Empire State Building Opens

Remodeled Observatory
October 19, 2019
6 Intermediate Economy & Business USA & Americas

Exercise 1

Vocabulary
remodel /riːˈmɑːdl/
Verb to change the structure or shape of a room, building, etc.

All that work they put into remodeling the house

resulted in a higher sales price.
We will send you an estimate of the cost to
remodel your kitchen in a week or so.
According to the report, most homeowners spend
around 40,000 dollars to remodel their rooms.

observatory /əbˈzɜːrvətɔːri/
Noun a building or position that offers a wide view of the
surrounding area

The observatory on the 103rd floor of the building

is open to visitors seven days a week.

skyscraper /ˈskaɪˌskreɪpər/ a very tall building

Noun
A 73-story skyscraper is set to be built in London's
financial district.
The view from the top of the tallest skyscraper in
the city is wonderful, especially at night.
There is a tall skyscraper in the city, but it is not
very attractive in my opinion.
There are numerous skyscrapers along the
highway.
unobstructed /ˌʌnəbˈstrʌktɪd/ not blocked by anything
Adjective
Visitors can enjoy an unobstructed view of the
ocean from their rooms.

exhibit /ɪgˈzɪbɪt/
Noun a public display of works of art or other objects

We went to the Picasso exhibit today.

daunting /ˈdɔːntɪŋ/
Adjective causing worry or concern about one's ability to do or
achieve something

Looking for a new job can be a daunting task.

Exercise 2

Article
Empire State Building Opens Remodeled Observatory

The observatory at the top of the Empire State Building has been
remodeled with floor-to-ceiling windows that give a 360-degree view
of New York City.

More than 4 million annual visitors to the 1931 skyscraper — about

60% from abroad — will be given an unobstructed view of the city
through the new windows, which are twice the size of the old ones.

At night, visitors will be able to take a new see-through elevator up to

the 102nd floor. On the way up, they'll be able to see the tower's
lights, which change daily to celebrate different holidays or people.

The Empire State Building now has an extra 10,000 square feet for
exhibits. Visitors can see a moving model of King Kong's hand – the
monster ape that climbed the building before falling to his death in
the 1933 film.
Visitors will still have to pay $58 to get to the observatory, but they
have been promised that there will be shorter lines to get in. Or for
$20 less, they can visit the famous open-air observatory on the 86th
floor, which has also been remodeled.

The entire project — which project manager Robert Krizman

described as daunting — took four years and cost $165 million.

Exercise 3

Questions
1. How many people visit the Empire State Building every year?

2. How much does it cost to visit the observatory on the 86th floor?

3. How much did it cost to remodel the Empire State Building's

observatory?

Exercise 4

Discussion
1. Have you been to New York? If so, did you visit the Empire State
Building? If not, would you like to?

2. What famous buildings do you hope to see someday? Why?

3. What's the tallest building you've ever seen or been in? Please share
your experience.

4. What cities do you think have the best looking skylines? Why?

5. Could you see yourself living in New York City? Why? Why not?
 Exercise 5

Further Discussion
1. Are there many skyscrapers where you live? Please explain your
answer.

2. What buildings or places offer the best views of your town or city?
Please explain your answer.

3. If you could live in any building in your town or city, which would you
choose and why?

4. Do you think you'd enjoy working as an architect? Why? Why not?

5. I cannot look at modern buildings without thinking of historical ones.

– Kevin McCloud. What do you make of this statement?

Source
This lesson is based on an article by the Associated Press.

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