The development of the London underground below street level using a technique known as ‘cut

railway and cover’. A trench about ten metres wide and six
metres deep was dug, and the sides temporarily
In the first half of the 1800s, London’s population held up with timber beams. Brick walls were then
grew at an astonishing rate, and the central area constructed, and finally a brick arch was added to
became increasingly congested. In addition, the create a tunnel. A two-metre-deep layer of soil was
expansion of the overground railway network laid on top of the tunnel and the road above rebuilt.
resulted in more and more passengers arriving in
the capital. However, in 1846, a Royal Commission The Metropolitan line, which opened on 10
decided that the railways should not be allowed to January 1863, was the world’s first underground
enter the City, the capital’s historic and business railway. On its first day, almost 40,000 passengers
centre. The result was that the overground railway were carried between Paddington and Farringdon,
stations formed a ring around the City. The area the journey taking about 18 minutes. By the end of
within consisted of poorly built, overcrowded slums the Metropolitan’s first year of operation, 9.5 million
and the streets were full of horse-drawn traffic. journeys had been made. Even as the Metropolitan
Crossing the City became a nightmare. It could began operation, the first extensions to the line
take an hour and a half to travel 8 km by horse- wen being authorised; these were built over the
drawn carriage or bus. Numerous schemes were next five years, reaching Moorgate in the east of
proposed to resolve these problems, but few London and Hammersmith in the west. The original
succeeded. plan was to pull the trains with steam locomotives,
using firebricks in the boilers to provide steam, but
Amongst the most vocal advocates for a solution these engines were never introduced. Instead, the
t0 London’s traffic problems was Charles Pearson, line used specially designed locomotives that were
who worked as a solicitor for the City of London. fitted with water tanks in which steam could be
He saw both social and economic advantages in condensed. However, smoke and fumes remained
building an underground railway that would link the a problem, even though ventilation shafts were
overground railway stations together and clear added to thetunnels.
London slums at the same time. His idea was to
relocate the poor workers who lived in the inner-
city slums to newly constructed suburbs, and to Despite the extension of the underground railway,
provide cheap rail travel for them to get to work. by the 1880s, congestion on London’s streets had
Pearson’s ideas gained support amongst some become worse. The problem was partly that the
businessmen and in 1851 he submitted a plan to exiting underground lines formed a circuit around
Parliament. It was rejected, but coincided with a the centre of London and extended *o tie suburbs,
proposal from another group for an underground but did not cross the capital’s centre. The ‘cut and
connecting line, which Parliament passed.The two cover’ method of construction; not an option in this
groups merged and established the Metropolitan part of the capital. The only alternative was to
Railway Company in August 1854. The company’s tunnel deep underground. Although the technology
plan was to construct an underground railway line to create these tunnels existed, steam locomotives
from the Great Western Railway’s (GWR) station could not be used in such a confined space. It
at Paddington to the edge of the City at Farringdon wasn’t until the development of a reliable electric
Street – a distance of almost 5 km. The motor, and a means of transferring power from the
organisation had difficulty in raising the funding for generator to a moving train, that the world’s first
such a radical and expensive scheme, not least deep-level electric railway, the City & South
because of the critical articles printed by the press. London, became possible. The line opened in
Objectors argued that the tunnels would collapse 1890, and ran from the City to Stockwell, south of
under the weight of traffic overhead, buildings the River Thames. The trains were made up of
would be shaken and passengers would be three carriages and driven by electric engines. The
poisoned by the emissions from the train engines. carriages were narrow and had tiny windows just
However, Pearson and his partners persisted. below the roof because it was thought that
passengers would not want to look out at the tunnel
The GWR, aware that the new line would finally walls. The line was not without its problems, mainly
enable them to run trains into the heart of the City, caused by an unreliable power supply. Although
invested almost £250,000 in the scheme. the City & South London Railway was a great
Eventually, over a five-year period, £1m was technical achievement, it did not make a profit.
raised. The chosen route ran beneath existing Then, in 1900, the Central London Railway, known
main roads to minimise the expense of as the ‘Tuppenny Tube’, began operation using
demolishing buildings. Originally scheduled to be new electric locomotives. It was very popular and
completed in 21 months, the construction of the soon afterwards new railways and extensions were
underground line took three years. It was built just added to the growing tube network. By 1907, the
heart of today’s Underground system was in place. A Stadiums are among the oldest forms of urban
architecture: vast stadiums where the public could
Questions 1-6 watch sporting events were at the centre of
Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD western city life as far back as the ancient Greek
ONLY from the passage for each answer. and Roman Empires, well before the construction
of the great medieval cathedrals and the grand
The London underground railway 19th- and 20th-century railway stations which
The problem dominated urban skylines in later eras. Today,
• The (1) ………………… of London increased however, stadiums are regarded with growing
rapidly between 1800 and 1850 scepticism. Construction costs can soar above £1
• The streets were full of horse-drawn vehicles billion, and stadiums finished for major events such
as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup
The proposed solution have notably fallen into disuse and disrepair. But
• Charles Pearson, a solicitor, suggested building this need not be the case. History shows that
an underground railway stadiums can drive urban development and adapt
• Building the railway would make it possible to to the culture of every age. Even today, architects
move people to better housing in the (2) and planners are finding new ways to adapt the
………………. mono-functional sports arenas which became
• A number of (3) …………………. agreed with emblematic of modernisation during the 20th
Pearson’s idea century.
