IELTS Reading Practice - TRUE/ FALSE/ NOT GIVEN

                         The Thames Tunnel

The Thames Tunnel was a tunnel built under the River Thames in London. It was the first subaqueous tunnel ever built and many people were so amazed that they exaggerated their description of it calling it the Eight Wonder of the World at the time it was opened. It was opened in 1843 to pedestrians only and people came from far and wide to see the marvel. The day it was first opened, it attracted five thousand people to enter the tunnel and walk its length of almost 400 metres. The Thames Tunnel was used by people from all classes. Most working class people used it for its functional use of crossing from one side of the river to the other as they went to work each day, while for the middle classes and upper classes, it was a tourist experience. In the age of sail and horse-drawn coaches, people voyaged a long way to visit the tunnel, but this was not enough to make the tunnel a financial success. It had cost over £500,000 to complete which in those days was a considerable amount of money. However, even though it attracted about 2 million people each year, each person only paid a penny to use it. The aim had been for the tunnel to be used by wheeled vehicles to transport cargo so that it could bring in a profit. But this failed and the tunnel eventually became nothing more than a tourist attraction selling souvenirs and a subaqueous pathway connecting either side of the river. walkway. However, in 1865, the tunnel became part of the London Underground railway system which continues to be its use today.

Questions 1-8

Are the following statements true, false or not given according to the information in the passage above?

  • True = the statement matches the information in the passage.
  • False = the statement contradicts the information in the passage.
  • Not Given = the information is not found in the passage.
  •  
  1. The Thames Tunnel was the first tunnel ever built under a river.
  2. The Thames Tunnel was the Eighth Wonder of the World.
  3. People were drawn from all over to see the Thames Tunnel.
  4. The tunnel was used more by the middle and upper classes.
  5. People were able to travel by sea or land in those days.
  6. The aim of the tunnel was to turn a profit as a tourist attraction.
  7. Statues of the tunnel could be bought as souvenirs.
  8. The tunnel is no longer used as a pedestrian walkway to cross the river.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers

  1. TRUE
    1. “It was the first subaqueous tunnel ever built… “
    2. You might not know the word “subaqueous” but I’m sure you are familiar with “subway” which means a way under the ground. You might also recognise the word “aqua” as being connected with water. Even if you don’t know words, you can make an educated guess about the answer.  
  2. FALSE
    1. The Wonders of the World are places in the world that have been agreed upon internationally as wonders. This means they are factually labelled as Wonders of the World. Such places are not believed to be wonders but are official recognised as wonders.
    2. The passage states: “…many believed it was the Eighth Wonder of the World at the time…… ” The word “believes” implies it is not factual information. Therefore this answer is FALSE. Remember, IELTS is about reading beyond for meaning rather than matching words.
  3. TRUE
    1. “…drew people from far and wide…”
    2. The word “draw” in this context means to attract.
    3. “from all over” is an expression. It is idiomatic which means the words form an expression with a special meaning. This expression means – from many places around the world. The expression does not mean “all countries, for example every country in the world”. The words should not be interpreted individually or literally because it is an idiomatic expression. If you struggle with idiomatic language, please get an idiomatic dictionary which will help you learn meanings of these expressions.
  4. NOT GIVEN
    1. The passage does not state how much each class used the tunnel.
    2. For this answer to be false, the passage would need to show which class used the tunnel more and which used it least, but this information isn’t given.
  5. TRUE
    1. “In the age of sail and horse-drawn coaches….”
    2. “sail” refers to boats (sea travel) which is a method of travelling on the sea
    3. “horse-drawn coaches” were a land method of travel
    4. in the age of = at this time in history”
    5. the meaning of this phrase is “at this time, people could travel by sea (boat) or by land (coaches)”
  6. FALSE
    1. “The aim had been for the tunnel to be used by wheeled vehicles to transport cargo so that it could bring in a profit.”
  7. NOT GIVEN
    1. There is no information about what types of souvenirs were sold.
  8. TRUE
    1. “In 1865, the tunnel became part of the London Underground system which continues to be its use today.” This means that it is used as a railway, not as a walkway.