Magy's English Edu. Club
Cambridge 17 Academic Reading Test Three Passage Three
Building the Skyline
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
27. What point does Shester make about Barr’s book in the first paragraph?
The answer is D. > It covers a range of factors that affected the development of New York.
In paragraph one, the book combines geology, history, economics, and a lot of data to explain why business clusters developed where they did and how early decisions of workers and firms shaped the skyline we see today.
28. How does Shester respond to the information in the book about tenements?
The answer is B. > She indicates a potential problem with Barr’s analysis.
In paragraph three, I would have liked Barr to expand upon his claim that existing tenements prevented skyscrapers in certain neighborhoods because ‘likely no skyscraper developer was interested in performing the necessary “slum clearance”.
29. What does Shester say about chapter six of the book?
The answer is C. > It is too specialized for most readers.
In paragraph six, while less technical than the research paper on which the chapter is based, it is probably more technical than would be preferred by a general audience.
30. What does Shester suggest about the chapters focusing on the 1920s building boom?
The answer is D. > Some parts will have limited appeal to certain people.
In paragraph eight, however, they would be well-suited for undergraduates learning about the economics of cities.
31. What impresses Shester the most about the chapter on land values?
The answer is C. > the nature of the research into the topic
In paragraph nine, the data work that went into these estimations is impressive.
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
Choose Yes, No, or Not Given.
32. The description in the first chapter of how New York probably looked from the air in the early 1600s lacks interest.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph two, Barr begins chapter one by taking the reader on a ‘helicopter time-machine’ ride – giving a fascinating account of how the New York landscape in 1609 might have looked from the sky.
33. Chapters two and three prepare the reader well for material yet to come
The answer is YES.
In paragraph three, both chapters are informative and well-researched and set the stage for the economic analysis that comes later in the book.
34. The biggest problem for many nineteenth-century New York immigrant neighborhoods was a lack of amenities.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph four, Barr identifies four primary immigrant enclaves and analyzes their locations in terms of the amenities available in the area.
35. In the nineteenth century, New York’s immigrant neighborhoods tended to concentrate around the harbor.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph four, most of these enclaves were located on the least valuable land, between the industries located on the waterfront and the wealthy neighborhoods bordering Central Park.
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-J.
The Bedrock Myth
36. In chapter seven, Barr indicates how the lack of bedrock close to the surface does not explain why skyscrapers are absent from …….
The answer is H. > SPECIFIC AREAS
In paragraph seven, chapter seven tackles the ‘bedrock myth’, the assumption that the absence of bedrock close to the surface between Downtown and Midtown New York is the reason for skyscrapers not being built between the two urban centers.
37 and 38. He points out that although the cost of foundations increases when bedrock is deep below the surface, this cannot be regarded as ……, especially when compared to …..
37. The answer is D. > EXCESSIVE EXPENSE
38. The answer is I. > TOTAL EXPENDITURE
37 and 38. In paragraph seven, rather, Barr argues that while deeper bedrock does increase foundation costs, these costs were neither prohibitively high nor were they large compared to the overall cost of building a skyscraper.
39 and 40. He describes not only how …. are made possible by the use of caissons, but he also discusses their ……..
39. The answer is B. > DEEP EXCAVATIONS
40. The answer is F. > ASSOCIATED RISKS
In paragraph seven, he describes the use of caissons, which enable workers to dig down for considerable distances, often below the water table, until they reach bedrock. Barr’s thorough technological history discusses not only how caissons work, but also the dangers involved.