How do the Wonders work?

[nedlear]

It states in the Wonders info...
"
    These 16 facilities can be built by everyone and each player can develop more than one facility.
    A facility becomes a Wonder when its level is the highest in the realm.
    The wonders grant special bonuses which affect, both, the owner and all his allies.
    A player is eligible to hold only one wonder, so if he has more than one facility at highest level in the realm, he must choose which one to be a wonder and grant a bonus.
"

This is how it reads to me : Anyone can build a facility. The facility has the 'potential' to hold a Wonder. Only the highest construction facility becomes a wonder. Only one player can have the highest construction facility, therefore only one player receives the bonus of said Wonder. Only the Wonder (not the facility) gives a bonus. So unless you have the highest construction there is no benefit at all??? That's what it says but that doesn't make sense to me because of the percentage and ranking figures of the players who pay for construction, which seems to suggest that players receive at least a part of the Wonders' effect. Can someone clarify this for me please?

[scottjones]

Players do receive partial benefit if they have not reached the highest level. The level of benefit appears in the column 'wonder effect'