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Now let’s know more about NY by read the following material. (adapted from SB3 Lesson 49) New York New York is built on a group of islands on the east coast of the USA at a point where several rivers flow into the ocean. The first westerner to discover these islands was Italian explorer in 1524. In 1626 the island of Manhattan was bought from local Indians, Native Americans, for a handful of goods worth about $24. Today Native Americans express their anger over this business deal. After the War of Independence ended, New York became the capital of the USA for a short time (1789--90) before Washington, D.C. The building of skyscrapers in New York began around the year 1900. Because Manhattan Island is made of solid rock, it is safe to build very tall buildings. A 55-stored building went up in 1913 , and in 1931 the Empire State Building was completed., then the tallest building in the world. It has 102 storeys and 73 lifts. From the top of it, you could see up to a distance of 130 kilometres on a clear day. Today it is no longer the tallest building in the USA, or even in New York. The World trade Centre , an office building for over 1200 firms employing about 50,000 people, is even higher at 411 metres. The twins towers are 110 storeys high, but high-speed lifts controlled by computer take only a minute to reach the top. The towers are further apart at the top than at the base, but this is no mistake. This is because the surface of the earth is not flat but round. But unfortunately the twin towers were destroyed by terrorist attack on Sep11,2001. ……. New York never sleeps. The underground railway runs 24 hours a day, and there are all –night cinemas, bars and restaurants. Some people think that the weather is unpleasant, the city ugly and dirty, the competition fierce and the streets unsafe. It is a city in a hurry, but a very exciting place to be. True or False 1.New York is built on an island on the east coast of the USA. 2.These islands were first discovered by an Italian explorer in 1524. 3. New York became the capital of the USA for a short time after Washington, D.C. 4.About a century ago the building of skyscrapers began in New York. 5.Skyscrapers were mainly built on Manhattan Island. 6. Because of a careless mistake, the twin towers of the World Trade Center are further apart at the top than at the base. Home work: Search the internet to find information about the south of the USA Period 3&4 Reading. Goal: 1.learn about the American south. 2. Improve the reading ability 3. Learn and master the following: (责任编辑：admin) |