Answer — Exercise 5

The Great Pyramid of ancient Egypt

• Built as tomb for the Pharaoh.
• Base 230m² (ten football fields).
• Took 400,000 men 20 years to build.
• Used 2.3 million blocks of stone, some weighed 50 tonnes.

The Eiffel Tower

• Built 1889 - 100th anniversary of French Revolution.
• Pure iron structure (influence of Industrial Revolution), very light, can withstand high winds.
• Was tallest tower in world when built; still tallest building in Paris.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

• World's largest, not longest, steel arch bridge.
• Stands 134 m above Sydney harbour.
• Opened 1932.
• Groups of 12 people climb every ten minutes to see views.

The Pentagon

• Largest office building in world, covers 13.8 hectares.
• Takes 15-20 mins to walk around.
• Built in Washington, in five concentric rings, during WW2 to house war department.

The Forbidden City

• Built between 1406-1420, during Ming Dynasty, also called Purple Forbidden City.
• Located in centre of Beijing.
• 720,000 m².
• Home to 24 emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties.
• One of largest palaces in world, many valuable and rare objects in museum.

The Millennium Dome

• Opened Dec 31, 1999 to celebrate new millennium.
• 1km round and 50m high in centre.
• Covers 20 acres. Could fit Eiffel Tower inside.
• Expensive to build and controversial.

Hassan II Mosque

• Built Casablanca, Morocco, for 60th birthday of Moroccan king Hassan II.
• Second largest religious building in world (after Mecca).
• Space for 25,000 worshippers inside, 80,000 outside.
• 210 m minaret (tower) tallest in world.
• Built to withstand earthquakes, has heated floors, electric doors, lasers which shine at night.