ACADEMIC LISTENING TEST PRACTICE
STATUE OF LIBERTY
STATUE OF LIBERTY
For Students Preparing for Academic Tests / IELTS and TOEFL
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Playing Time: 3 minutes 11 seconds
The Statue of Liberty, also known as Liberty Enlightening the World, is a colossal statue located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. The statue, designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Gustave Eiffel, was a gift to the United States from the people of France in 1886 to celebrate the centennial of American independence.
The statue stands 151 feet tall, including its pedestal, and is made of copper. It depicts a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who holds a torch above her head with her right hand and a tablet bearing the inscription of the date of the American Declaration of Independence in her left arm.
The statue's copper skin is a striking green color, the result of a natural patina caused by exposure to the elements. The statue is one of the most recognizable symbols of freedom and democracy in the world, and has become an iconic image of both New York City and the United States as a whole.
The idea for the statue came from Edouard de Laboulaye, a French abolitionist and prominent supporter of the Union during the American Civil War. He proposed the idea of a statue as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries and as a celebration of the centennial of American independence.
Bartholdi was tasked with designing the statue, and he spent several years working on the project. He modeled the statue's face on that of his mother and used the Roman goddess Libertas as inspiration for the statue's overall design. The statue was then shipped to the United States in crates and assembled on Liberty Island in 1886.
The statue was initially met with mixed reactions from the American public. Some saw it as a symbol of freedom and democracy, while others criticized it as a symbol of oppression and imperialism. Despite the mixed reactions, the statue quickly became a popular tourist destination and a symbol of hope and freedom for millions of immigrants who passed by it as they entered the United States through New York Harbor.
The statue has undergone several renovations in the past century, with the most recent being completed in 1986 to celebrate the statue's 100th anniversary. The renovation included the replacement of the torch and the addition of an elevator to the crown, making it possible for visitors to climb to the top of the statue.
Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United States, with millions of visitors each year. It is a National Monument and is maintained by the National Park Service. Visitors can take a ferry to Liberty Island to see the statue up close and even climb to the crown for a stunning view of New York City and the harbor.
The statue stands 151 feet tall, including its pedestal, and is made of copper. It depicts a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who holds a torch above her head with her right hand and a tablet bearing the inscription of the date of the American Declaration of Independence in her left arm.
The statue's copper skin is a striking green color, the result of a natural patina caused by exposure to the elements. The statue is one of the most recognizable symbols of freedom and democracy in the world, and has become an iconic image of both New York City and the United States as a whole.
The idea for the statue came from Edouard de Laboulaye, a French abolitionist and prominent supporter of the Union during the American Civil War. He proposed the idea of a statue as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries and as a celebration of the centennial of American independence.
Bartholdi was tasked with designing the statue, and he spent several years working on the project. He modeled the statue's face on that of his mother and used the Roman goddess Libertas as inspiration for the statue's overall design. The statue was then shipped to the United States in crates and assembled on Liberty Island in 1886.
The statue was initially met with mixed reactions from the American public. Some saw it as a symbol of freedom and democracy, while others criticized it as a symbol of oppression and imperialism. Despite the mixed reactions, the statue quickly became a popular tourist destination and a symbol of hope and freedom for millions of immigrants who passed by it as they entered the United States through New York Harbor.
The statue has undergone several renovations in the past century, with the most recent being completed in 1986 to celebrate the statue's 100th anniversary. The renovation included the replacement of the torch and the addition of an elevator to the crown, making it possible for visitors to climb to the top of the statue.
Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United States, with millions of visitors each year. It is a National Monument and is maintained by the National Park Service. Visitors can take a ferry to Liberty Island to see the statue up close and even climb to the crown for a stunning view of New York City and the harbor.
the Statue of Liberty with the World Trade Center in the background
Note: For more cool ESL resources about the United States, visit my All Things Topics site.
