Modern Wonders of the Civilized World Quiz

Answer: Angkor Wat

Between the 9th and the 13th Century, the city and temple of Angkor was built. This huge temple was built by King Suryavarman II, who had it built, because of his Hindu beliefs. The largest part of this city known as 'Wat' was once a monastery. The entire structure stretchs for fifteen miles from east to west and eight miles north to south.

However, after King Suryavarman II's death, the reigning King, Jayavaraman VII, had decided that the Hindu gods had failed him. The temple of Angkor Wat that was once adorned by Hindu decorations, was replaced with Buddhist carvings and statues, when it was converted into a Buddhist Shrine.

Answer: Lady Liberty

This beautiful statue was created by French scluptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. It was to be a gift for America on her Independence from England. However, the year of creation is not known and varies. One thing is known for certain and that is when the statue was given to America. We received the gift from France in 1886.

The 'Statue of Liberty' is considered to be a respresentation of our freedom, and a united front by America. The poem listed above that is inscribed on the statue's base was written by Emma Lazarus.

The statue was officially finished by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi in July of 1884. The statue arrived at New York Harbor in June of 1885 aboard the French ship Isere. The Statue of Liberty was transported to America in 214 separate crates and took four months to assemble on the base that she now rests. On October 28th 1886, there was a dedication for the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. Lady Liberty was called by the French, 'Liberty Enlightening the World'.

The statue that was created as a gift for our freedom arrived here 10 years late for her anniversary.

Answer: Taj Mahal

Construction of this magnificient structure started in 1631 and was completed 22 years later in 1653. Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, had this beautiful tomb created to hold the body of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1629. The primary architect was Isa Khan.

It is widely rumored, that after the construction of the Taj was completed, Mughal Emperor Shahjahan had the hands of the workers severed, so that they would never again be able to create a work of art so lovely. Today, the monument that was built to honor a lost love is open to vistors.

The hours that one may visit the beautiful wonder are: 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. However, there is an entry fee from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Answer: The Great Wall

The Great Wall stretches from the Bo Hai gulf to an area deep in the Gansu Province, this man made structure measures 1,500 miles in length. Emperor Shih Haung Ti, ruler of the Ch'in dynasty which is now know as China, had decided to have this massive structure built in order to keep his enemies, the Huns and the Mongols out. Shih Haung Ti used prisoners and employed laborers from within his dynasty to build The Great Wall.

The Emperor increased taxes to pay for the wall. It is made of a bricks, stone, and dirt. Pieces of stone were used to make the base and sides wall, and is filled in with dirt, rocks, and rubble.

The Great Wall is the only modern wonder that can be seen from space.

Answer: The Panama Canal

Construction started in 1904 and opened for ship traffic on August 16, 1915. The canal cost an estimated {$380,000,000} to build. The Panama Canal stretchs 51 miles from ocean to ocean. The narrowest navigational width is 500 feet wide. The Canal has a locking system that lifts ships up to 85 feet above sea level.

Answer: Leaning Tower of Pisa

In 1173, construction on the tower was started. Workers noticed that after they had three storeys completed, the tower started to lean, Although they tried to fix the tower, it was discovered that it had started to lean at its base foundation, and could not be corrected.

The tower was built in phases, because the war in Florence started in 1275, and most of the workers were sent to fight during the war. The tower was completed in 1350, and during this period the tower continued to lean even more.

It seems that the Tower of Pisa was built on a muddy marsh. Some experts today believe that eventually the tower will succumb to its environment and fall to the ground, although it seems unlikely that the authorities will allow this to happen.

Answer: Stephen Sauvestre

In the late 1800's, the French government began to focus on the great Paris Expostion that was to be held. The event was planned to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution. The coordinators wanted a special monument that would always be remembered for the celebration of France's freedom.

Many designs were submitted from all over France. The coordinators chose Alexandre Gustave Eiffel's design. It seems that Alexandre Gustave Eiffel had proposed to build the tallest structure in the world, and he certainly did just that.

The Eiffel Tower is made entirely of puddled iron. The metal structure weighs in at 7,300 tons. The tower requires 50 tons of paint every seven years, has a total of 1,665 steps, and the entire structure weighs 10,000 tons.

Although Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed the Tower, Stephen Sauvestre was the architect, and the engineers in charge of the world's tallest wonder were, Maurice Keochlin and Emile Nouguier.

Answer: Mt. Rushmore

This living monument to democracy took a total of 14 years to construct, and cost a total of {$1,000,000} dollars. This monument to the U.S. past presidents is now considered to be priceless. The face of each president is 60 feet high. Gutzon Borglum studied art in Paris, and will forever be known as the man who gave America the faces of freedom.

Answer: The Golden Gate Bridge

Construction on the famous Golden Gate Bridge began in 1933. Building the bridge was a task in and of itself, since the bridge was due to be constructed stretching along the Pacific Ocean, most people thought it could never be done due to the tide pull in the ocean.

The Golden Gate bridge stretches 8,981 feet in length and is suspended at an astounding 6,450 feet. A $35,000,00 dollar construction bond was needed and everyone in the bay area contributed. What was amazing about this was that the Bay Area had a heavy unemployment rate at the time.

The Golden Gate bridge was officially opened for traffic in 1937.

Answer: The Hoover Dam

Construction of the Hoover Dam was completed in 1936. The dam blocks the reservoir known as Lake Mead. The Hoover Dam has a storage capacity of 28,537,000 acre-feet, it extends 115 miles up the Colorado River, it has 550 miles of shoreline, and is the largest reservoir in the U.S. All information contained in this quiz can be found at the following: www.usbr.gov, www.thinkquest.org, www.travelsd.com. Thanks for taking this quiz, I hope that you have enjoyed it.