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BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 568
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 568 – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 568
READING PASSAGE – 2
SKYSCRAPER
A. The word skyscraper was originally a nautical term for a tall mast or sail on a sailing ship. Today the word is used exclusively to refer to a tall habitable building, usually higher than 150 metres (500 feet). Most skyscrapers serve as office buildings or hotels. The term “high-rise” is also used to describe tall buildings, but it tends to be applied specifically to residential buildings. Modern building of great height, constructed on a steel skeleton originated in the United States.
B. Until the 19th century, buildings of over six stories were rare. It was impractical to have people walk up so many flights of stairs, and water pressure could only provide running water to about 50 feet (15 m). Many mechanical and structural developments in the last quarter of the 19th century, contributed to the evolution of building. With the perfection of the high speed elevator after 1887, skyscrapers were able to attain any desired height.
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The earliest tall buildings were of solid masonry construction, with the thick walls of the lower stories usurping a disproportionate amount of floor space. In order to permit thinner walls through the entire height of the building, architects began to use cast iron in conjunction with masonry. This was followed by cage construction, in which the iron frame supported the floors and the masonry walls bore their own weight.
C. The next step was the invention of a system in which the metal framework would support not only the floors but also the walls. This innovation appeared in the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, designed in 1883 by William Le Baron Jenney the first building to employ steel skeleton construction and embody the general characteristics of a modern skyscraper. The subsequent erection in Chicago of a number of similar buildings made it the centre of the early skyscraper architecture. In the 1890s the steel frame was formed into a completely riveted skeleton bearing all the structural loads, with the exterior or thin curtain walls serving merely as an enclosing screen.
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D. Heating and air conditioning played an important role in the structure of skyscrapers. They are the key units that control the inside atmosphere of all skyscrapers. In the early days, the heat sources in the building came from fireplaces and stoves. Later on heat in the building supplied by the hot water boiler. The boiler heats up the water and sends it out to the radiators through a system of pipes. This was later replaced by central heating furnace with ventilation ducts that channel heat to various areas of the building.
Air condition originated from refrigeration. The process of refrigeration is to draw heat away from substances to lower their temperature. Today, the skyscrapers use the central heating system with ventilation ducts that can be shared with the heating and air conditioning system. Engineers are working on new ways to make heating and air conditioning more efficient and environmental friendly.
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E. In 1892 the New York Building Law made its first provisions for skeleton constructions. There followed a period of experimentation to devise efficient floor plans and aesthetically satisfying forms. In 1916, New York City adopted the Building Zone Resolution, establishing legal control over the height and plan of buildings and over the factors relating to health, fire hazard, and assurance of adequate light and air to buildings and streets. Regulations regarding the setting back of exterior walls above a determined height, largely intended to allow light to reach the streets, gave rise to buildings whose stepped profiles characterize the American skyscraper of subsequent years.
F. With the complex structural and planning problems solved, architects still seek solutions to the difficulties of integrating skyscrapers with community requirements of hygiene, transportation, and commercial interest. In New York during the 1950s, public plazas were incorporated into the designs of the Lever House by Gordon Bunshaft and the Seagram Building of Mies van der Rohe. These International style buildings are also examples of the effective use of vast expanses of glass in skyscrapers. More recently, numerous skyscrapers have been constructed in a number of postmodern modes.
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G. The cost of building a skyscraper is in hundred million dollars in the current market. The skyscraper is well known for its great height and the social status comes with it, and has always associated with wealth and power. To the general public, big is good; in terms of building, the taller the better. In general, large company or firm would host its head office in these skyscrapers. For example Chrysler had its head office in the Chrysler Building, owned by Chrysler which is one of the big three auto makers.
The Sears Tower, the head office for Sears and owned by Sears. It was known for being the worlds’ tallest skyscraper in Chicago. Tenants expect clients to know where they are located when they tell them the Sears Tower as their location. These skyscrapers are owned by the wealthy individuals whom are in the upper level of financial social status. There is a sense of prestige for having offices or shops in these skyscrapers.
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H. Modern skyscrapers are being redefined by the use of advance technologies. Thanks to the advancement in technology, skyscrapers are able to reach new height easily. It changes the way architects design the structure of these buildings. The new function of the skyscraper is to provide great views, house antennas for communications, telebroadcasting and for entertainment purpose.
The use of computer climate control system made the building a more comfortable environment for everyone. The great height of the skyscraper like the Sears Tower, it associates itself with the prestige of being the tallest of all. With the rapid advancement of technology and the influence of fame and wealth, sky will be the only limit for the next generation of skyscrapers.
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Questions 15-18
Reading Passage 2 has 8 paragraphs A – H.
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs A-D.
Write the appropriate numbers (i – viii).
NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use all of them.
List of Headings
i. Hot water boiler and refrigerator
ii. A period of innovation
iii. Skyscraper and a tall mast
iv. Advanced technology
v. Words for tall buildings
vi. The wall evolution
vii. Hot and cold.
viii. From stone to iron
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15. Paragraph A
16. Paragraph B
17. Paragraph C
18. Paragraph D
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Questions 19-22
Match the following innovations with A, B, C, and D.
19. the high-speed elevator
20. public square
21. steel framework
22. riveted skeleton
A. mid-20th century
B. late 1880’s
C. 1890’s
D. early 1880’s
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Questions 23-27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage.
23. A skyscraper is both a tall sailing mast and a tall habitable building.
24. A steel frame is able to support both floors and walls.
25. The central heating system provides both heating and air conditioning.
26. In the early 20th century architects solved the problems of mixing skyscrapers with community needs.
27. The higher level the company is situated in a skyscraper, the higher reputation the company holds.
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IELTS Academic Reading Test
ANSWERS
15. V
16. VIII
17. II
18. VII
19. B
20. A
21. D
22. C
23. FALSE
24. TRUE
25. FALSE
26. FALSE
27. NOT GIVEN
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