Английский

Вариант 6

Прочитайте текст и выполните послетекстовые задания.

§ 1 Seven Wonders of the World, works of art and architecture regarded by ancient Greek and Roman observers as the most extraordinary structures of antiquity. Only one wonder of the seven, the pyramids of Egypt, still stands today. Several lists of wonders were drawn up during antiquity. The list known today is sometimes ascribed to Antipater of Sidon, a writer of the 2nd century bc and author of a travel book. The wonders in this list were all located near the easte
coast of the Mediterranean Sea and, except the pyramids, were built in the four centuries from about 600 bc. The Seven Wonders are most often listed in the order in which they were built.
§ 2 The Pyramids of Egypt were built on the west bank of the Nile River at Giza during the 4th Dynasty (about 2575 to about 2467 bc). The oldest of the seven wonders, the pyramids are the only one remaining nearly intact today. Their white stone facing was later removed for use as building material in Cairo. The largest of the pyramids is that of King Khufu, which is sometimes known as the Great Pyramid. It covers an area of over 4.8 hectares. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, ten years were required to prepare the site and 100,000 laborers worked thereafter for 20 years to complete the pyramid, which contains the king’s tomb. Some lists include only the Great Pyramid, rather among all the pyramids.
§ 3 The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, perhaps built by King Nebuchadnezzar II about 600 bc, were a mountainlike series of planted terraces. Ancient historians report that Babylon at that time was dazzling in the splendor of its palace and temple buildings, fortification walls, and paved processional ways. The Hanging Gardens consisted of several tiers of platform terraces built upon arches and extending to a great height. Accounts of their height range from about 24 m to a less reliable estimate of more than 90 m. Trees and colorful...