EMSAT Cloze & Short Reading #1 - Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one decade to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two points is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the fastest sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the average traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

1. The word ‘vessels’ means:

• planes

• cars

• ships

• trains

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one decade to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two points is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the fastest sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the average traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

2. Why did they build the canal?

• to reduce the average traffic

• to make the journey more enjoyable

• to increase the distance of the journey

• to make it faster to travel from Europe to Asia

By 1966, there were on average 58 ships a day passing through the canal. However, the original canal did not allow two-way traffic. Ships often had to wait long periods of time stopping in a bay to allow oncoming ships to pass. In 2015, an expensive project to expand the canal by 35 kilometres was completed. This project was called the New Suez Canal and it cost the Egyptian government 8.5 billion dollars. It was hoped that, due to the expansion, revenue would increase. The New Suez now allows ships to sail in both directions and so more vessels are able to travel through the canal. It is estimated that by 2023, 97 ships will sail through the canal every day. Currently, figures are nowhere near that estimate.

3. The word ‘it’ refers to:

• the Egyptian government

• the project

• $8.5 billion

• 2015

By 1966, there were on average 58 ships a day passing through the canal. However, the original canal did not allow two-way traffic. Ships often had to wait long periods of time stopping in a bay to allow oncoming ships to pass. In 2015, an expensive project to expand the canal by 35 kilometres was completed. This project was called the New Suez Canal and it cost the Egyptian government 8.5 billion dollars. It was hoped that, due to the expansion, revenue would increase. The New Suez now allows ships to sail in both directions and so more vessels are able to travel through the canal. It is estimated that by 2023, 97 ships will sail through the canal every day. Currently, figures are nowhere near that estimate.

4. Which sentence is false?

• More ships can use the canal now.

• The project was completed 7 years ago (I wrote this in 2022).

• The project didn't cost much money.

• It used to take ships longer to go through the canal.

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which (5)______ the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one (6) ______to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two (7) _____ is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the (8) ______ sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the (9)______ traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

(5) connects / fastest / century / average / decade / points

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which (5) ______ the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one (6) _______ to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two (7) ______ is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the (8) ______ sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the (9) ______ traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

(6) connects / fastest / century / average / decade / points

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which (5) ________ the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one (6) ______ to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two (7) _______ is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the (8) _______ sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the (9) ______ traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

(7) connects / fastest / century / average / decade / points

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which (5) _______ the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one (6) ______ to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two (7) _______ is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the (8)________ sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the (9) ______ traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

(8) connects / fastest / century / average / decade / points

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea level waterway which (5) ______ the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. The canal took just one (6) ______ to complete. Work on it began in 1859 and it officially opened on the 17th of November in 1869. The canal was developed to help reduce the distance between the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As a result, sea travel between these two (7) ______ is now 7000 kilometers shorter making it the (8) ______ sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. In 1870, after a full year of the canal’s operation the (9)______ traffic through the canal was almost 2 vessels per day.

(9) connects / fastest / century / average / decade / points

By 1966, there were on average 58 ships a day passing (10) ______ the canal. However, the original canal did not allow two-way traffic. Ships often had to wait long periods of time stopping in a bay to allow oncoming ships to (11) ______. In 2015, an (12)______ project to expand the canal by 35 kilometres was completed. This project was called the New Suez Canal and it cost the Egyptian government 8.5 billion dollars. It was hoped that, due to the expansion, revenue would increase. The New Suez now allows ships to sail in both (13) ______ and so more vessels are able to travel through the canal. It is (14)______ that by 2023, 97 ships will sail through the canal every day.

(10) estimated / pass / expensive / cheap / directions / through