Reading Comprehension Test

Text 3A LONDON’S UNDERGROUND

Practise introducing opinions using phrases from list number 1. Try to use appropriate phrases from lists number 3, 4, 5, 6 for expressing agreement, doubt, reservations, partial agreement and disagreement.

1. The designing of London’s Underground was a great success and its building was a great achievement, wasn’t it?

2. Bands were playing and the gentlemen in hats were preparing to make the first underground railway travel in the world, weren’t they?

3. The first underground railway travel in the world was not long, the distance of almost 6,5 km, couldn’t you agree?

4. It was the year 1890 and on that first historic day 3,000 Londoners used this new and strange way of travel, wouldn’t you agree on that?

5. Now the London tube carries more than a million passengers every year, doesn’t it?

6. The total number of passengers carried by the London Underground each year is enormous, and it is constantly growing, don’t you think so?

7. In the early days the trains were driven by horses or buffalos, but their use was very inefficient, because the animals got very tired and lost their ability to haul trains. Wouldn’t you support this argument?

8. It is said that the train staff and porters had to have a smog mask, because the atmosphere “underground” was very hard, couldn’t you support this argument?

9. Tunnelling a tube through miles of clay, sometimes sand and gravel is no easy task, wouldn’t you agree on that?

10. One of the longest continuous railway tunnels in the world is the 17 ½ mile tunnel on the Western line, isn’t it?

11. There are numerous escalators which help to keep the traffic moving. The first was put into operation in 1900, wasn’t it?

12. On long escalators the speed is changeable. The “up” escalator runs at full speed when carrying passengers, but when empty it doesn’t run, couldn’t you agree?

13. The air in the London’s Underground is changed every 10 min., and the temperature is maintained according to the season and weather conditions outside, wouldn’t you agree on that?

14. The problem of overcrowding on certain lines at peak periods is very important, it is being discussed and it is planned to improve the service for the future, couldn’t you support this statement?

15. The fare in the Underground doesn’t depend on the distance and is not more than 50 pence, don’t you see it that way?

16. Crime levels on London’s transport are generally reflected by crime levels in London, wouldn’t you agree on that?

17. According to the statistics the crime level in the Underground is rather high, isn’t it?

Thank you!

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