Reading Book

(Primary)
A. Short story
1. Poor or rich
One day, a rich dad took his son on a trip to a poor village. He wanted to show his son how the people in the
village lived. They spent time on a farm of one of the poorest families. At the end of the day, the dad asked: “Did
you see how poor they are? What did you learn?”

The boy answered: “We have a dog, they have four. We have a pool, they have a river. We buy food and they
grow theirs. We have walls to protect us, they have friends.”

After they left, the boy wanted to tell his dad the truth. “Well, thanks for showing me how poor we are”, said the
boy.

After they left, the boy wanted to tell his dad the truth. “Well, thanks for showing me how poor we are”, said the
boy.

2. What is the afterlife like?

Sidy and Irve are business partners. They made a deal that who dies first will contact other the living one from the
afterlife. So Irve dies. Sidy doesn’t hear from him for about a year, figures there is no afterlife. Then one day he
gets a call. It’s Irv. “So there is an afterlife! What’s it like?” Sid asks. “Well, I sleep very late. I get up, have a big
breakfast. Then I have sex, lots of sex. Then I go back to sleep, but I get up for lunch, have a big lunch. Have some
more sex, take a nap. Huge dinner. More sex. Go to sleep and wake up the next day.” “Oh, my God,” says Sid. “So
that’s what heaven is like?” “Oh no,” says Irv. “I’m not in heaven. I’m a bear in Yellowstone Park.”

3. The crow and the vase

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little
water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not
reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst. Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small
pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last
it was near enough so he could drink. “In a pinch a good use of our wits may help us out.”
4. Shy people cannot teach courage
Once there lived a hind in a forest. She had a son who had grown very young and strong. She was very happy to
see his stout body and branched strong horns and thought, “stags have powerful horns, why should they be
afraid of hounds, wolves then? It’s sheer cowardice. I would never like my son to do it at all.”

After some time, the hind’s son came there. The hind wanted to teach him to be courageous. She said, “Son! You
have a stout body and strong horns. So, you must not run away from hounds and wolves. Don’t be a coward.”

“Ok, mom; I won’t”, said the stag. Just then the mother and the son heard the bark of the hounds. The hind got
ready to run away when her son asked her to stay on. She said, “You may, but I have no horns.”

Saying so, she ran as fast as she could. The mother herself was a coward and was teaching courage to her son.
What a satire!

5. Love story
One day, his wife, who had very long hair asked him to buy her a comb for her hair to grow well and to be well-
groomed.
The man felt very sorry and said no. He explained that he did not even have enough money to fix the strap of his
watch he had just broken. She did not insist on her request.
The man went to work and passed by a watch shop, sold his damaged watch at a low price, and went to buy a
comb for his wife.
He came home in the evening with the comb in his hand ready to give to his wife.
He was surprised when he saw his wife with a very short hair cut.
She had sold her hair and was holding a new watchband.
Tears flowed simultaneously from their eyes, not for the futility of their actions, but the reciprocity of their love.

6. The rat and the elephant

A Rat was traveling along the King's highway. He was a very proud Rat, considering his small size and the bad
reputation all Rats have. As Mr. Rat walked along—he kept mostly to the ditc —he noticed a great commotion up
the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the King and his retinue. The King rode on a huge
Elephant adorned with the most gorgeous trappings. With the King in his luxurious howdah were the royal Dog
and Cat. A great crowd of people followed the procession. They were so taken up with admiration of the
Elephant, that the Rat was not noticed. His pride was hurt. "What fools!" he cried. "Look at me, and you will soon
forget that clumsy Elephant! Is it his great size that makes your eyes pop out? Or is it his wrinkled hide? Why, I
have eyes and ears and as many legs as he! I am of just as much importance, and" But just then the royal Cat
spied him, and the next instant, the Rat knew he was not quite so important as an Elephant. A resemblance to the
great in some things does not make us great.
7. Cost of the bell
Everyday, a shepherd used to take his cows for grazing. He had tied a bell to each of the cows he had so that he
could know where they were grazing. The best cow had a costly bell tied around her neck. One day, a stranger
was going through the pasture. Seeing the costly bell around the cow's neck, he went to the shepherd and asked
if he would sell the bell. Out of greed, the shepherd sold the bell. But now he could not know where his best cow
was grazing. On getting an opportunity, the stranger stole the cow. Thus, the shepherd lost his best cow just
because of his greed.

