Active Skills for Reading 1 (Unit 7: Great Structures)


CHAPTER 2 - Modern Engineering Wonders

Reading Comprehension - Check Your Understanding

A. Choose the best answer for the following questions.

What does the Falkirk Wheel do?


______ is true of the Venice Tide Barrier?


Which of the following is probably NOT a reason the structures were selected?


B. Read the following sentences. Choose whether they are true for the Falkirk Wheel (F), Millau Viaduct (M), Langeled Pipeline (L), Three Gorges Dam (T), or Venice Tide Barrier (V)

This structure.... F/M/L/T/V
helps to control.water.
is built over a river.
provides for people's energy needs.
is the newest engineering wonder.
is the only one of its kind.
is the biggest/highest/longest of its kind.

C. Discuss the following questions with a partner.

  1. What challenges did the engineers have building these structures?

    Answer

    Students should give specific examples of engineering challenges they know about.

  2. What are examples of excellent engineering in your city or town? Why?

    Answer

    Encourage students to brainstorm structures in their area.

⇦ | ⇨ ⟳ ⌂  www.greatengineering.heinle.com/wonders

Modern Engineering wonders

Great Engineering has selected five wonders of 21st century engineering for our Excellence Prize. Now we're asking you to vote for one and tell us why!

Falkirk Wheel (Falkirk, Scotland, 2001)

The Falkirk Wheel is the world's only rotating boat lift. Its steel arms each hold a water-filled tank into which boats can sail. As the wheel rotates, so do the arms, raising and lowering the boats a distance of 25 meters. The wheel is very energy efficient, using about two kilowatt-hours to make a full rotation . That's about the same amount of energy needed to power a microwave for three minutes.

Millau Viaduct (Millau, France, 2005)

15 The 2.46-kilometer-long Millau Viaduct over the River Tam in the south of France is 270 meters high-the highest bridge in the world. It was built in just three years! It is an amazing bridge that adds to the natural beauty of the river valley.

Langeled Pipeline (The North Sea, 2007)

This pipeline1 under the ocean carries natural gas across the 1,200 kilometers of · 20 rocky sea bed from Norway to Britain. It is the longest pipeline of its kind, and it helps supply 20 percent of Britain's gas.

Three Gorges Dam (Yichang, China, 2008)

Three Gorges Dam is the largest dam for electric power in the world. Its 1.6-kilometer-long wall across the Yangtze River rises 183 meters above the valley 25 floor. It can hold back 39 million cubic meters of water.

Venice Tide Barrier (Venice, Italy, estimated 2014)

In 1966, the city of Venice was flooded in two meters of ocean water. To prevent this from happening again, the Italian government is building 78 walls, each about 600 square meters. When the water level of the Adriatic Sea reaches to a dangerous 30 level and threatens to flood the city, the walls will rise to protect it.


1 A pipeline is a long pipe that carries oil, gas, etc. a long distance.


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