• The company initially had problems getting the
(4) …………………. needed for the project B The amphitheatre of Arles in southwest France,
• Negative articles about the project appeared in with a capacity of 25,000 spectators, is perhaps
the 5 the best example of just how versatile stadiums
can be. Built by the Romans in 90 AD, it became a
The construction fortress with four towers after the fifth century, and
• The chosen route did not require many buildings was then transformed into a village containing
to be pulled down more than 200 houses. With the growing interest
• The ‘cut and cover’ method was used to construct in conservation during the 19th century, it was
the tunnels converted back into an arena for the staging of
• With the completion of the brick arch, the tunnel bullfights, thereby returning the structure to its
was covered with (6) …………………. original use as a venue for public spectacles.
Another example is the imposing arena of Verona
Questions 7-13 in northern Italy, with space for 30,000 spectators,
Do the following statements agree with the which was built 60 years before the Arles
information given in Reading Passage? In boxes amphitheatre and 40 years before Rome’s famous
7-13 on your answer sheet, write Colosseum. It has endured the centuries and is
currently considered one of the world’s prime sites
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information for opera, thanks to its outstanding acoustics.
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this C The area in the centre of the Italian town of
Lucca, known as the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro, is yet
7. Other countries had built underground railways another impressive example of an amphitheatre
before the Metropolitan line opened. becoming absorbed into the fabric of the city. The
8. More people than predicted travelled on the site evolved in a similar way to Arles and was
Metropolitan line on ‘he first day. progressively filled with buildings from the Middle
9. The use of ventilation shafts failed to prevent Ages until the 19th century, variously used as
pollution in the tunnels. houses, a salt depot and a prison. But rather than
10. A different approach from the ‘cut and cover’ reverting to an arena, it became a market square,
technique was required in London’s central area. designed by Romanticist architect Lorenzo
11. The windows on City & South London trains Nottolini. Today, the ruins of the amphitheatre
were at eye level. remain embedded in the various shops and
12. The City & South London Railway was a residences surrounding the public square.
financial success.
13. Trains on the ‘Tuppenny Tube’ nearly always D There are many similarities between modern
ran on time. stadiums and the ancient amphitheatres intended
for games. But some of the flexibility was lost at the
beginning of the 20th century, as stadiums were
Stadiums: past, present and future developed using new products such as steel and
reinforced concrete, and made use of bright lights
for night-time matches. Many such stadiums are experimentation in advanced engineering. The
situated in suburban areas, designed for sporting stadium of today now brings together multiple
use only and surrounded by parking lots. These functions, thus helping cities to create a
factors mean that they may not be as accessible to sustainable future.
the general public, require more energy to run and
contribute to urban heat. Questions 14-17
Reading Passage has seven sections, A-G. Which
section contains the following information? Write
E But many of today’s most innovative architects the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 14-17 on your
see scope for the stadium to help improve the city. answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more
Among the current strategies, two seem to be than once.
having particular success: the stadium as an urban
hub, and as a power plant. 14. a mention of negative attitudes towards
There’s a growing trend for stadiums to be stadium building projects
equipped with public spaces and services that 15. figures demonstrating the environmental
serve a function beyond sport, such as hotels, benefits of a certain stadium
retail outlets, conference centres, restaurants and 16. examples of the wide range of facilities
bars, children’s playgrounds and green space. available at some new stadiums
Creating mixed-use developments such as this 17. reference to the disadvantages of the stadiums
reinforces compactness and multi-functionality, built during a certain era
making more efficient use of land and helping to
regenerate urban spaces. This opens the space up Questions 18-22
to families and a wider cross-section of society, Complete the summary below. Choose ONE
instead of catering only to sportspeople and WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
supporters. There have been many examples of Write your answers in boxes 18-22 on your answer
this in the UK: the mixed-use facilities at Wembley sheet.
