PASSWORD AND ANSWERS AT LAST OF THIS BLOG
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READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 15 minutes on Questions 1-13,
which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is an example of late modern
architecture; it is admired internationally and treasured by the people of
Australia.
In 1966 the Premier of New South Wales, Australia, announced
an international competition for the design of an opera house for Sydney. It
attracted more than 200 entries from around the world and was won by Jørn
Utzon, a relatively little-known architect from Denmark. The story goes that
during the judging of the competition, one judge, American architect Eero
Saarinen, arrived in Sydney after the other three judges had started assessing
the entries. He looked through their rejected entries and stopped at the Utzon
design, declaring it to be outstanding.
It was Utzon’s life and travels that had shaped his design
for the Sydney Opera House. Though he had never visited the site, he used his
maritime background to study naval charts of Sydney Harbour. His early exposure
to shipbuilding provided the inspiration for the design of the roof, which is a
series of curved ‘shells’ that look like the sails of a sailing ship billowing
in the wind. From his travels to Mexico, he had the idea of placing his
building on a wide horizontal platform.
Construction of the platform began in 1959, and throughout
the early 1960s Utzon amended his original designs in order to develop a way to
build the large ‘shells’ that cover the two main halls. The construction of the
roof brought together some of the world’s best engineers and craftsmen,
devising innovative techniques to create a major visual impact in accordance
with Utzon’s vision. The design was one of the first examples of the use of
computer-aided design for complex shapes.
Although Utzon had spectacular plans for the interior, he
was unable to realise them. Cost overruns contributed to criticism of the
project and, after a change of government, the Minister of Works began
questioning Utzon’s schedules and cost estimates. Payments to Utzon were
stopped and he was forced to withdraw as chief architect in 1966. Following his
resignation, there were protests through the streets led by prominent architect
Harry Seidler and others, demanding that Utzon be reinstated as architect.
However, Utzon was not reinstated and left Australia in 1966. He never
returned, and new architects were appointed to complete the building in his
absence.
The original cost estimate for the Opera House was $7 million, with the
completion date set for 26 January 1963. However, the Opera House was not
formally completed until 1973, having cost $102 million.
It was Utzon’s life and travels that had shaped his design
for the Sydney Opera House. Though he had never visited the site, he used his
maritime background to study naval charts of Sydney Harbour. His early exposure
to shipbuilding provided the inspiration for the design of the roof, which is a
series of curved ‘shells’ that look like the sails of a sailing ship billowing
in the wind. From his travels to Mexico, he had the idea of placing his
building on a wide horizontal platform.
Construction of the platform began in 1959, and throughout
the early 1960s Utzon amended his original designs in order to develop a way to
build the large ‘shells’ that cover the two main halls. The construction of the
roof brought together some of the world’s best engineers and craftsmen,
devising innovative techniques to create a major visual impact in accordance with
Utzon’s vision. The design was one of the first examples of the use of
computer-aided design for complex shapes.
Contrary to its name, Sydney Opera House includes multiple
performance venues. It is among the busiest performing-arts centres in the world,
holding over 1,500 performances each year. It hosts a large number of
performing-arts companies, including the four resident companies: Opera
Australia, the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney
Symphony Orchestra.
With its grand setting and cathedral-like atmosphere, the
Concert Hall is Sydney Opera House’s most prestigious performance space. The
largest of all interior venues, it delivers outstanding acoustics thanks to its
high ceiling and wood panelling. There is a sizeable outdoor forecourt from
which people ascend to the main entrance. The steps, which lead up from the
forecourt to the main performance venues, are nearly 100 metres wide.
In 1999 Utzon was re-engaged to develop a set of design
principles to act as a guide for future changes to the building. All of this
design work he did from his base in Europe. These principles help to ensure
that the building’s architectural integrity is maintained. The first alteration
to the exterior was the addition of a new colonnade, which shades nine large
glass openings in the previously solid exterior wall. This Utzon-led project,
completed in 2006, enabled theatre patrons to see the harbour for the first
time from the theatre foyers. The design also incorporates the first public lift
and interior escalators to assist less-mobile patrons.
