1. Complete the text with the expressions that you hear from the track.
If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places ………………………….. …………… ancient art and culture, historical buildings and monuments. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List (WHL).
Remains of ancient cultures, like Cuzco in Peru, Angkor in Cambodia, or the famous rock city of Petra in Jordan. Or old city centers, such as Rome in Italy, or Sana'a in Yemen. Or places of artistic or………………………………….. …………………………………….. , like the Stonehenge stone circle in England, or the Tsodilo rock paintings in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. But The World Heritage List contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Some of them are well known. For example, the Galápagos Islands, which inspired Darwin's ……………………………….. …. ……………………………., or the Victoria Falls waterfalls in Africa, and the Grand Canyon in the United States.
Let's look at a few of the more unusual sites on the World Heritage List and why it is important to preserve them.
Citadel of Haiti These monuments were built at the end of the nineteenth century when Haiti ……………………………………. ……………………………….. and the many thousands of black slaves in Haiti were free for the first time. These ex-slaves built the monuments, which The World Heritage List (WHL) describes as 'a universal symbol of …………………………….. '.
Robben Island in South Africa This island was used through the centuries as a prison, a hospital and a military base. But it's probably most famous as a ………………………………… - ……………………………………. prison for political prisoners in the twentieth century. Nelson Mandela was one of its most famous residents. The WHL says it represents 'the triumph of democracy and freedom over ……………………………….. and ……………………………… '.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India This railway was opened in 1881 and is still operating today. It crosses a difficult area of mountain landscape and it is a great example of ………………………………….. ………………………………….. . The WHL says that it is 'the first, and still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway.'
Borders of France and Spain This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting ……………………………………… ………………………. . But it is also an area of small farms. People there still use a type of agriculture that used to be common in mountainous areas of Europe but has almost completely disappeared in modern times. The WHL has listed the site because it shows us about 'past European society through its landscape of villages, farms, fields, ……………………………. ……………………………….. and mountain roads.'
The city of Brasilia, Brazil Brasilia is a capital city that was created from …………………………… in 1956. The WHL calls it 'a landmark in the history of town planning.' The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time so that they would harmonize with each other. Every part of the city shows the ideas of the ……………………………… and …………………………… .
Dorset and East Devon Coast, United Kingdom This part of the coast in the South West of England is famous for its fossils and is …………………………… …………. scientists and amateur fossil hunters. The cliffs also show rock formations from millions of years ago. The WHL says that they 'have contributed to the study of ………………………….. ……………………………….. for over 300 years.'
Alto Douro, Portugal This is an area in the North of Portugal where wine has been produced for thousands of years. Nowadays it is world famous for the '…………………. ……………………… ' that is produced there. The WHL says that this long tradition of winemaking 'has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.'
Rio Platano Reserve, Honduras The WHL says that this site is 'one of the few remains of a …………………. …………….. …………….. i
Picture Paper - 1946 British Council Film Collection ... This film has been made available by the British Council Film ... British Council during the ...