The City of Love and the Eiffel Tower by Reporter Connolly
It's big, it's tall, it's famous! It's the symbol of Paris. Can you guess what it is? It's the Eiffel Tower! It's an amazing sky scraper. At night fire works shoot into the air like eagles taking flight, and shower around it like millions of falling stars. Colored lights throughout the city focus themselves on it. The river beneath it reflects the bright lights and beautiful sights of Paris, as it winds its way through the city. From the top of the tower the people below seem as small as ants and the wind whips so strongly you wonder if it might carry you right off of the platform. I was lucky enough to visit France last year, and stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a awe inspiring experience.
The Eiffel tower was built in 1889, as the giant, arching entrance way to the Paris World's Fair. It is named after it's designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel. It stands 324 meters (1,063 ft) tall and when first built, it surpassed the Washington Monument as the tallest man-made structure in the world. It wasn't until 41 years later, in 1930, that The Chrysler Building was built in New York City, surpassing the Eiffel Tower in height. However, the construction in 1957 of the antenna on top of the Eiffel Tower made it once again taller than the Chrysler Building. It is still the second tallest structure in France, even today!
The best artists and writers in Paris initially opposed the idea of the Eiffel tower. They felt this gigantic structure would be an ugly blemish on the face of their beautiful city. However it was built anyway, and survived the threat of being torn down again in 1909 only because it was a perfect platform for radiotelegraphy antennae. Ironically it now symbolizes Paris's spirit of art and romance. The tower is a enormous array of riveted steel girders, dizzying to look up through. It supports three observation platforms that are open to the public, each dizzying to look down from. The views of Paris from the platforms are stunning. On the southeast side of the tower is an open mall that was once the site of the World's Fair. Today, instead of hot air balloons and carnival tents, you are more likely to find skateboarders, political protestors, tourists, and street peddlers selling their wares. Even now, however, an air of festival surrounds this wonderful monument.
Today the Eiffel Tower has become a global icon of France, and one of the most well-known structures in the world. It is the tallest building in Paris, and the most visited monument in the world today; millions of people visit the monument and take the trip to its top every year. Maybe one day you'll visit it, too!
Bloom's Questions to Ponder
1. Can you write a brief outline about the Eiffel Tower.
2. Compare the Eiffel Tower to the Statue of Liberty.
3. Decide how effective the Eiffel Tower is on its country.
2. Compare the Eiffel Tower to the Statue of Liberty.
3. Decide how effective the Eiffel Tower is on its country.
The History of St. Patrick's Day by Reporter A. Steele.
St. patrick's day.
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