Unit 10 Historical Monuments Restoration

1 Introduction

1.1 Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis.

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2. What do you know concerning this issue? List your ideas in the table left column “I know”.

I know that…	I have learnt that…

2. If you know answers to these questions write them down in the space given after each question.

1	Why is restoration and preservation of monuments of great importance?
2	Why was the Tower of Pisa tilting badly?
3	What was the tower’s angle of the tilt?
4	What measures were undertaken to prevent the collapse of the tower?
5	Who designed the structural framework of the Statue of Liberty?
6	What does the support system for the Statue of Liberty consist of?
7	What chemical composition was used for washing of the statue?

2. Circle in the list the words and expressions you know. Write down their translation in the table and calculate the percentage of your lexical competence.

1	a living evidence			a broken chain
2	cultural heritage			a crossbeam
3	complex issues			iron girders
4	a standstill			salt-air exposure
5	to withstand			the copper skin
6	counterweight			a protective coating
7	a safer angle			an emergency elevator
8	an appalling state			to remove

Restoration of monuments is a way to preserve our history and maintain the beauty and value of a place. Old building and monuments are the living evidences of the events of the past. With the restoration of monuments, we can preserve our traditions and culture. Preservation of monuments can enable us to conserve our cultural heritage. Historical structures, like churches, castles, bridges, and period buildings, give cities and villages their distinctive look. Preserving historical monuments and renovating old buildings are sensitive activities that require great expertise and also involve complex issues.

Building restoration can be thought of as that set of activities which are greater than year-to-year maintenance, but which by retaining the building are less than a demolition and the construction of a new building. Restoration of buildings is very important in order to maintain the beauty and grace of the older monuments; there have been developed a system of cleaning and restoring buildings that is completely environment friendly and gentle on the old monuments, particularly sandstone and the marble monuments.

In the process of monuments restoration all monuments are cleaned with water and a mild detergent. Sandblasting is never carried out on these beautiful and very fragile monuments. Every effort is taken to make sure that the stone is preserved to as near its original condition as possible. Restoration of stone is done after the monument or building has been cleaned properly. Monuments are designed to endure, but time and exposure to the elements takes a toll. Tending to small repairs and maintenance needs as they arise may increase the longevity of a structure.