Reading Comprehension
When we enter New York harbour, the first thing we see is the Statue of Liberty. What impresses us the most is its size and magnificence. Have you ever wondered how it came to be there? The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to mark the one hundred year anniversary of American Independence. In 1869, sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi began to plan his concept for the monument.
Bartholdi chose the look of classic Greek and Roman figures. He envisioned Liberty as a strong and proud figure, one who personified not only the majestic Greek Goddesses of the past, but also the working men and women of the present. Finally, in 1884, the work was finished, and Liberty was packed into 214 crates and sent to New York city. Only one problem stood in the way. While the French had raised a lot of funds to build the statue, New York had not secured the funds to build its foundation. A New York newspaper implored people for donations that money became available. Finally, on 28th October 1886, Americans celebrated the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty.
Answer the following Questions:
- Why was the Statue of Liberty given as a gift to America by France?
- What is the name of the sculptor of the monument ‘the Statue of Liberty’?
- What did the sculptor imagine the Statue of Liberty to be?
- How many years did it take to unveil the Statue of liberty?
- Trace the word from the passage which means the same as ‘imagined’.
Answer
- The Statue of Liberty was given as a gift to America by France to mark the one hundred year anniversary of American Independence.
- Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
- The sculptor imagined the Statue of Liberty as the majestic Greek Goddesses of the past and also as the working men and women of the present.
- It took about two years to unveil the Statue of Liberty.
- Envisioned.