Buildings above me cloudsVIDEOBig buildings are nothing new. The ancient Egyptians built the Pyramids. The Italians bullt tall towers in theMiddle Ages. The French built huge cathedrals. However, it was difficult to build very tall buildings becausethe bricks were not strong enough. Then, in 1852, Elisha Otis invented the elevator and in the 1880sengineers developed a new building technique using steel. It was now possible to build tall buildings withstrong steel without worrying how to get to the top.In big cities such as Chicago and New York that needed living space for families, and offices for businesses, skyscrapers were the perfect solution. Some very brave men worked on these buildings as it was adangerous job. Imagine walking along narrow beams hundreds of feet above the ground! For this reason, Mohawk Indians from Canada and ex-sailors did most of the work as they were not scared of heights. Infact, the word 'skyscraper' comes from the name sailors gave to the tallest mast on a ship.In 1885, the world's first skyscraper, a ten-storey office building, opened in Chicago, Between 1930 and 1931, the Empire State Building grew almost one floor higher every dayThe 3, 400 men who worked on it finished it in 14 months.These days, skyscrapers decorate every city skyline, and each year taller and taller bulldingsappear all over the world. At present, the world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa, in theUnited Arab Emirates. With over 1, 200 stores, this building is a city in itself. Astana, thecapital of Kazakhstan, also has its share of skyscrapers, The Triumph of Astanais one of the most impressive. It was finished in 2006 and it has 39 floors, withshops, offices, apartments and a hotel.Who knows what's next. The sky is the limit!'1 foot = 30, 48 cma) 6471 Read the text and answer the questions, KNOW?Dire Stateis struck by9 100 times1 Why couldn't people build really tall buildings in the past?2 When could people start building skyscrapers?3 How did the invention of the elevator change the history of buildings?4 Why did people want to build skyscrapers in cities?5 Why are tall buildings called 'skyscrapers'?6 How fast did the Empire State Building grow?7 What can you find in the Triumph of Astana in Kazakhstan?​