8. Never tell alie

On his deathbed, a father advised his son to always speak the truth. The son promised that he would never tell a
lie. One day, while going to the city through a forest, he got surrounded by some robbers. One of them asked,
"What do you have?" The boy answered, "I have fifty rupees." They searched for him but couldn't find anything.
When they were about to go, the boy called out, "I am not telling a lie. See this fifty rupee note which I had
hidden in my shirt." The leader of the robbers felt pleased at the truthfulness of the boy, gave him hundred
rupees as reward and went away.

9. The two crabs

One fine day two Crabs came out from their home to take a stroll on the sand. "Child," said the mother, "you are
walking very ungracefully. You should accustom yourself to walking straight forward without twisting from side to
side." "Pray, mother," said the young one, "do but set the example yourself, and I will follow you." "Examples is the
best precept".

10. The Goose with the Golden Egg

One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took
it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because

he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his
delight that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon becam rich by selling
his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it
and opened it only to find, nothing. Greed often overreaches itself.

11. Late for Work

I got home at six in the evening, “Are you tired, Ted?” my wife asked. “No,” I answered, “but I’m hungry.” “Dinner
will be ready in haự an hour.” she said. “Did you catch your train this morning?” she asked again. “No, I didn’t. I ran
all the way to the station and got there at four minutes past nine.” “Which train did you catch?” she asked. ‘The
nine fifteen.” “What time did you get to the office?” “At ten o’clock.” “At ten o’clock?” my wife shouted, “Wasn’t
the boss angry?” “No, he wasn’t at the office.” I said, “He got there at ten thirty. He didn’t catch the train, either.”
A.1 Reading and Audio (file nghe ở Drive)

1. Going to the zoo

She goes to the zoo. She sees a lion. The lion roars. She sees an elephant. The
elephant has a long trunk. She sees a turtle. The turtle is slow. She sees a
rabbit. The rabbit has soft fur. She sees a gorilla. The gorilla is eating a
banana.

2. Christmas Time
It is Christmas. Dad gives Tim a toy. The toy is in the box. Tim takes off the
lid. He sees the toy. It is a car. The car is red. The car makes noises. The car
moves fast. Tim likes the gift. He hugs his dad. Dad smiles.

3. She Goes to the Nurse

She goes out to play. She runs around. She falls down. It hurts. She cries. She
gets up. She goes to the nurse. The nurse is nice. She looks friendly. The
nurse gives her a lollipop. It tastes good. The nurse gives her a bandage. She
is okay now. She walks back to class.

5. Chores
He is playing video games. Mom gets mad. She thinks he is lazy. She gives him
a list of chores. He frowns. He looks at the list. He has to clean the floors.
Then, he has to wash the dishes. Finally, he has to feed his dog. He starts
doing his chores.

7. Visiting the Doctor

Haley feels hot. Her mom touches her forehead. Haley has a fever. The mom
takes Haley to a doctor. The doctor is kind. He gives her a sticker. He tells her
to take a pill. He tells her to drink a lot of water. Haley goes home. She takes
the pill and drinks water. She does this for three days. She is healthy again.

8. Different Foods
Sara is hungry. She goes to the kitchen. She opens the cabinet. There are a lot
of snacks. The marshmallows are too sweet. The potato chips are too salty.
The ice cream is too watery. The kiwis are too sour. The cereal is too bland.
Her dad comes home. He gives her crackers. The crackers are perfect.

9. Group Project
Ms. Howard assigns a project. She wants the students to work in groups.
Adam works with Joe and Bill. Adam is smart. Joe draws well. Bill is
cooperative. They make a good group. They turn in their project. Ms. Howard
likes it. She gives them a high grade. Adam, Joe, and Bill are joyful.

15. New and Old

Tomorrow is the first day of school. Barbara looks at her backpack. It has
holes. It is dirty. She needs a new one. Her mom takes her shopping. There
are so many backpacks. One backpack has yellow stars. Another one has
rainbow stripes. Another one has dogs. Barbara likes this one. She buys it.
17. A Trip to the Library
Mark needs a book. He does not have money. His mom takes him to the
library. Mark can borrow books for free. Mark enters the library. There are so
many books. There are books about animals. There are books about pirates.
There are books about science. Mark borrows them all.

