Vocabulary activities
True-False Questions
Answer the following questions about the text:
a) The statue's weak knees may cause it to collapse.
b) The statue is just over five feet tall.
c) Tests were carried out on the statue by the University of Rome.
d) The statue has been leaning at an angle for hundreds of years.
e) David stood in the wind and rain for more than 350 years.
f) David has been relocated in a purpose-built earthquake-proof museum.
The suffix -proof
The article mentions the possibility of placing David in an earthquake-proof museum.
As explained in WordReference, "-proof" is used to form adjectives with the meaning "resistant; not allowing through'' the word mentioned:
Examples:
- child + -proof → childproof ( = resistant to a child opening it).
- water + proof → waterproof ( = not allowing water through).
Sometimes, the adjective can be used as a verb, as in "to waterproof a fabric".
How would you say the following in English?
a) vidrio a prueba de balas: glass
b) material ignífugo: material
c) habitación insonorizada: room
d) método infalible, a prueba de tontos: or method.
