The world around us - Module 3A
B2 First · Gapped Text · First Expert Coursebook, Pearson Education
You are going to read an article about the history of London. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences (A-G) the one which fits each gap (1–6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
A colourful heritage
Unfortunately, this new period of wealth was hard hit by a global economic crisis, shortly followed by another attack on the city, in which much of London was ruined.
The author Charles Dickens vividly describes the London of that time in his novels as poor, dirty and crime-ridden.
During his reign, the River Thames became the focal point of London as the navy was expanded and ships were sent out to explore the world.
These dreams suffered a huge blow when there was an uprising against the invaders and this area, later known as London, was burnt to the ground in the first of many disastrous fires.
This was a mistake, as it meant very few dogs and cats were left to catch the diseased rats and as a result, around 100,000 people are estimated to have died.
But the city's location on the Thames was far too good for its decline to continue.
In fact, many of the streets in the city were named after the particular trade which was practised there.
Twenty-first century London is an exciting place to be. Around 15 million tourists a year visit the city to experience its culture, history and lively nightlife. Yet it has had more than its fair share of misfortunes. After the invasion of CE43, the Romans developed an area around the River Thames into a trading centre, in the hope of establishing the city as the future capital of England.
Not to be put off, the new rulers quickly defeated the rebels and went on to rebuild the city. However, the Roman Empire crumbled in the fifth century and with it, the power and influence of London.
Trade soon began to expand again, until the Danish Vikings burnt the city to the ground once more in the ninth century. The next 100 years is a confused tale of further invasions but a more settled era began when the Norman King William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. Within the original Roman walls, the city continued to grow, although wooden houses crowded tightly together meant that fire was a continual hazard and hygiene was so poor that when the Black Death swept through Europe in the 14th century, it killed nearly half of London's inhabitants. A new London was born in the 16th century, when Henry VIII gave away much of the land previously owned by the church for private development.
It was also the period of the first theatres, made famous by Shakespeare's plays. By the 16th century, there were about 200,000 people living in London, although two disasters in the next century would again wipe out much of the population and devastate most of the city itself. London was no stranger to the Plague but a fatal variety brought over by rats on trading ships caused panic. While those who could escaped the city, sufferers were locked in their houses and orders were given for all household pets to be killed.
The next calamity, the Great Fire, put an end to the Plague but burnt down four-fifths of the city. It was during this period that Sir Christopher Wren designed and built many of the well-known London churches we can still see today. The Industrial Revolution saw the population explode to six million in 100 years as Victorian London became the centre of trade, thanks to the arrival of the railways. However, despite all this economic expansion, living conditions amongst the poor were dreadful.
The boundaries of the City spread outwards in the 20th century, as the population continued to snowball and luxury hotels and department stores sprang up.
This time it was bombs which caused the devastation. The period after World War II saw massive rebuilding and also heavy immigration, which was to change the character of the city yet again.
Twenty-first century London is an exciting place to be. Around 15 million tourists a year visit the city to experience its culture, history and lively nightlife. Yet it has had more than its fair share of misfortunes. After the invasion of CE43, the Romans developed an area around the River Thames into a trading centre, in the hope of establishing the city as the future capital of England. ___ Not to be put off, the new rulers quickly defeated the rebels and went on to rebuild the city. However, the Roman Empire crumbled in the fifth century and with it, the power and influence of London. ___ Trade soon began to expand again, until the Danish Vikings burnt the city to the ground once more in the ninth century. The next 100 years is a confused tale of further invasions but a more settled era began when the Norman King William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. Within the original Roman walls, the city continued to grow, although wooden houses crowded tightly together meant that fire was a continual hazard and hygiene was so poor that when the Black Death swept through Europe in the 14th century, it killed nearly half of London's inhabitants. A new London was born in the 16th century, when Henry VIII gave away much of the land previously owned by the church for private development. ___ It was also the period of the first theatres, made famous by Shakespeare's plays. By the 16th century, there were about 200,000 people living in London, although two disasters in the next century would again wipe out much of the population and devastate most of the city itself. London was no stranger to the Plague but a fatal variety brought over by rats on trading ships caused panic. While those who could escaped the city, sufferers were locked in their houses and orders were given for all household pets to be killed. ___ The next calamity, the Great Fire, put an end to the Plague but burnt down four-fifths of the city. It was during this period that Sir Christopher Wren designed and built many of the well-known London churches we can still see today. The Industrial Revolution saw the population explode to six million in 100 years as Victorian London became the centre of trade, thanks to the arrival of the railways. However, despite all this economic expansion, living conditions amongst the poor were dreadful. ___ The boundaries of the City spread outwards in the 20th century, as the population continued to snowball and luxury hotels and department stores sprang up. ___ This time it was bombs which caused the devastation. The period after World War II saw massive rebuilding and also heavy immigration, which was to change the character of the city yet again.
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