23. The Baby Sister

Betty loves her baby sister. Betty takes care of her. She changes her diaper.
She feeds her. She teaches her how to walk. She teaches her new words. It is
not easy to take care of babies. Betty’s baby sister cries sometimes. Betty
plays peekaboo with her. She covers her eyes and then opens them. The baby
laughs.

25. A New Home

He moves to a new city. There are many buildings. There are a lot of people
walking. There are many taxis. He feels lonely. Everyone acts so different
here. He goes to his new school. He sees a friendly looking person. He asks
him to show him around.

32. A Day for Ice Cream

It is a sunny day. She feels hot. She fans herself with a book. It is still hot. She
turns on the air conditioner. It is still hot. She jumps into a pool. It is still hot.
Her dad has an idea! He takes her to the ice cream shop. They share a banana
split. She does not feel hot anymore.

36. Introducing Myself

I am a new student in school. I tell the class about myself. I am from Canada,
but now I live in Nevada. I live with my mom, dad, and brother. My brother is
five years younger than me. Music is very important to me. I like to sing and
dance. I also play the saxophone. One day, I hope to be a music teacher.

43. More Money

She gets an allowance from her parents. They give her $10 a week. She
wants more. She asks her parents nicely. They say no. She tries to change
their minds. She washes their cars. She makes them dinner. She compliments
them. Her parents decide to give her a raise. She will get $15 a week.

44. Loving Dance

She loves to dance. She dances on her school’s team. She dances after school.
She loves to dance in her room. She loves to dance in the kitchen. She even
loves to dance in the bathroom. Anyone can see that she is passionate.
People say she is the best dancer in the world.

46. Apology
He does not like school. He hates his teachers. He hates learning. He hates
his classmates. He picks on them. He bothers them. He rips up their
homework. He steals their lunch money. One day, his teacher sees him being
mean. She yells at him. She makes him say sorry to his classmates.

47. Glass of Milk on the Desk

A glass of milk is on the desk. It is near the edge. The child looks at the milk.
The child wants to drink it. The cat looks at the milk. The cat wants to drink it
too. They both walk towards the desk. The cat is faster. It jumps on the desk.
The glass of milk tips over. The milk is all over the floor.
B. Short fairy tale
1. The Princess and the Pea

Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to be a real princess.
He travelled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses
enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that
was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real
princess.

One evening a terrible storm came on; there was thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in torrents.
Suddenly a knocking was heard at the city gate, and the old king went to open it.

It was a princess standing out there in front of the gate. But, good gracious! what a sight the rain and the wind
had made her look. The water ran down from her hair and clothes; it ran down into the toes of her shoes and out
again at the heels. And yet she said that she was a real princess.

“Well, we’ll soon find that out,” thought the old queen. But she said nothing, went into the bed-room, took all the
bedding off the bedstead, and laid a pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the
pea, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.

On this the princess had to lie all night.

In the morning she was asked how she had slept.

“Oh, very badly!” said she. “I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I
was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It’s horrible!”

Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses
and the twenty eider-down beds. Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that.

So the prince took her for his wife, for now he knew that he had a real princess; and the pea was put in the
museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it.

There, that is a true story.

2. Jack and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time there lived a poor widow and her son Jack. One day, Jack’s mother told him to sell their only
cow. Jack went to the market and on the way he met a man who wanted to buy his cow. Jack asked,

– “What will you give me in return for my cow?”

The man answered, “I will give you five magic beans!”

Jack took the magic beans and gave the man the cow. But when he reached home, Jack’s mother was very angry.
She said, “You fool! He took away your cow and gave you some beans!” She threw the beans out of the window.
Jack was very sad and went to sleep without dinner.

The next day, when Jack woke up in the morning and looked out of the window, he saw that a huge beanstalk
had grown from his magic beans! He climbed up the beanstalk and reached a kingdom in the sky. There lived a
giant and his wife. Jack went inside the house and found the giant’s wife in the kitchen. Jack said:
– “Could you please give me something to eat? I am so hungry!” The kind wife gave him bread and some milk.”

While he was eating, the giant came home. The giant was very big and looked very fearsome. Jack was terrified
and went and hid inside. The giant cried:

– “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my
bread!”

