IELTS Rewind

IELTS Reading Practice Test: The development of the London underground railway

Practice your IELTS reading skills with this comprehensive 13-question test. Time limit: 20 minutes.

Reading Passage Content Summary

## The development of the London underground railway In the first half of the 1800s, London’s population grew at an astonishing rate, and the central area became increasingly congested. In addition, the expansion of the overground railway network resulted in more and more passengers arriving in the...

Question Types Included

  • note-completion (6 questions)
  • true-false-not-given (7 questions)

Test Information

  • Total Questions: 13
  • Time Limit: 20 minutes
  • Level: Intermediate to Advanced
  • Format: IELTS Academic Reading

The development of the London underground railway

Reading Passage Content

This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Questions 1–6: Note Completion

Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1–6.

The London underground railway

The problem
  • The (1). of London increased rapidly between 1800 and 1850
  • The streets were full of horse-drawn vehicles
The proposed solution
  • Charles Pearson, a solicitor, suggested building an underground railway
  • Building the railway would make it possible to move people to better housing in the (2).
  • A number of (3). agreed with Pearson’s idea
  • The company initially had problems getting the (4). needed for the project
  • Negative articles about the project appeared in the (5).
The construction
  • The chosen route did not require many buildings to be pulled down
  • The ‘cut and cover’ method was used to construct the tunnels
  • With the completion of the brick arch, the tunnel was covered with 6).

Questions 7–10: True/False/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
Write FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
Write NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

7 Other countries had built underground railways before the Metropolitan line opened.

8 More people than predicted travelled on the Metropolitan line on the first day.

9 The use of ventilation shafts failed to prevent pollution in the tunnels.

10 A different approach from the ‘cut and cover’ technique was required in London’s central area.

11 The windows on City & South London trains were at eye level.

12 The City & South London Railway was a financial success.

13 Trains on the ‘Tuppenny Tube’ nearly always ran on time.

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Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
13 questions
IELTS Reading #83: The development of the London underground railway | IELTS Rewind