1. The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in New North Wales, Australia.
2. Jørn Utzon's competition-winning design was offered in 1957.
3. The building covers 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres) of land and is 183 m (600 ft) wide and 120 m (394 ft) long at its longest point.
4. The shells are covered in a subtle chevron pattern with 1,056,006 glossy white- and matte-cream-coloured Swedish-made tiles.
5. Significant interior surface treatments include off-form concrete, Australian white birch plywood supplied from Wauchope in northern New South Wales, and brush box glulam.
6. The largest venues of the Opera House (the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse, and The Studio) are within the podium, beneath the Concert Hall.
V. Translate the following sentences into Russian using the Passive Voice:
1. .
2. , 1973 .
3. 588 .
4. .
5. .
VI. Translate the following words and word combinations:
A)
multi-venue
gestation
monumental podium
chevron pattern
paper-mill industry
foyer spaces
aggregate
substantial
B)
VII. Find in the text the words these definitions belong to:
a) a person who designs buildings and in many cases also supervises their construction;
b) a building material made from a mixture of broken stone or gravel, sand, cement, and water, which can be spread or poured into moulds and forms a stone-like mass on hardening;
c) a straight line from the center to the circumference of a circle or sphere;
d) a metric unit of square measure, equal to 10,000 square meters;
e) an organization that continually produces a great quantity of something specified;
f) a type of pottery that is impermeable and partly vitrified but opaque;
g) a type of strong thin wooden board consisting of two or more layers glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain alternating.
VIII. What are these place names connected with in the text:
New South Wales, Australia, Höganäs, Tarana, Wauchope.
IX. Formulate the main idea of each paragraph of the text briefly.
X. Retell the text.
The Louvre Pyramid
The Louvre Pyramid is one of the most distinctive features of the Parisian landscape. Serving as the grand entrance of one of the world's finest museums, the pyramid was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei. Opened in 1989 at the bicentenary of the French Revolution, the Pyramid at the Louvre has become a symbol of the museum and of modern Paris.
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The scale of the Louvre Pyramid is quite impressive. At the base, the pyramid of glass and steel is nearly 100 feet wide; the massive structure soars 72 feet, towering above the visitor promenade. 70 triangle-shaped and 603 diamond-shaped panes of glass were specially designed to let in the perfect amount of the light to the visitor centre below.
The Pyramid at the Louvre can be seen from the outside plaza and from below. The spacious lobby beneath is called the Hall Napoléon, serving as a visitor centre and an entry point into the massive museum home to Leonardo da Vinci masterpieces and so much more. Escalators lead to public galleries and a spiral staircase descends from the Cour Napoléon, the central courtyard.
Leaving behind the Louvre Pyramid and heading into the museum, one'll find some of the world's greatest collections of art and cultural landmarks. The largest French national museum, which has been open since the 1790s, welcomes millions of visitors every year. So when you're standing in front of the Winged Victory statue, admiring the scope of the Islamic art collection, or embarking on a thematic tour, you'll find something to set your heart soaring. Heading back outside, a visitor'll have the chance to wander through lovely gardens and an open-air statue gallery, just a short stroll from the Louvre Pyramid.
The history of the Louvre Pyramid begins in the early 1980s when French President François Mitterrand commissioned the new addition to the historic museum. From the beginning, the plans stirred up controversy; many were concerned about a modern structure added to a building begun in the twelfth century. Even with this chapter in the history of the Louvre Pyramid, it's become one of the most visited landmarks in the entire world along with other treasures such as the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Egyptian antiquities, and decorative objects once owned by French royalty.
There is a counterpart to the Pyramid at the Louvre La Pyramide Inversée, opened in 1993. The inverted skylight towers over the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall next to the Hall Napoléon. Below the glass pyramid, visitors'll find dozens of shops, cafes, and open spaces. It's a fine place to enjoy the views and the special displays. Every November, the exhibit space serves as one of the galleries for Paris Photo exhibition.
Active vocabulary:
landscape -
bicentenary -
scale -
to soar -
panes of glass -
lobby -
masterpiece -
to descend -
scope -
to embark on -
controversy -
landmark -
antiquities - ,
royalty -
skylight -
EXERCISES
I. Answer the following questions:
1. What does the Louvre Pyramid serve as?
2. Whom was the pyramid designed by?
3. When was the pyramid opened?
4. What is the Louvre Pyramid made of?
5. What is the height of the pyramid?
6. How many triangle-shaped and diamond-shaped panes of glass does the pyramid consist of?
7. What is called the Hall Napoléon?
8. Whom was the Louvre Pyramid commissioned by?
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9. What is La Pyramide Inversée?
II. Find in the text the synonyms for the following words:
peculiarity, size, to rise, square, to lead down, to saunter, copy.
III. Fill the gaps in the following sentences:
1. Serving as the grand... of one of the world's finest..., the pyramid was designed by famed... I.M. Pei.
2. Opened in 1989 at the... of the French..., the Pyramid at the Louvre has become a... of the museum and of modern Paris.
3. At the..., the pyramid of... and steel is nearly 100 feet...
4. The spacious... beneath is called the Hall Napoléon,... as a visitor... and an entry point into the massive museum.
5. Escalators lead to public... and a spiral... descends from the Cour Napoléon, the central...
6. The... of the Louvre Pyramid begins in the early 1980s when French President François Mitterrand... the new...to the historic museum.
7. The inverted... towers over the Carrousel du Louvre, an... shopping... next to the Hall Napoléon.
8. Every..., the exhibit... serves as one of the galleries for Paris... exhibition.