The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” So, the giant ate his food and then went to his room. He took out his
sacks of gold coins, counted them and kept them aside. Then he went to sleep. In the night, Jack crept out of his
hiding place, took one sack of gold coins and climbed down the beanstalk.

At home, he gave the coins to his mother. His mother was very happy and they lived well for sometime. Climbed
the beanstalk and went to the giant’s house again. Once again, Jack asked the giant’s wife for food, but while he
was eating the giant returned. Jack leapt up in fright and went and hid under the bed. The giant cried:

– “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my
bread!”

The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” The giant ate his food and went to his room. There, he took out a hen.
He shouted, “Lay!” and the hen laid a golden egg. When the giant fell asleep, Jack took the hen and climbed down
the beanstalk. Jack’s mother was very happy with him.

After some days, Jack once again climbed the beanstalk and went to the giant’s castle. For the third time, Jack
met the giant’s wife and asked for some food. Once again, the giant’s wife gave him bread and milk. But while
Jack was eating, the giant came home. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he
dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” cried the giant. “Don’t be silly! There is no boy in here!” said his wife.

The giant had a magical harp that could play beautiful songs. While the giant slept, Jack took the harp and was
about to leave. Suddenly, the magic harp cried, “Help master! A boy is stealing me!” The giant woke up and saw
Jack with the harp. Furious, he ran after Jack. But Jack was too fast for him. He ran down the beanstalk and
reached home. The giant followed him down. Jack quickly ran inside his house and fetched an axe. He began to
chop the beanstalk. The giant fell and died.

Jack and his mother were now very rich and they lived happily ever after.

3. The Perfect Heart

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in
the whole valley. A large crowd gathered, and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark
or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen.

The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, “Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as
mine.”

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had
places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn’t fit quite right and there were
several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.
The people stared -how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old
man’s heart and saw its state and laughed.

“You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and
tears.”

“Yes,” said the old man,” Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents
a person to whom I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me
a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart. But, because the pieces aren’t exact, I have
some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given
pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty
gouges -giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the
love I have for these people, I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see
what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his
perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The
old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in
the wound in the young man’s heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man
looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed
into his. They embraced and walked away side by side. How sad it must be to go through life with a whole heart.

4. Sleeping Beauty (Little Briar Rose)

In times past there lived a king and queen, who said to each other every day of their lives, “Would that we had a
child!” and yet they had none. But it happened once that when the queen was bathing, there came a frog out of
the water, and he squatted on the ground, and said to her: “Thy wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by,
thou shalt bring a daughter into the world.”

And as the frog foretold, so it happened; and the queen bore a daughter so beautiful that the king could not
contain himself for joy, and he ordained a great feast. Not only did he bid to it his relations, friends, and
acquaintances, but also the wise women, that they might be kind and favourable to the child. There were thirteen
of them in his kingdom, but as he had only provided twelve golden plates for them to eat from, one of them had
to be left out.

However, the feast was celebrated with all splendour; and as it drew to an end, the wise women stood forward to
present to the child their wonderful gifts: one bestowed virtue, one beauty, a third riches, and so on, whatever
there is in the world to wish for. And when eleven of them had said their say, in came the uninvited thirteenth,
burning to revenge herself, and without greeting or respect, she cried with a loud voice: “In the fifteenth year of
her age the princess shall prick herself with a spindle and shall fall down dead.” And without speaking one more
word she turned away and left the hall. Every one was terrified at her saying, when the twelfth came forward, for
she had not yet bestowed her gift, and though she could not do away with the evil prophecy, yet she could
soften it, so she said: “The princess shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years.”

Now the king, being desirous of saving his child even from this misfortune, gave commandment that all the
spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up. The maiden grew up, adorned with all the gifts of the wise women;
and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, and kind and clever, that no one who saw her could help loving her. It
happened one day, she being already fifteen years old, that the king and queen rode abroad, and the maiden was
left behind alone in the castle. She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, and into all the chambers and
parlours, as the fancy took her, till at last she came to an old tower. She climbed the narrow winding stair which
led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she turned the key, and the door opened, and there in
the little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently spinning her flax.

“Good day, mother,” said the princess, “what are you doing?” – “I am spinning,” answered the old woman, nodding
her head. “What thing is that that twists round so briskly?” asked the maiden, and taking the spindle into her hand
she began to spin; but no sooner had she touched it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked her
finger with it. In that very moment she fell back upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.

