Empire State Building Quiz

Today, New York's Empire State Building is one of the most famous structures in the world. It stands hundreds of feet taller than the skyscrapers that surround it, and is visible from far away in New Jersey and Long Island…………….. In fact, since the recent completion of One World Trade Center, it isn't even the tallest building in New York City!

• It has always been the most important tourist attraction in New York.

• Millions of people visit it every year to enjoy the view from the top.

• But it isn't the tallest building in the world.

• The construction of the building was completed many decades ago.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that despite its fame, the Empire State Building is not the tallest building in the world, especially after the completion of One World Trade Center, which is a key point in the passage.

But when the Empire State Building was constructed, it was more than just another skyscraper. It was the tallest, most remarkable building on the earth—and it stayed that way for close to forty years. To understand what people thought about the Empire State Building when it was first constructed, we can look at original newspaper reports from The New York Times…………. With these New York Times reports, we can see the building through the eyes of the past, and perhaps have a chance to appreciate this most famous skyscraper as though it were new.

• These articles were printed in newspapers all around the world.

• Many modern historians have also written about the building.

• The New York Times is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States.

• These are called primary sources, because they were written by people who witnessed history first-hand.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that the articles from The New York Times are primary sources, as they provide first-hand accounts of the Empire State Building's construction, allowing us to understand historical perspectives.

The Empire State Building was built at the site of the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a lavish structure that, by 1929,…………………. A corporation headed by former New York governor Alfred E. Smith proposed to build an office building there—not just any office building, but the greatest in the world. At this time, there was fierce competition to see who could build the tallest building on the earth. The nearby Chrysler Building was set to claim the title, but Smith and his company wanted to steal it from them, by building something so big that it would be years before anyone could top it.

• was no longer up to the demands of the modern world.

• had become the most expensive hotel in the United States.

• had been damaged in a fire and needed to be rebuilt.

• was admired as the tallest building in New York City.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that by 1929, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was outdated and unable to meet modern demands, prompting the need for a new, grand office building like the Empire State Building.

There was just one little problem: the Great Depression. The stock market crashed at the end of 1929, destroying banks, emptying savings accounts and leaving millions out of work…………... They finished tearing down the old Waldorf-Astoria by the beginning of 1930, and on March 17—St. Patrick's Day—the work on the skyscraper began. "Time was an essential element," wrote Smith, to complete "the greatest structural accomplishment" the city had ever seen.

• was no longer up to the demands of the modern world.

• had just been renovated to welcome the city’s wealthiest guests.

• was considered the most luxurious and modern hotel of the century.

• remained the most profitable building in the entire city.

Answer explanation

The old Waldorf-Astoria was outdated and could not meet modern demands, prompting its demolition and the construction of a new skyscraper to reflect contemporary standards.

Because height was of the utmost importance, the building was designed from the top down. ……………A dirigible is a kind of giant blimp, built to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in the days before jets. Although now that may seem silly, at the time, dirigibles were cutting edge technology, and the mooring mast, according to Smith, was "a logical development of this day of air transportation." Moreover, the 200-foot mast would allow the building to solidly surpass the Chrysler Building in height.

• At the very top would be a "dirigible mooring mast."

• Many experts thought dirigibles were too dangerous to be practical.

• The Chrysler Building also tried to add a tall spire to beat the competition.

• Engineers feared that adding extra height might make the tower unstable.

Answer explanation

The text indicates that the building was designed with a focus on height, specifically mentioning a "dirigible mooring mast" at the top. This directly supports the choice, as it highlights the intended feature to surpass the Chrysler Building.

The mooring mast was planned to reach nearly 1,300 feet above Fifth Avenue. Below that was the building—as wide as a city block on the first floor, but narrower as it went up. The places where it got narrower are called "setbacks," and they started at the sixth floor, a design the architects said, "will save space and assure light and air to neighbors." "We believe we have solved the problem of light and air in congested districts," said Mr. Smith. Construction began on the bottom floors even before the designs for the top floors had been finalized…………... Times reporter C. G. Poore described the process as "a chase up into the sky, with the steel workers going first and all the other trades following madly after them." To illustrate this, Poore produced "some staggering figures":

• The workers were unhappy about the dangerous conditions.

• Once it started, it went fast.

• The project was delayed many times due to financial problems.

• Smith considered postponing construction until the designs were finished.

Answer explanation

The phrase "a chase up into the sky" and the mention of "staggering figures" indicate that once construction began, it progressed rapidly, supporting the choice that it went fast.

The building of the skyscraper represents an investment of $50,000,000 and all other figures are in proportion. More than 50,000 tons of steel, 10,000,000 bricks, and 200,000 cubic feet of stone will be used before the frame is completed. There will be seventy-five miles of water mains and 2,000,000 feet of electric light and power wiring…………. …Among them are 225 carpenters, 290 bricklayers, 384 brick laborers, 328 arch laborers, 107 derrick men.

• Only a few dozen workers could be hired at that time.

• The construction faced many shortages of skilled labor.

• More than 3,000 men are daily at work.

• Accidents among the workers were reported almost every day.

Answer explanation

The text states that there are 225 carpenters, 290 bricklayers, 384 brick laborers, 328 arch laborers, and 107 derrick men, which totals over 3,000 workers daily on the construction site.