by Lars Berry
If you'd lived in Paris between 1889 and 1930, you would have enjoyed the sight of the world's tallest building. La Tour Eiffel
was named after its head
contractor, Gustave Eiffel, and was built to
commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. It remained the world's tallest structure until it was
surpassed by New York City's 319-meter-high Chrysler Building in 1931.
Today's towers built close to the Eiffel's height are most often used for
communication. Television, radio, and cell phone companies
depend on such towers to
transmit their signals. But the Eiffel Tower was built before radio communication was necessary, and even before the radio was invented.
As one of the world's most famous
monuments, the tower has attracted a lot of attention, but not all Parisians welcomed its
construction. The French writer Guy De Maupassant
supposedly hated the structure, but ate at its restaurant every day.
When asked why, he
remarked that it was the only place in the city from which he couldn't see the tower. During the years between 1925 and 1930, the tower
acted as the world's largest sign,
advertising cars for the French company, Citroen. When the German army invaded Paris in 1940, the lift
cables were cut as Hitler's men
stormed the city. However, German soldiers still climbed
all the way to the tower's
flagpole in order to fly the
swastika.
Modern structures make the Eiffel Tower look small
in comparison. Today's
architects design
populated buildings that surpass 500 meters—nearly
double the height of the Eiffel Tower. Even so, the romance continues, and the tower welcomes over 6 million visitors per year. To keep the 118-year-old structure looking fresh, 60 tons of paint are
reapplied every 8 years!
Through it all, the grand old tower
lives on.
1. The Eiffel Tower was
constructed to _____.
(A) honor its head contractor, Gustave Eiffel
(B) celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution
(C) be the tallest structure in the world
(D)
compete with New York City's Chrysler Building
2. The tower was not built to be a radio tower because _____.
(A) it wasn't high enough
(B) radios were illegal in France
(C) it was built before the time of radios
(D) radio waves cannot be broadcast from over 300 meters
3.
Why were German soldiers forced to climb to the tower's top? (A) A sudden storm damaged the electrical systems.
(B) They wanted to send radio signals from that height.
(C) Parisians cut the elevator cables.
(D) Parisians were attacking them.
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