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The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China
About 210 bc, Emperor Qin unified the country and ordered these
individual sections to be connected. This took several centuries to
complete. Qin and succeeding emperors used forced labor to build
the wall higher, wider, and longer. Bricks and granite were used to
reinforce old sections and to build new ones. Lookout posts and
battle forts were constructed at intervals along the wall, and soldiers
were stationed along it. The soldiers would light huge bonfires on
the wall to signal danger.
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Famous Places
The Great Wall of China
B. Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner. Then write the answers in complete sentences.
1. Where is the Great Wall of China located and how long is it?
2. How old is the Great Wall?
3. Why was the Wall built? DISCUSS
4. What part did Emperor Qin play in the building of the Great Wall?
5. How did the Great Wall change under the rule of Emperor Qin and his successors? 1. Why has the Great Wall of China
6. What changes occurred during the Ming Dynasty? lost its military importance in
7. What is the importance of the Great Wall today? today’s world?
B. Choose the correct word from the left column above to complete the following sentences.
C. Choose the word(s) with the closest meaning to the underlined words in the following sentences.
ANSWER KEY
Please note: The reading for this topic is also available in full-page format at the end of the lesson (page 4).
PRE-READING QUESTIONS
1 - 4. Individual answers.
5. A World Heritage Site is chosen by the United Nations as a place with outstanding value to humanity. The United
Nations tries to protect and preserve places of cultural heritage and natural importance. There are over 800 such sites
around the world. (& individual answer)
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
A. True or False
1.F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F
B. Written Answers
1. It is located in northern and north-central China. It is about 4,500 miles long.
2. Parts of the wall are over 2,000 years old.
3. The Wall was built to mark boundaries between areas and to protect against invaders.
4. Emperor Quin had individual sections of the wall connected.
5. Under the rule of Emperor Quin and his successors, the old sections of the wall were reinforced, new sections were
built, lookout posts and battle forts were added, and soldiers were placed along the wall.
6. During the Ming Dynasty, the wall became much more elaborate and modern cannons were added.
7. Today the Great Wall is one of the most important tourist attractions in China.
VOCABULARY REVIEW
A. Matching
1. e 2. g 3. i 4. f 5. a 6. j 7. h 8. d 9. c 10. b
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Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.
Famous Places
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is the largest military structure in the world and one of its great wonders. It
runs from east to west across northern and north-central China, winding through hills and mountains for
about 4,500 miles. The United Nations declared it a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Parts of the Great Wall are over 2,000 years old. Rival rulers of small areas built earth and stone walls to
mark their boundaries and as protection from northern invaders. Messengers also traveled along these
walls to take messages from one ruler to another.
About 210 bc, Emperor Qin unified the country and ordered these individual sections to be connected.
This took several centuries to complete. Qin and succeeding emperors used forced labor to build the
wall higher, wider, and longer. Bricks and granite were used to reinforce old sections and to build new
ones. Lookout posts and battle forts were constructed at intervals along the wall, and soldiers were
stationed along it. The soldiers would light huge bonfires on the wall to signal danger.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368ą1644), a major renovation of the Great Wall began, which took 200
years to complete. The wall became much more elaborate in design and modern cannons were added at
strategic positions.
The Great Wall lost its military importance in the modern era and many sections of the wall are in ruins
or have disappeared. However, there is still great interest in the wall and previously undiscovered
sections of it have been found in the last few years.
Today, the Great Wall is one of China’s most important tourist attractions. Each year, hundreds of
thousands of visitors tour a well-preserved section of the wall located about 50 miles from Beijing. Parts
of the wall are being restored, but it is a difficult and expensive process.
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Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.