And this sleep fell upon the whole castle; the king and queen, who had returned and were in the great hall, fell
fast asleep, and with them the whole court. The horses in their stalls, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons on the
roof, the flies on the wall, the very fire that flickered on the hearth, became still, and slept like the rest; and the
meat on the spit ceased roasting, and the cook, who was going to pull the scullion’s hair for some mistake he had
made, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind ceased, and not a leaf fell from the trees about the castle.
Then round about that place there grew a hedge of thorns thicker every year, until at last the whole castle was
hidden from view, and nothing of it could be seen but the vane on the roof.

And a rumour went abroad in all that country of the beautiful sleeping Rosamond, for so was the princess called;
and from time to time many kings’ sons came and tried to force their way through the hedge; but it was
impossible for them to do so, for the thorns held fast together like strong hands, and the young men were caught
by them, and not being able to get free, there died a lamentable death.

Many a long year afterwards there came a king’s son into that country, and heard an old man tell how there
should be a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, and that there a beautiful enchanted princess named
Rosamond had slept for a hundred years, and with her the king and queen, and the whole court. The old man had
been told by his grandfather that many king’s sons had sought to pass the thorn-hedge, but had been caught and
pierced by the thorns, and had died a miserable death. Then said the young man: “Nevertheless, I do not fear to
try; I shall win through and see the lovely Rosamond.” The good old man tried to dissuade him, but he would not
listen to his words. For now the hundred years were at an end, and the day had come when Rosamond should be
awakened. When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it was changed into a hedge of beautiful large
flowers, which parted and bent aside to let him pass, and then closed behind him in a thick hedge. When he
reached the castle-yard, he saw the horses and brindled hunting-dogs lying asleep, and on the roof the pigeons
were sitting with their heads under their wings. And when he came indoors, the flies on the wall were asleep, the
cook in the kitchen had his hand uplifted to strike the scullion, and the kitchen-maid had the black fowl on her lap
ready to pluck.

Then he mounted higher, and saw in the hall the whole court lying asleep, and above them, on their thrones, slept
the king and the queen. And still he went farther, and all was so quiet that he could hear his own breathing; and
at last he came to the tower, and went up the winding stair, and opened the door of the little room where
Rosamond lay. And when he saw her looking so lovely in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and
presently he stooped and kissed her.

And she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. And she rose, and they went forth
together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of
wonderment. And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their
tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the
flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on
the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on
plucking the fowl.

Then the wedding of the Prince and Rosamond was held with all splendour, and they lived very happily together
until their lives’ end.
C. Stories about the world
1. The Seven Wonders
Mary was a 9-year-old girl from the small village. After finishing her 4th grade at her village, she would have to
get an admission in a school at a town nearby. She was very happy knowing that she had been accepted in a very
reputed school there. Today was the first day of her class and she was waiting for her school bus. Once the bus
came, she got in it quickly with a very excited mood.

Once the bus got to school, all students started going to their classes.  Upon seeing her simple clothing and
knowing she is from a remote village; her classmates began making fun of her.  The teacher soon arrived and
asked all to keep quiet.  She introduced Mary to the class and announced that she would be studying with them
as of today.

Then the teacher said to the students to be ready for the unexpected test now!  The test asked everyone to write
down the 7 wonders of the world.  While everyone was writing the answer quickly,   Mary was writing the
answer carefully.

When everyone except Mary had handed their answer paper, the teacher came and asked Mary, “What
happened Dear? Don’t worry! Just write what you know as others have learned about it just a couple of days
back”.

Mary replied, “I was thinking that there were so many things, which 7 I can pick to write!” And, then she
submitted her answer paper to the teacher. The teacher began reading everyone’s answers and most of the
answer papers wrote down correctly such as The Great Wall of China, Colosseum, Stonehedge, Great Pyramid of
Giza, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Tajmahal, Hanging Gardens of Babylon etc.

The teacher was happy as her students had remembered what she had taught them. At last the teacher picked
up Mary’s answer paper and began reading.

“The 7 Wonders are – To be able to See, To be able to Hear, To be able to Feel, To Laugh, To Think, To be Kind,
To Love!”

