Page 39 - Reading Success B6

The Suez Canal is a man made waterway that links the Mediterranean Sea with
the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea. It is considered the dividing point

between Asia and Africa.
The canal runs across the Isthmus of Suez, a desert area that connects

northeast Africa with southwest Asia. This waterway lies in the northeastern part
of Egypt. East of the canal is the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip. Before the canal

was built, ships from Europe and America had to travel around Africa to reach
Australia, India, and the Far East.

The Suez Canal runs 109 miles between Port Said on the Mediterranean and
the port of Suez on the Gulf of Suez. It runs through flat desert land at sea level

so that no locks are needed to raise and lower ships. Parts of the canal are only
194 feet wide. Ships must wait to pass one another in a special bypass or in one

of the lakes through which the canal flows.
The Suez Canal was constructed between 1859 and 1869. The project was

directed by a French diplomat and engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps. An
international agreement stated that the canal would be open in peacetime and

wartime.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. what the Suez Canal is and some of its features

b. how the Suez Canal was built
c. where the Suez Canal is located

d. why the Suez Canal is open during both times of peace and of war

42_Reading Success B 6