That might be surprising to people more familiar with the statue’s French roots than its Arab ones. After all, the statue’s structure was designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), and Lady Liberty was given to the United States by France for its centennial to celebrate the alliance of the two countries formed during the French Revolution.
The statue’s designer, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, was also French, but he found inspiration in a very different place: Egypt. In 1855, he visited Nubian monuments at Abu Simbel, which feature tombs guarded by gigantic colossus figures. Bartholdi became fascinated by the ancient architecture, developing what the National Park Service calls a “passion for large-scale public monuments and colossal structures.” Eventually, he channeled that passion into a proposal for the inauguration of the Suez Canal.
Bartholdi envisioned a colossal monument featuring a robe-clad woman representing Egypt to stand at Port Said, the city at the northern terminus of the canal in Egypt. To prep for this undertaking, Barry Moreno, author of multiple books about the statue, writes that Bartholdi studied art like the Colossus, honing the concept for a figure called Libertas who would stand at the canal. “Taking the form of a veiled peasant woman,” writes Moreno, “the statue was to stand 86 feet high, and its pedestal was to rise to a height of 48 feet.” Early models of the statue were called “Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia.”
Exercise 3. Complete the following sentences with I think I’ll … or
I don’t think I’ll …
Example: It’s hot. You decide to open the window. — I think, I’ll open the
window. It’s snowing heavily. You decide not to go out. — I don’t think I’ll go out.
1. You feel a bit hungry. You decide to have something to eat.
2. You don’t know Ken’s mobile telephone number. You decide to phone him
at work.
3. Bill is very lazy. He isn’t studying hard enough to get ready for his exams.
You are sure he’s going to fail them.
4. A friend of yours offers you a lift in his car, but you decide to walk.
5. It’s cold and windy outside. You decide not to go jogging.
6. You are not keen on computer games, but a friend of yours offers to play a
game. You don’t want to.
7. You are very tired. You decide to go to bed early.
8. You are in a hurry to catch the 8.15 train to the suburbs of Moscow. You
decide to take a taxi.
9. Your travel agency offers you a boat trip. You are afraid to be seasick. You
decide not to go.
10. Your shoulder bag is too heavy. You decide to leave out some items.
Exercise 4. Write questions do you think will ?