The teacher stood stunned and was speechless. Today, the little girl from the small remote village reminded them
about the precious gifts that god has given us, which are truly a wonder.

2. The statue of Zeus

The statue of Zeus is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It is a
chryselephantine statue, which means it was made of ivory and gold. History has not
left us any vestiges of this statue, it has been destroyed, and there are very few
representations dating back to the time it existed, which makes it one of the marvels a
little apart, for which doubts remain about the reality of its form, the position of Zeus,
its attributes, and so on. Its history, however, is fairly well known. His builder is Phidias,
an Athenian sculptor who did a similar work shortly before that of Olympia which
serves us as a reference today, but this artist was known for other sculptures. He
created the statue of Zeus in 436 BC
 3. Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of all the Egyptian pyramids and
is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is located around 5
miles to the west of the Nile River near the city of Cairo, Egypt.

Why was the Great Pyramid built?

The Great Pyramid was built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu. The
pyramid once held all the treasures that Khufu would take with him to
the afterlife.

How big is it?

When the pyramid was built, it was around 481 feet tall. Today, because
of erosion and the removal of the top piece, the pyramid is around 455
feet tall. At its base, each side is approximately 755 feet long. That's well
over twice as long as a football field! In addition to being tall, the pyramid
is a massive structure. It covers an area of over 13 acres and is
constructed with around 2.3 million stone blocks. Each of the stone blocks is estimated to weigh over 2000
pounds.

How long did it take to build it?

It took 20,000 workers around 20 years to build the Great Pyramid. Its construction began around 2580 BC,
shortly after Khufu became pharaoh, and was completed around 2560 BC.

How did they build it?

No one is quite sure how the pyramids were built. There are a lot of different theories as to how the Egyptians
were able to lift such large stone blocks all the way up to the top of the pyramids. It is likely that they used ramps
to move the stones up the sides of the pyramid. They may have used wooden sleds or water to help the stones
slide better and reduce friction.

Inside the Great Pyramid?

Inside of the Great Pyramid are three major rooms: the King's Chamber, the Queen's Chamber, and the Grand
Gallery. Small tunnels and air shafts lead to the chambers from the outside. The King's Chamber is at the highest
point in the pyramid of all the chambers. It contains a large granite sarcophagus. The Grand Gallery is a large
passageway around 153 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 29 feet high

4. Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was a gigantic 33-metre-high bronze statue of the sun
god Helios which stood by the harbour of that city from c. 280 BCE. Rhodes
was then one of the most important trading ports in the ancient Mediterranean
and the statue was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World.

Made by the local sculptor Chares using sheets of bronze, the statue soon
appeared on contemporary travel writer's lists of must-see sights but sadly, the
giant Helios did not last long. Toppled by an earthquake in 228 or 226 BCE, its
massive broken pieces cluttered the docks of Rhodes for a millennium before
being melted down as scrap in the mid-7th century CE.
5. The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is one of the most notorious structures
in the entire world. The Jinshanling section in Hebei Province,
China, pictured here, is only a small part of the wall that
stretches over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).

The one thing most people “know” about the Great Wall of
China—that it is one of the only man-made structures visible
from space—is not actually true. Since the wall looks a lot like the
stone and soil that surround it, it is difficult to discern with the
human eye even from low Earth orbit, and is difficult to make out
in most orbital photos. However, this does not detract from the
wonder of this astounding ancient structure.

For millennia, Chinese leaders instituted wall-building projects to

protect the land from northern, nomadic invaders. One surviving
section of such an ancient wall, in the Shandong province, is
made of hard-packed soil called “rammed earth” and is estimated
to be 2,500 years old. For centuries during the Warring States
Period, before China was unified into one nation, such walls
defended the borders.

6. Colosseum
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, is a large amphitheater that
hosted events like gladiatorial games.

The Colosseum, also named the Flavian Amphitheater, is a

large amphitheater in Rome. It was built during the reign of the
Flavian emperors as a gift to the Roman people.

Construction of the Colosseum began sometime between A.D.

70 and 72 under the emperor Vespasian. It opened nearly a
decade later and was modified several times in the following
years. The massive structure measured approximately 189 by
156 meters (620 by 513 feet), towered four stories high, and
included eighty entrances to the amphitheater—seventy-six for
the patrons, two for participants of events, and two exclusively
for the emperor to use. The sheer number of entrances proved
to be necessary: the Colosseum could hold more than 50,000
spectators at its maximum capacity.

