A Brief History of London Underground - IELTS Reading Answers

A Brief History of London Underground is a real Reading test passage that appeared in the IELTS. To perform well, it is essential to understand the techniques for approaching and addressing the different question types in the Reading Module.

The Academic Reading passage, A Brief History of London Underground, is an IELTS reading passage that consists of 13 questions. There are sets of questions in the IELTS passages, each involving the completion of a specific task.

So, let’s see how easy this passage is for you and if you’re able to make it in 20 minutes. If not, try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.

The question types found in this passage are:

• True/False/Not Given IELTS Reading (Q. 1-6)
• IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions (Q. 7-10)
• IELTS Reading Sentence Completion (Q. 11-13)

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Reading Passage

A Brief History of London Underground

Questions 1-6

1 More than a billion commuters use London Underground every day.

2 London Underground would not be considered a unique concept were it to be built today.

3 In the 19th century, railway companies were not allowed to build stations within central London.

4 Charles Pearson’s London Underground plan was a precursor of his Fleet Valley rail tunnel idea.

5 The first section of the Metropolitan District Railway, which opened in 1868, took five years to complete.

6 The British government promised great financial returns to private investors to convince them to fund London Underground.

Questions 7-10

7 During the first year of its operation, the Metropolitan Railway

A encouraged passengers to grow beards to block the smell.

B was not particularly successful.

C had more than 11 million passengers.

D was as bad as it is nowadays during the summer months.

8 At the end of the 19th century,

A London Underground stopped using shallow tunnels.

B a new London Underground line was completed.

C a new method of moving trains with electricity was invented.

D the City and South London Railway were established.

9 The Victoria Line

A was originally named the Viking Line.

B was the first London Underground line to use electric traction.

C was the fourth London Underground line to be built.

D was built more than 70 years after its predecessor.

10 The London Passenger Transport Board

A replaced the private companies that previously owned London Underground.

B released the first diagram of the Underground map in 1933.

C was established by private developers.

D controlled most of London’s transport services.

Questions 11-13

11 Since 2003, London commuters have been able to listen to 11 ………………… in and outside London Underground stations.

12 London Underground not only attracted a lot of business to London but also helped it to become a 12 ………………….

13 London Underground does have its 13 ………………….. but it’s still a unique and important cultural phenomenon.

Answers of A Brief History of London Underground Reading Answers With Location and Explanations

Don’t miss the answer key for the A Brief History of London Underground IELTS Reading passage, complete with detailed explanations, and prepare to score a high IELTS Reading band score.

1 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 11

Answer explanation: In the eleventh line, it is stated that London Underground achieved its next important milestone, reaching 1 billion passengers per year. These lines suggest that the London underground witnessed around 1 billion passengers per year. Thus, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is False.

2 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 2

Answer explanation: Paragraph 2 illustrates that the idea of an intricate train network running underneath a vibrant and heavily populated city like London might not be such a novelty in contemporary society, but it certainly was one back in the early 19th century when it was first conceived. It is evident from these lines that London underground wouldn’t be considered a unique concept were it to be built today. Thus, the statement agrees with the information, so, the answer is True.

3 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 8

Answer explanation: Paragraph 8 illustrates that this changed in 1933 when all of those companies were nationalized and merged to form the London Passenger Transport Board, which controlled London’s railway, tram, trolleybus, bus, and coach services. We can deduce from these lines that in the 19th century, railway companies were not allowed to build stations within central London. Thus, the statement agrees with the information, so the answer is True.

4 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 3

Answer explanation: Paragraph 3 states that Charles Pearson, the man who originally envisioned a Fleet Valley rail tunnel just fifteen years after the first steam passenger service was opened in 1830, couldn’t have come up with his plan for what was to become London Underground at a better time. These lines suggest that Charles Pearson envisioned a fleet valley rail within 15 years after the first steam passenger service was opened, he couldn’t have come up with another plan for what was to become the London underground. Thus, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is False.

5 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 2

Answer explanation: The 2nd line of the 4th paragraph states that Five years later, in 1868, the first section of the Metropolitan District Railway (now incorporated into the District and Circle lines) followed, running from South Kensington to Westminster. These lines suggest that in 1868, the first section of the metropolitan district railway was incorporated into the district and circle lines. However, there’s no reference to the fact that it took five years to complete the first section of the metropolitan district railway. Thus, the answer is Not Given.

6 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 3

Answer explanation: The 3rd line of the 4th paragraph states that Within the first fifty years, much of what is known as Zone 1 of the London Underground system today would be built, all funded by private developers. (Unfortunately for them, none would get the financial returns they had been promised.). In these lines, it is mentioned that none of them received the financial returns they had promised. As a result, there’s no reference to the fact that the British government promised great financial returns to private investors to convince them to fund London Underground. Hence, the answer is Not Given.

7 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph 5 – 6

Answer explanation: In paragraph 5, it is stated that in 1863, with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway, which ran between Paddington (called Bishop’s Road at the time) and Farringdon, serving a total of eight stations. In the 2nd line of paragraph 6, it is mentioned that Nevertheless, the line was a smashing success from the very beginning, with more than 11 million passengers in just the first year. According to these lines, the first metropolitan railway began its operation in the year 1863 by serving a total of 8 stations and in the very first year of its operations, the railway achieved huge success with more than 11 million passengers. Thus, it’s clear that during the first year of its operation, the metropolitan railway had more than 11 million passengers. Hence, the answer is C.

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