and Old Trafford have become a blueprint for many
other stadiums in the world. Roman amphitheatres
The Roman stadiums o’1 Europe have proved very
versatile. The amphitheatre of Arles, for example,
F The phenomenon of stadiums as power stations was converted first into a (18) …………………. ,
has arisen from the idea that energy problems can then into a residential area and finally into an arena
be overcome by integrating interconnected where spectators could watch (19)
buildings by means of a smart grid, which is an …………………… Meanwhile, the arena in
electricity supply network that uses digital Verona, one of the oldest Roman amphitheatres,
communications technology to detect and react to is famous today as a venue where (20)
local changes in usage, without significant energy ………………. is performed. The site of Lucca’s
losses. Stadiums are ideal for these purposes, amphitheatre has also been used for many
because their canopies have a large surface area purposes over the centuries, including the storage
for fitting photovoltaic panels and rise high enough of (21) ………………….. It is now a market square
(more than 4) metres) to make use of micro wind with (22) …………………….. and homes
turbines. Freiburg Mage Solar Stadium in incorporated into the remains of the Roman
Germany is the first of a new wave of stadiums as amphitheatre.
power plants, which also includes the Amsterdam
Arena and the Kaohsiung Stadium. The latter, Questions 23 and 24
inaugurated in 2009, has 8,844 photovoltaic Choose TWO letters, A-E. Write the correct letters
panels producing up to 1.14 GWh of electricity in boxes 23 and 24 on your answer sheet.
annually. This reduces the annual output of carbon
dioxide by 660 tons and supplies up to 80 percent When comparing twentieth-century stadiums to
of the surrounding area when the stadium is not in ancient amphitheatres in Section D, which TWO
use. This is proof that a stadium can serve its city, negative features does the writer mention?
and have a decidedly positive impact in terms of A They are less imaginatively designed.
reduction of CO2 emissions. B They are less spacious.
C They are in less convenient locations.
D They are less versatile.
G Sporting arenas have always been central to the E They are made of less durable materials.
life and culture of cities. In every era, the stadium
has acquired new value and uses: from military Questions 25 and 26
fortress to residential village, public space to Choose TWO letters, A-E. Write the correct letters
theatre and most recently a field for in boxes 25 and 26 on your answer sheet.
 least of its use of Charles II’s own narrative as well
Which TWO advantages of modern stadium as those of his supporters, is just how close the
design does the writer mention? reader gets to the action. The day-by-day retelling
A offering improved amenities for the enjoyment of of the fugitives’ doings provides delicious details:
sports events the cutting of the king’s long hair with agricultural
B bringing community life back into the city shears, the use of walnut leaves to dye his pale
environment skin, and the day Charles spent lying on a branch
C facilitating research into solar and wind energy of the great oak tree in Boscobel Wood as the
solutions Parliamentary soldiers scoured the forest floor
D enabling local residents to reduce their below. Spencer draws out both the humour – such
consumption of electricity as the preposterous refusal of Charles’s friend
E providing a suitable site for the installation of Henry Wilmot to adopt disguise on the grounds
renewable power generators that it was beneath his dignity – and the emotional
tension when the secret of king’s presence was
cautiously revealed to his supporters.
To catch a king
Charles’s adventures after losing the Battle of
Charles Spencer’s latest book, To Catch a King, Worcester hide the uncomfortable truth that whilst
tells us the story of the hunt for King Charles II in almost everyone in England had been appalled by
the six weeks after his resounding defeat at the the execution of his father, they had not welcomed
Battle of Worcester in September 1651. And what the arrival of his son with the Scots army, but had
a story it is. After his father was executed by the instead firmly bolted their doors. This was partly
Parliamentarians in 1649, the young Charles II because he rode at the head of what looked like a
sacrificed one of the very principles his father had foreign invasion force and partly because, after
died for and did a deal with the Scots, thereby almost a decade of civil war, people were
accepting Presbyterianism as the national religion desperate to avoid it beginning again. This makes
in return for being crowned King of Scots. His it all the more interesting that Charles II himself
arrival in Edinburgh prompted the English loved the story so much ever after. As well as
Parliamentary army to invade Scotland in a pre- retelling it to anyone who would listen, causing
emptive strike. This was followed by a Scottish eye-rolling among courtiers, he set in train a series
invasion of England. The two sides finally faced of initiatives to memorialise it. There was to be a
one another at Worcester in the west of England in new order of chivalry, the Knights of the Royal Oak.
1651. After being comprehensively defeated on A series of enormous oil paintings depicting the
the meadows outside the city by the episode were produced, including a two-metre-
Parliamentarian army, the 21-year-old king found wide canvas of Boscobel Wood and a set of six
himself the subject of a national manhunt, with a similarly enormous paintings of the king on the run.
huge sum offered for his capture. Over the In 1660, Charles II commissioned the artist John
following six weeks he managed, through a series Michael Wright to paint a flying squadron of
of heart-poundingly close escapes, to evade the cherubs carrying an oak tree to the heavens on the
Parliamentarians before seeking refuge in France. ceiling of his bedchamber. It is hard to imagine
For the next nine years, the penniless and many other kings marking the lowest point in their
defeated Charles wandered around Europe with life so enthusiastically, or indeed pulling off such
only a small group of loyal supporters. an escape in the first place.

