Week 2 Reading Comprehension

Nama : Retno Aulia
NIM : 2000962
Week-2: Reading Comprehension on Architectural Topic
Architecture - Reaching for the Sky
Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. A building
reflects the scientific and technological achievements of the age as well as the ideas and
aspirations of the designer and client. The appearance of individual buildings, however, is
often controversial. The use of an architectural style cannot be said to start or finish on a
specific date. Neither is it possible to say exactly what characterizes a particular movement.
But the origins of what is now generally known as modern architecture can be traced back to
the social and technological changes of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Instead of using timber, stone, and traditional building techniques, architects began to
explore ways of creating buildings by using the latest technology and materials such as steel,
glass, and concrete strengthened steel bars, known as reinforced concrete. Technological
advances also helped bring about the decline of rural industries and an increase in urban
populations as people moved to the towns to work in the new factories. Such rapid and
uncontrolled growth helped to turn parts of cities into slums.
By the 1920s architects throughout Europe were reacting against the conditions
created by industrialization. A new style of architecture emerged to reflect more idealistic
notions for the future. It was made possible by new materials and construction techniques and
was known as Modernism.
By the 1930s many buildings emerging from this movement were designed in the
International Style. This was largely characterized by the bold use of new materials and
simple, geometric forms, often with white walls supported by stilt-like pillars. These were
stripped of unnecessary decoration that would detract from their primary purpose to be used
or lived in.
Walter Gropius, Charles Jeanneret (better known as Le Corbusier) and Ludwig Mies
van der Rohe were among the most influential of the many architects who contributed to the
development of Modernism in the first half of the century. But the economic depression of
the 1930s and the second world war (1939-45) prevented their ideas from being widely
realized until the economic conditions improved and war-torn cities had to be rebuilt. By the
1950s, the International Style had developed into a universal approach to building, which
standardized the appearance of new buildings in cities across the world.
Unfortunately, this Modernist interest in geometric simplicity and function became
exploited for profit. The rediscovery of quick-and-easy-to-handle reinforced concrete and an
improved ability to prefabricate building sections meant that builders could meet the budgets
of commissioning authorities and handle a renewed demand for development quickly and
cheaply. But this led to many badly designed buildings, which discredited the original aims of
Modernism.
Influenced by Le Corbusier's ideas on town planning, every large British city built
multi-story housing estates in the 1960s. Mass produced, low-cost high-rises seemed to offer
a solution to the problem of housing a growing inner-city population. But far from meeting
human needs, the new estates often proved to be windswept deserts lacking essential social
facilities and services. Many of these buildings were poorly designed and constructed and
have since been demolished.
1
By the 1970s, a new respect for the place of buildings within the existing townscape
arose. Preserving historic buildings or keeping only their facades (or fronts) grew common.
Architects also began to make more use of building styles and materials that were traditional
to the area. The architectural style usually referred to as High Tech was also emerging. It
celebrated scientific and engineering achievements by openly parading the sophisticated
techniques used in construction. Such buildings are commonly made of metal and glass;
examples are Stansted airport and the Lloyd's building in London.
Disillusionment at the failure of many of the poor imitations of Modernist architecture
led to interest in various styles and ideas from the past and present. By the 1980s the
coexistence of different styles of architecture in the same building became known as Post-
Modern. Other architects looked back to the classical tradition. The trend in architecture now
favors smaller scale building design that reflects a growing public awareness of
environmental issues such as energy efficiency. Like the Modernists, people today recognize
that a well-designed environment improves the quality of life but is not necessarily achieved
by adopting one well-defined style of architecture.
Twentieth century architecture will mainly be remembered for its tall buildings. They
have been made possible by the development of light steel frames and safe passenger lifts.
They originated in the US over a century ago to help meet the demand for more economical
use of land. As construction techniques improved, the skyscraper became a reality.
Questions 1-7
Complete the table below using information from Reading Passage 3. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer
sheet.
PERIOD STYLE OF PERIOD BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS

MATERIALS
Before 18th Example: traditional
century Timber and Stone (1)
1920s introduction of steel, glass and concrete exploration of latest
technology
Modernism (2)
1930s - 1950s geometric forms
International Style (3)

1960s decline of Modernism pre-fabricated sections
Multi-story housing (4)
1970s end of Modernist era traditional materials
Preserving (5)
of historic buildings
beginning of metal and glass sophisticated techniques
paraded
High-Tech (6) era
1980s Post-Modernism
Co-existing of styles (7)
2
Questions 8-12
The sentences in the table below describes a number of cause and effect relationships.
Match each Cause (8-12) in List A, with its Effect (A-H) in List B.
Write your answers (A-H) after questions 8-12 on your answer sheet.
Note: There are more effects in List B than you will need, so you will not use all of them. You
may use any effect more than once if you wish.
LIST A: CAUSES LIST B: RESULTS
8. A rapid movement of people from rural A. The quality of life is improved.

areas to cities is triggered by technological
advance. (G) B. Architecture reflects the age.
9. Buildings become simple and functional. C. A number of these have been knocked down.
(F)
D. Light steel frames and lifts are developed.
10. An economic depression and the second
world war hit Europe. (H) E. Historical buildings are preserved.
11. Multi-story housing estates are built F. All decoration is removed.

according to contemporary ideas on town
planning. (C) G. Parts of cities become slums.
12. Less land must be used for building. (D) H. Modernist ideas cannot be put into practice
until the second half of the 20th century.
Source:
https://www.ielts-mentor.com/reading-sample/academic-reading/58-ielts-academic-reading-sample-
33-architecture-reaching-for-the-sky

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Nama : Retno Aulia

Week-2: Reading Comprehension on Architectural Topic

Architecture - Reaching for the Sky

PERIOD STYLE OF PERIOD BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS

International Style (3)

LIST A: CAUSES LIST B: RESULTS

8. A rapid movement of people from rural A. The quality of life is improved.

11. Multi-story housing estates are built F. All decoration is removed.

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