Episode 305
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Hi! I'm Georgiana, and I'm back with a new episode. I'm here to help you speak English fluently.
What is the Statue of Liberty?
It's a large statue on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. It shows a woman holding a torch high in the air with her right hand and a tablet in her left hand. The tablet has the date July 4, 1776, on it, the day the United States declared its independence from Britain.
How did the Statue of Liberty come to be?
It was a gift from France to the people of the United States. It was given to celebrate 100 years of America's independence and as a sign of friendship between France and the USA. In 1865, a French historian named Édouard de Laboulaye suggested the idea, and the statue was designed by a French sculptor named Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.
How was the statue made?
The statue was made in France. It was designed to be very big and made in pieces. The copper skin of the statue was hammered into shape by hand, a process called "repoussé." Then, each piece was shipped to the United States in a big ship. It arrived in New York in 1885.
What happened when the statue arrived in the USA?
It had to be put together, which was a big task. The statue's big metal framework, which holds it up, was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same engineer who later designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It took several months to assemble all the pieces on Liberty Island.
Why is the Statue of Liberty important?
It's important because it stands for freedom and democracy. When immigrants came to the United States, often by boat, the statue was one of the first things they saw when they arrived.
It gave them hope for a new life in America. The statue also reminds Americans of their freedom and the friendship with France that helped them gain it.
Now, let’s practice.
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IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING
Mini-Story: Speaking Practice
Answer the questions aloud with short and quick responses. Repeat the Mini-Story several times to improve your speaking and listening.
The Statue of Liberty, which was to be sent to the United States, was finally finished.
Was it a statue or a ship to be sent to the United States?
A statue. A statue was completed.
What statue was completed?
The Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was finished.
Where would this statue be sent? To Canada?
No, no. To the United States. The statue would be sent to the United States.
But there was a problem. The statue was incredibly heavy and impossible to move.
Was there one problem or two problems?
One problem. There was one problem.
Was the statue light and easy to move?
No. It was not light and easy to move. It was very heavy. It was incredibly heavy.
Could it be moved?
No. It could not be moved. It was too heavy!
Why couldn't the statue be moved?
Because it was incredibly heavy.
The engineers were desperate and didn't know how to fix the problem.
How were the engineers?
Desperate. The engineers were desperate.
Did they even know how to fix the problem?
No. They didn't know how to fix the problem. They were desperate.
Why were the engineers like that?
Because they didn't know how to solve the problem. They were desperate because they didn't know how to solve the problem.
One boy came up with an idea: Why not make the statue hollow?
Did the engineers come up with an idea?
No, the engineers didn't come up with an idea. A child did.
Did the idea involve tying a giant balloon to the statue?
No, no. That's not what the idea was about. It was to make the statue hollow.
Make the statue how?
Hollow. Make it hollow. That way, it would weigh much less.
Everyone got down to work and hollowed out the statue inside.
Did they all get to work, or just some of them?
All of them. Everyone got to work.
What did they empty?
The statue. They emptied the statue. The statue was very heavy, so they put into practice the boy's idea to empty it from the inside and make it hollow.
The Statue of Liberty was finally light enough, to be sent to the United States. Everyone admires it when they look at it.
Was the statue light enough?
Yes, the Statue of Liberty was finally light enough, and it could be sent as planned.
Where was the statue sent to?
To New York. It was sent to New York.
What happens when people look at the Statue of Liberty?
They admire it. People admire it.
Well, we're finished with our short practice.
Answering many simple questions can improve your speaking, just like talking in real life.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
landmark
a famous or easily recognized place or structure.
monument
a structure built to honor a person, idea, or event.
liberty
freedom.
pedestal
the base that supports a statue.
torch
a handheld light; on the statue, a symbol of enlightenment.
immigrant
a person who moves to another country to live.
symbol
something that represents an idea or quality.
friendship
a close and supportive relationship.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
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