Lesson 1 Operation Blackbeard
1. What is common about the reasons behind building the Suez and Panama Canals?
2. What were the dangers faced by the workers while building the canals?
3. How has the construction of the canals saved time and money?
4. Which governments oversaw the construction of the canals?
5. If the canals had not been constructed, which two continents did ships have to go around?
6. Find words or phrases in the passage that mean the following:
a. a particular disease that affects many people and spreads
quickly to other areas:
b. a narrow piece of land connecting two very large areas of land:
c. seemingly harmless but dangerous in reality:
d. the fact of owning something:
Answers
Answer:
1.The Panama Canal, completed in 1914, considerably shortened the maritime distances between the American East and West coasts by 13,000 km. Both the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal reduced maritime shipping distances and costs considerably
2.An estimated 12,000 workers had died during the construction of the Panama Railway and over 22,000 during the French effort to build a canal. Many of these deaths were due to disease, particularly yellow fever and malaria.
3.After two years of debate, Panama was chosen. The International Company tried to build the canal, but it failed. ... However, the purpose of making both canals was same; the world still needed a short route that connects Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea and saves time and money. As its result, the Panama Canal was built.
4. 1819, the Spanish government authorized the construction of a canal and the creation of a company to build it. Although the project stalled for some time, a number of surveys were made between 1850 and 1875.
5. The Panama Canal stretches 77 kilometers (48 miles) across the isthmus, and allows cargo ships to travel from eastern North America to western North America without having to go around South America.
6.