The Bridge That Crossed an Ocean
Have you ever heard of a giant stone bridge sitting in the middle of a hot, sunny desert? It sounds like a mirage, but it is completely real. In Lake Havasu City, Arizona, stands the historic London Bridge. It did not start its life in the American Southwest. Instead, it spent more than a century stretching across the River Thames in London, England. The story of how this massive landmark traveled thousands of miles across the ocean is one of the most unusual adventures in modern history.
By the mid-1960s, the city of London had a major problem. The famous London Bridge, which had been completed in 1831, was sinking. It was not built to handle the heavy traffic of modern cars, buses, and trucks. Every year, the bridge sank another inch into the muddy riverbed. London officials realized they needed to build a new, stronger bridge. But rather than simply destroying the historic stone bridge, they decided to do something unusual: they put it up for sale.
- Mirage:
- An optical illusion caused by hot air, making something distant look like a sheet of water or a real object.
- Dismantling:
- Taking something apart piece by piece.
- Granite:
- A very hard, strong natural stone used for building.
- Canal:
- An artificial waterway built for boats to pass through.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where is the historic London Bridge located today?
- 2Why did the city of London need to replace the London Bridge in the mid-1960s?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“The Bridge That Crossed an Ocean” is a explanatory article reading passage about The London Bridge in Arizona, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (445 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.