Since 2007, the cultural, heritage and architectural
importance of Sydney Opera House has been protected by its inclusion on the
World Heritage List.
Questions 1-7 Do the following statements agree with the information
given in Reading Passage 1? In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Utzon was famous for his work before he designed the
Opera House.
2. Utzon's design was favoured by the four judges of
the competition from the beginning.
3. Utzon's knowledge of boats gave him the idea for parts
of the Opera House.
4. Utzon was impressed by the opera houses he had
seen in Mexico.
5. Utzon changed his designs in the 1960s after
construction began.
6. Seidler defended Utzon's role as architect.
7. Utzon went back to Australia in 1973 for the opening
of the Opera House.
Questions 8-13
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for
each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.
Sydney Opera House
Final cost: 8______
Construction:
•
• A large platform acting as a base for the
building
•
• Concrete panels used to make ‘shells’, which
are covered in tiles
•
• Over a million tiles from 9______
•
• 10______ from Australia covering the
outside walls
Use:
•
• More than 1,500 performances annually
•
• 11______ performing arts companies have
their home base at the Opera House
Outside:
•
• A large 12______ at the foot of a wide
staircase
Alterations:
•
• A colonnade was added in 2006
Questions 1–7 (True / False / Not Given)
| No. | Statement | Answer | Location / Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utzon was famous for his work before he designed the Opera House. | FALSE | “...won by Jørn Utzon, a relatively little-known architect from Denmark.” → He was not famous. |
| 2 | Utzon's design was favoured by the four judges of the competition from the beginning. | FALSE | “...Eero Saarinen... looked through their rejected entries and stopped at the Utzon design, declaring it to be outstanding.” → Other judges had rejected it first. |
| 3 | Utzon's knowledge of boats gave him the idea for parts of the Opera House. | TRUE | “His early exposure to shipbuilding provided the inspiration for the design of the roof, which is a series of curved ‘shells’...” |
| 4 | Utzon was impressed by the opera houses he had seen in Mexico. | FALSE | “From his travels to Mexico, he had the idea of placing his building on a wide horizontal platform.” → No mention of Mexican opera houses. |
| 5 | Utzon changed his designs in the 1960s after construction began. | TRUE | “...throughout the early 1960s Utzon amended his original designs in order to develop a way to build the large ‘shells’...” |
| 6 | Seidler defended Utzon's role as architect. | TRUE | “...there were protests through the streets led by prominent architect Harry Seidler and others, demanding that Utzon be reinstated as architect.” |
| 7 | Utzon went back to Australia in 1973 for the opening of the Opera House. | FALSE | “He never returned, and new architects were appointed to complete the building in his absence.” |
Questions 8–13 (Notes Completion)
| No. | Question / Clue | Answer | Location / Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Final cost | $102 million | “...the Opera House was not formally completed until 1973, having cost $102 million.” |
| 9 | Over a million tiles from ___ | Sweden | (Found in original text continuation, commonly part of the full passage: “Over a million tiles from Sweden cover the shells.”) |
| 10 | ___ from Australia covering the outside walls | granite | (Commonly part of passage: “The podium is made from pink granite quarried in Tarana, New South Wales.”) |
| 11 | ___ performing arts companies have their home base | four | “...including the four resident companies: Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.” |
| 12 | A large ___ at the foot of a wide staircase | forecourt | “There is a sizeable outdoor forecourt from which people ascend to the main entrance.” |
| 13 | Openings made the ___ visible from foyers | harbour | “...enabled theatre patrons to see the harbour for the first time from the theatre foyers.” |
✅ Final Answer List (Concise):
| Q | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | FALSE |
| 2 | FALSE |
| 3 | TRUE |
| 4 | FALSE |
| 5 | TRUE |
| 6 | TRUE |
| 7 | FALSE |
| 8 | $102 million |
| 9 | Sweden |
| 10 | granite |
| 11 | four |
| 12 | forecourt |
| 13 | harbour |
PASSWORD:: IELTS2
• • Openings made the 13______ visible from foyers
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