7.2

Page 101. Listening and speaking.

3. Listen to a radio program about the wonders of the ancient world, and fill in the blanks.

Today we are going to talk about the ancient wonders that still exist today, and that weren't on Herodotus' list.

Mr. Hopkins is our guest, and he will give us some information about them.

Welcome, Mr. Hopkins. First of all, why weren't some of the wonders on Herodotus' list?

Herodotus did not know about these wonders, so he couldn't put them on the list.

He didn't know much about Asia, so he couldn't mention the Great Wall of China.

Also, Chinese people began to build the wall more than 2 ,000 years ago.

Herodotus' list is much older.

Why did they build such a huge wall?

They built it to keep the invaders away.

How long is the wall?

It's about 6 ,700 kilometers across northern China.

Gosh, it's very big!

Yes, it is. The Great Wall of China is one of the largest building projects ever attempted.

Moreover, it's such a large man -made object that some say you can see it from space.

What is the next wonder?

Another famous ancient structure is the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

When did they build it?

It was built almost 2 ,000 years ago.

What did they use it for?

They used it as a sports center, and this ancient Roman sports center could hold 50 ,000 people.

What's special about it?

Experts say it is one of the finest examples of Roman design and engineering.