Years later, after his restoration as king, the 50- Charles Spencer is the perfect person to pass the
year-old Charles II requested a meeting with the story on to a new generation. His pacey, readable
writer and diarist Samuel Pepys. His intention prose steers deftly clear of modern idioms and
when asking Pepys to commit his story to paper elegantly brings to life the details of the great tale.
was to ensure that this most extraordinary episode He has even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive
was never forgotten. Over two three-hour sittings, king and the fierce republican regime that hunted
the king related to him in great detail his personal him, and he succeeds in his desire to explore far
recollections of the six weeks he had spent as a more of the background of the story than previous
fugitive. As the king and secretary settled down (a books on the subject have done. Indeed, the
scene that is surely a gift for a future scriptwriter), opening third of the book is about how Charles II
Charles commenced his story: ‘After the battle was found himself at Worcester in the first place, which
so absolutely lost as to be beyond hope of for some will be reason alone to read To Catch a
recovery, I began to think of the best way of saving King.
myself.’
The tantalising question left, in the end, is that of
One of the joys of Spencer’s book, a result not what it all meant. Would Charles II have been a
different king had these six weeks never 32. Charles chose Pepys for the task because he
happened? The days and nights spent in hiding considered him to be trustworthy.
must have affected him in some way. Did the need 33. Charles’s personal recollection of the escape
to assume disguises, to survive on wit and charm lacked sufficient detail.
alone, to use trickery and subterfuge to escape 34. Charles indicated to Pepys that he had planned
from tight corners help form him? This is the one his escape before the battle.
area where the book doesn’t quite hit the mark. 35. The inclusion of Charles’s account is a positive
Instead its depiction of Charles II in his final years aspect of the book.
as an ineffective, pleasure-loving monarch doesn’t
do justice to the man (neither is it accurate), or to Questions 36-40
the complexity of his character. But this one niggle Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
aside, To Catch a King is an excellent read, and
those who come to it knowing little of the famous 36. What is the reviewer’s main purpose in the first
tale will find they have a treat in store. paragraph?
A to describe what happened during the Battle of
Questions 27-31 Worcester
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, B to give an account of the circumstances leading
A-J, below. Write the correct letter, A-J, in boxes to Charles II’s escape
27-31 on your answer sheet. C to provide details of the Parliamentarians’
political views
The story behind the hunt for Charles II D to compare Charles Il’s beliefs with those of his
father
Charles II’s father was executed by the
Parliamentarian forces in 1649. Charles II then 37. Why does the reviewer include examples of the
formed a (27) …………………. with the Scots, and fugitives’ behaviour in the third paragraph?
in order to become King of Scots, he abandoned A to explain how close Charles II came to losing
an important (28) …………………… that was held his life
by his father and had contributed to his father’s B to suggest that Charles II’s supporters were
death. The opposing sides then met outside badly prepared
Worcester in 1651. The battle led to a (29) C to illustrate how the events of the six weeks are
……………….. for the Parliamentarians and brought to life
Charles had to flee for his life. A (30) D to argue that certain aspects are not as well
…………………. was offered for Charles’s capture, known as they should be
but after six weeks spent in hiding, he eventually
managed to reach the (31) ……………………. of 38. What point does the reviewer make about
continental Europe. Charles II in the fourth paragraph?
A He chose to celebrate what was essentially a
A military innovation defeat.
B large reward B He misunderstood the motives of his opponents.
C widespread conspiracy C He aimed to restore people’s faith in the
D relative safety monarchy.
E new government D He was driven by a desire to be popular.
F decisive victory
G political debate 39. What does the reviewer say about Charles
H strategic alliance Spencer in the fifth paragraph?
I popular solution A His decision to write the book comes as a
J religious conviction surprise.
B He takes an unbiased approach to the subject
Questions 32-35 matter.
Do the following statements agree with the claims C His descriptions of events would be better if they
of the writer in Reading Passage? In boxes 32-35 included more detail.
on your answer sheet, write D He chooses language that is suitable for a
twenty-first-century audience.
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the
writer 40. When the reviewer says the book ‘doesn’t quite
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the hit the mark’, she is making the point that
writer A it overlooks the impact of events on ordinary
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer people.
thinks about this B it lacks an analysis of prevalent views on
monarchy.
C it omits any references to the deceit practised by
Charles II during his time in hiding.
D it fails to address whether Charles II’s
experiences had a lasting influence on him.