SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

B2 - Вариант 1

Missing headings

You are going to read a magazine article. Choose the most suitable heading from the list for each part (1–6) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).
0: An Australian landmark
The Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most recognizable sights and is photographed almost as often as the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. Although only completed in 1973, it is as representative of Australia as the Taj Mahal is of India and the Pyramids are of Egypt.

1:
But, how did this masterpiece of architecture come into being? Back in the 1950s, a group of philanthropic citizens decided that Sydney needed a centre for the promotion of the performing arts. The then premier Joseph Cahill became very enthusiastic about the idea, so he set up a committee and established an appeal fund in order to finance the construction of an opera house. However, it was soon clear that the project would require a great deal of money, so a lottery was introduced.

2:
An international competition was held to find a design for the building. The ultimate winner was Danish architect Jorn Utzon. The distinguished feature of Utzon’s design was a roof that resembled a ship in full sail. This design was so daring and progressive that it went beyond the engineering capabilities of the time. It was therefore necessary for Utzon to spend a couple of years researching and reworking the original design in order to come up with an idea which would make it structurally possible.

3:
The project itself got under way in 1954, but Utzon resigned in 1966 because of controversy regarding cost and disagreements over interior design. A team of Australian architects took over and began to extensively review what function the building would serve. They managed to deal with all the obstacles in their way and successfully completed the building which has become a symbol of art worldwide.

4:
The name ‘Opera House’ is a bit of an understatement for this massive complex. There are almost a thousand rooms in the Sydney Opera House, including the four main auditoriums. They consist of a reception hall, five rehearsal studios, four restaurants, six theatre bars, sixty dressing rooms and suites, a library, a lounge for artists and a miscellaneous collection of other utility areas. The main concert hall seats 2,690 people. The acoustics are regarded as being among the best in the world, giving the symphonic music played there an optimum tone. This makes it suitable not only for performances of classical music, but also for a large variety of different musical presentations.

5:
The first performance at the Sydney Opera House was Prokofiev’s ‘War and Peace’ by the Australian Opera Company. This was followed less than a month later by a gala official opening by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the twentieth of October 1973.

6:
Since its opening, the Sydney Opera House has established itself as a leading force in cultural development. The management aims to ensure that visitors and patrons have a memorable experience by promoting and presenting a broad mix of high quality arts entertainment. Added to this, is its geographic location dominating the skyline of Sydney Harbour. It is no doubt one of the most culturally rich institutions in the world.