For Teachers

Give learners 15 minutes to read the passage and answer the 8 questions on their own.

Check the answers together: ask students to show the words in the passage that prove each answer, especially for Not Given.

For Students

Read paragraphs A to D once first to understand the story before you look at the questions.

Then answer the questions in order, and check the meaning of the passage, not only the words.

Historical Reading Passage B1 Academic Level • 4 Sections

A

On 10 January 1863, the world's first underground railway opened in London. It ran from Paddington to Farringdon, and this was a big moment for the city. The carriages were lit by gas, and smoke in the tunnel was a serious problem for passengers. This made a journey under the streets unpleasant for many people.

B

The first underground lines were built by digging a huge trench in the street and then roofing it over. This "cut and cover" method caused tremendous disruption from the 1860s, because all the work took place right in the street. The problem led engineers to look for a better way to build. Before long, a cylindrical tunnelling shield was developed.

C

The next big step came in 1890. In that year the City and South London Railway began as the first deep-level "tube" railway. It ran from Stockwell to King William Street, near Bank. Its tunnels were small and deep, so steam trains could not be used. For this reason, the company decided to run electric locomotives instead.

D

The new railway did well. More and more people used it, and its customer numbers grew from 5.4 million in 1891 to 13.4 million in 1901. A guide from the TfL archive calls the railway an engineering and operational triumph. In other words, the writers of the guide thought that it worked very well, both in how it was built and in how it ran.

Q1

Travelling on the first underground line could be unpleasant because of the smoke.

____ True ____ False ____ Not Given

Q2

Most working-class Londoners felt that initial underground ticket prices were too expensive.

____ True ____ False ____ Not Given

Q3

What can the reader understand about the trench method of building?

____ a. It was a fast and cheap way to build, so engineers kept using it. ____ b. It caused problems that made engineers look for a better way. ____ c. It was first used to build the deep-level railway of 1890. ____ d. It was invented to solve the smoke problem in the tunnels.

Q4

What does the TfL archive guide say about the City and South London Railway?

____ a. It was an interesting idea, but few people used it. ____ b. It showed that the trench method was the best way to build a line. ____ c. It was a very successful railway. ____ d. It lost customers because its tunnels were small.

Q5

Which paragraph mentions a tool that was developed to help build tunnels?

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Q6

Which paragraph gives figures that show how many more people used the new railway?

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Q7

Digging a huge trench in the street and roofing it over was known as the three words method.

Enter your answer: ____ (Type exact phrase...)

Q8

Because the tunnels of the 1890 railway were small and deep, the company decided to run locomotive type instead of steam trains.

Enter your answer: ____ (Type exact phrase...)