Academic IELTS Reading Practice - 12 - ARCHITECTURE - Reaching For The Sky
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 29-40 which are based on Reading Passage 12 below:
ARCHITECTURE - Reaching For The Sky
Architecture is the art and science of designing
buildings and structures. A building reflects the scientific and
technological achievements of the age as well as the ideas and
aspirations of the designer and client. The appearance of individual
buildings, however, is often controversial.
The use of an architectural style cannot be said to
start or finish on a specific date. Neither is it possible to say
exactly what characterises a particular movement. But the origins of
what is now generally known as modern architecture can be traced back to
the social and technological changes of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Instead of using timber, stone and traditional building
techniques, architects began to explore ways of creating buildings by
using the latest technology and materials such as steel, glass and
concrete strengthened steel bars, known as reinforced concrete.
Technological advances also helped bring about the decline of rural
industries and an increase in urban populations as people moved to the
towns to work in the new factories. Such rapid and uncontrolled growth
helped to turn parts of cities into slums.
By the 1920s architects throughout Europe were reacting
against the conditions created by industrialisation. A new style of
architecture emerged to reflect more idealistic notions for the future.
It was made possible by new materials and construction techniques and
was known as Modernism.
By the 1930s many buildings emerging from this movement
were designed in the International Style. This was largely
characterised by the bold use of new materials and simple, geometric
forms, often with white walls supported by stiltlike pillars. These were
stripped of unnecessary decoration that would detract from their
primary purpose to be used or lived in.
Walter Gropius, Charles Jeanneret (better known as Le
Corbusier) and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe were among the most influential
of the many architects who contributed to the development of Modernism
in the first half of the century. But the economic depression of the
1930s and the second world war (1939-45) prevented their ideas from
being widely realised until the economic conditions improved and
war-torn cities had to be rebuilt. By the 1950s, the International Style
had developed into a universal approach to building, which standardised
the appearance of new buildings in cities across the world.
Unfortunately, this Modernist interest in geometric
simplicity and function became exploited for profit. The rediscovery of
quick-and-easy-to-handle reinforced concrete and an improved ability to
prefabricate building sections meant that builders could meet the
budgets of commissioning authorities and handle a renewed demand for
development quickly and cheaply. But this led to many badly designed
buildings, which discredited the original aims of Modernism.
Influenced by Le Corbusier's ideas on town planning,
every large British city built multi-storey housing estates in the
1960s. Massproduced, low-cost high-rises seemed to offer a solution to
the problem of housing a growing inner-city population. But far from
meeting human needs, the new estates often proved to be windswept
deserts lacking essential social facilities and services. Many of these
buildings were poorly designed and constructed and have since been
demolished.
By the 1970s, a new respect for the place of buildings
within the existing townscape arose. Preserving historic buildings or
keeping only their facades (or fronts) grew common. Architects also
began to make more use of building styles and materials that were
traditional to the area. The architectural style usually referred to as
High Tech was also emerging. It celebrated scientific and engineering
achievements by openly parading the sophisticated techniques used in
construction. Such buildings are commonly made of metal and glass;
examples are Stansted airport and the Lloyd's building in London.
Disillusionment at the failure of many of the poor
imitations of Modernist architecture led to interest in various styles
and ideas from the past and present. By the 1980s the coexistence of
different styles of architecture in the same building became known as
Post Modern. Other architects looked back to the classical tradition.
The trend in architecture now favours smaller scale building design that
reflects a growing public awareness of environmental issues such as
energy efficiency. Like the Modernists, people today recognise that a
well designed environment improves the quality of life but is not
necessarily achieved by adopting one well defined style of architecture.
Twentieth century architecture will mainly be
remembered for its tall buildings. They have been made possible by the
development of light steel frames and safe passenger lifts. They
originated in the US over a century ago to help meet the demand for more
economical use of land. As construction techniques improved, the
skyscraper became a reality.
[Ruth Coleman ]
[Ruth Coleman ]
Questions 29-35
Complete the table below using information from Reading Passage 3. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 29-35 on your answer sheet.
Complete the table below using information from Reading Passage 3. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 29-35 on your answer sheet.
PERIOD
|
STYLE OF
PERIOD
|
BUILDING
MATERIALS
|
CHARACTERISTICS
|
Before 18th
century
|
Example
traditional
|
... (29) ...
|
|
1920s
|
introduction of
…... (30) ......
|
steel, glass and
concrete
|
exploration of latest
technology
|
1930s -
1950s
|
…... (31) ……
|
geometric forms
|
|
1960s
|
decline of
Modernism
|
pre-fabricated
sections
|
…... (32) …...
|
1970s
|
end of Modernist
era
|
traditional materials
|
...... (33) …...
of historic buildings
|
1970s
|
beginning of
…... (34) …... era
|
metal and glass
|
sophisticated techniques
paraded
|
1980s
|
Post-Modernism
|
…... (35) …...
|
Questions 36-40
Reading Passage 3 describes a number of cause and effect relationships.
Match each Cause (36-40) in List A, with its Effect (A-H) in List B.
Write your answers (A-H) in boxes 36 40 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more effects in List B than you will need, so you will not use all of them. You may use any effect more than once if you wish.
Reading Passage 3 describes a number of cause and effect relationships.
Match each Cause (36-40) in List A, with its Effect (A-H) in List B.
Write your answers (A-H) in boxes 36 40 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more effects in List B than you will need, so you will not use all of them. You may use any effect more than once if you wish.
LIST A CAUSES LIST B RESULTS
36 A rapid movement of people from rural areas to cities is triggered by technological advance.
37 Buildings become simple and functional.
38 An economic depression and the second world war hit Europe.
39 Multi-storey housing estates are built according to contemporary ideas on town planning.
40 Less land must be used for building.
|
A The quality of life is improved.
B Architecture reflects the age.
C A number of these have been knocked down.
D Light steel frames and lifts are developed.
E Historical buildings are preserved.
F All decoration is removed.
G Parts of cities become slums.
H Modernist ideas cannot be put into practice until the second half of the 20th century.
|
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