created by the hands, inspiration and love for man goes on today. I would like to tell you about Borobudur. (Presentation)

Teacher: Preparing for our trip, you were divided into groups were tasked to prepare a story about one of the wonders of the world.

 

Task 1

Recently more than 100mln. people worldwide voted to name the new seven wonders of the world. Many people took part in a global decision. Let's speak about them. Do you know these places?

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,

TAJ MAHAL,

THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM,

THE CITY OF PETRA,

CHRIST THE REDEEMER,

CHICHEN ITZA,

MACHU PICCHU

 

And who can tell us about these places?

 

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is 39.6 metres tall, weighs 700 tons and stands on top of a mountain overlooking the city. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.

Christ the Redeemer was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted by Paul Landowski a French monument sculptor of Polis origin. Construction began in 1921 and ended in 1931.

Why is it a Wonder? The statue's open arms are a symbol of both weIcome and protection, a gigantic statement of love and faith.

 

MACHU PICCHU

Machu Picchu is an Inca city high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. The Spanish conquistadors destroyed other Inca cities, but never found Machu Picchu. It was only discovered in 1911.

Machu Picchu was built more than 500 years ago. It is said that the Inca ruler Pachacuti covered the buildings in the city with gold. About 750 people lived there and used the city for astrological and religious ceremonies.

The most important buildings in the city are the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. Why is it a Wonder? Machu Picchu is a place of magic and mystery: a hidden city in the clouds. And the last evidence of a long-gone empire.

 

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure in the world. It stretches across the mountains and deserts of China for thousands of kilometers and can be seen from space!

The Great Wall is actually a series of walls. The first one was built 2, 000 years ago to protect the northern borders of China from the Mongol invaders. It was then built and rebuilt and extended until the 17th century, making it the longest building job ever!

Millions of people worked on the Great Wall over the centuries. They were not paid for their work and were fed only enough food to keep them alive. Countless workers lost their lives in the process and many of them were buried in the Wall. There is an old Chinese saying: 'Each stone in the wall represents a life lost in the wall's construction. '

No one knows for sure how long the Great Wall of China is, but it's probably about 6, 400 km long. In 2007, researchers set out to measure the Great Wall and to study its route. The project will take four years. Why is it a Wonder? It's the largest man-made monument ever created.

 

TAJ MAHAL

The Taj Mahal at Agra is India's most famous building. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1630 in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died giving birth to their fourteenth child, and her last wish was to be buried in a tomb 'such as the world had never seen before.

20, 000 men worked on the Taj Mahal, creating a beautiful, white marble building which gleamed in the sunlight and was reflected in the waters of the pool. Sadly, Shah Jahan became ill in 1657, and this caused a war between his four sons.

The third son killed his rivals, took the throne and put his father in prison. However, when Shah Jahan died, his son allowed him to be buried at the Taj Mahal with his wife. Why is it a Wonder? The Taj Mahal is not only a beautiful building, but it's also a symbol of one man's undying love.

 

THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM

The Roman Colosseum was built between 70 and 72 AD and was in use for 500 years before it was damaged by an earthquake. It still stands as one of the greatest buildings of ancient Rome.

The name 'Colosseum' came from a colossal statue of Emperor Nero that stood nearby for many years. This open-air theatre and sports arena could seat 50, 000 people who watched gladiator fights, executions and other spectacles. Gladiator The fights were a popular form of entertainment in ancient Rome.

Gladiators were specially trained people - slaves, criminals, prisoners of war - who fought each other (as well as wild animals) to death, while blood-thirsty crowds cheered them on. Why is it a Wonder? The Colosseum is a masterpiece of ancient Roman architecture. Besides, almost every sports stadium today is based on its design.

 

THE CITY OF PETRA

The city of Petra was hidden in the mountains of Jordan for thousands of years when a young Swiss explorer Johan Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1812.

You have probably seen Petra's Alkazneh ('The Treasury') in the last scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's only part of the lost city of Petra, one of the earliest known civilizations in the Middle East.

Temples, tombs, and other buildings in Petra are all carved into the sandstone cliffs. A poet described it as " a rose-red city half as old as time".

Petra fell into ruin in the 7th century and was unknown to Europeans until the 19th century. Why is it a Wonder? Petra is an example of beauty combined with creative engineering.

 

CHICHEN ITZA

The city had pyramid-shaped temples and palaces, large squares, markets, baths and an astronomical observatory. Although all the buildings of Chichen Itza are now a natural stone colour, most were probably painted - some a bright red - and decorated with carvings and murals.

Why is it a Wonder? Chichen Itza is a monument to a civilization which has completely and mysteriously disappeared. The Egyptians were not the only people who built pyramids. The Maya built them too.

Although scientists know little about the Maya (they had no written language), it is believed that the construction of Chichen Itza began around the 7th century and continued for about 200 years.

And who can tell us about these wonders?

 

Task 2. What places are these wonders connected with:

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

TAJ MAHAL

MACHU PICCHU

CHICHEN ITZA

THE CITY OF PETRA

THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

PERU

BRAZIL

INDIA

CHINA

ITALY

MEXICO

JORDAN

Dear students!

Have a look at the photos again.

Can you name these places?

 

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