When the Colosseum first opened, the emperor Titus

celebrated with a hundred days of gladiatorial games.
Emperors traditionally attended the games. The emperor
Commodus is known to have performed in the arena on
hundreds of occasions. Aside from the games, the Colosseum
also hosted dramas, reenactments, and even public executions.
7. Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer is a statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that
was built as a symbol of Brazilian Christianity. In 1850, the
idea of building a religious monument was first suggested by
a Catholic Priest. It wasn't until 1920 when a group
petitioned for support to build a landmark statue that it
became a reality. The design was chosen from several ideas
and construction began in the 1920s, taking nine years to
finish. Today, Christ the Redeemer is one of the New Seven
Wonders of the World.
The statue weighs approximately 635 tonnes. Christ the
Redeemer is located in the Tijuca Forest National Forest, at
the top of the Corcovado Mountain. The statue is
considered an icon of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. Christ the
Redeemer is the 5th largest statue of Jesus. The stones that
were used to build Christ the Redeemer came from Sweden.
The statue was completed in 1931. It officially opened on
October 12, 1931.
All the stone used in restoration efforts came from the same
quarry as the original stone. This statue became one of the
New Seven Wonders of the World on July 7th, 2007.

8. Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal, a mausoleum of white marble, was built in Agra,
India, between 1631 and 1648 in memory of emperor Shah
Jahan's favorite wife. Designated by UNESCO as a world
heritage site, the Taj Mahal is admired across the world as a
masterpiece of Indian art.
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Shah
Jahan, who ruled the Mughal Empire (with its capital in Agra) for
30 years, had the mausoleum constructed to honor his favorite
wife, Mumtaz Mahal, after her death in 1631. The main
mausoleum of the Taj Mahal took more than 15 years to
complete. The white marble dome soars 171 meters (561 feet)
above a pink sandstone base.
The finial atop the dome is uniquely Indian, recognizing the
region's religious diversity. The finial incorporates a crescent
moon, the symbol of Islam. But by placing the moon with its
horns, pointing to the heavens in a U-shape, the moon and finial
resemble a trident—a traditional symbol of the powerful Hindu
god Shiva.
9. Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza was a Mayan city on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Although it’s an important tourist attraction, Chichen Itza also remains
an active archeological site. New discoveries are still being unearthed
in the area, providing even more insight into the culture and
accomplishments of the Mayan people, who ruled much of present-
day Mexico and Central America prior to the arrival of European
colonists. Chichen Itza was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1988 and, in 2007, it was voted in a global survey as one of the New
Seven Wonders of the World.

Chichen Itza is located about 120 miles from the modern-day resort
town of Cancun, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

What isn’t up for debate is that Chichen Itza was a significant center
of political and economic activity in the Mayan culture by roughly 600
A.D.

By then, it was already one of the largest cities in the Mayan world,
covering nearly two square miles with densely packed commercial,
residential and other structures made of stone. Chichen Itza even had
its own “suburbs,” with smaller homes occupying the outskirts of the
city.

10. Stonehenge
Found on England’s Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is a
huge man-made circle of standing stones. Built by our ancestors
over many hundreds of years, it’s one of the world’s most famous
prehistoric monuments… And one of it’s biggest mysteries, too!

When was Stonehenge built?

Work started on this super stone circle around 5,000 years ago in
the late Neolithic Age – but it took over 1,000 years to build, in
four long stages! Archaeologists believe the final changes were
made around 1,500BC, in the early Bronze Age.

The structure of Stonehenge

If you visit Stonehenge today, you’ll see many of the enormous

stones still standing strong in a circular arrangement.
Archaeological research shows that the structure of this amazing
monument changed over time, as it was built and rebuilt by
generations of ancient peoples.

4,000 years ago, Stonehenge was made up of an outer circle of 30

standing stones called ‘sarsens’, which surrounded five huge stone arches in a horseshoe shape. There were also
two circles made of smaller ‘bluestones’ – one inside the outer circle and one inside the horseshoe – as well as
four ‘station stones’ positioned outside the central monument. The entire site was surrounded by a circular ditch
and bank, which also remains this day!