English Olympiad
For those students who are keen on learning English and would like to check themselves doing English Olympiad Year 9 Reading Test 3
Reading Comprehension Test for Year 9 Students
You are going to read an article about architecture. Choose from the list A-H the sentence which best summaries each part (7-12) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.
The Art of Architecture
A Many buildings around the world are considered works of art.
B There are many stages in creating a new building.
C Only when a building is finished do we know if it is successful.
D Slowly, the building begins to take shape.
E A building’s location and use are important factors in designing a building.
F Different countries have different kinds of architecture.
G The design process starts with the architect’s idea.
H Architecture is more than just building something.
0 – H
People don’t always think of architecture as art. If you look at the average block of flats in your neighbourhood, it’s easy enough to understand why not all buildings can be considered ‘art’. But if you look at some of the best-known buildings of the world — from ancient times to today — it’s clear that a lot more goes into a building than concrete, metal and glass. In fact, architecture is art on a very grand scale and provides an excellent example of how people make art part of their everyday lives.
1
Let’s look at some examples of architecture as art. Think for a minute of the Acropolis of Athens. The Parthenon has long been considered a nearly perfect structure. Its geometry and great beauty have stood for thousands of years and it is still one of the finest works of art of its kind today. The Sydney Opera House is another fine example of the art of architecture. Its graceful image in Sydney harbour is one that the entire world recognises. Finally, Chicago’s Sears Tower, for many decades the tallest building in the word, set a new standard for skyscrapers and modern architecture in general.
2
What exactly goes into creating a great building? In many ways, the process of building is very similar to the process that an artist goes through when creating a great painting or sculpture or other work of art. There are many steps from start to finish. These steps are followed in the building of almost any structure to some degree. The amount of creativity and imagination together with the skill and knowledge of the architect are the ingredients for truly great architecture.
3
The first step in designing a new building is understanding where the building will be constructed and what it will be used for. A narrow space between two skyscrapers in a city with millions of people requires a certain kind of building. A wide, open space allows for different kinds of structures. The space for the new building has a lot to do with the design it will have, Of course, what the building will be used for also plays an important role. Will the new building be a library or a school? Or perhaps a tall office or apartment building? For every different kind of building there are endless possibilities.
4
Next, the architect must come up with an idea in the same way that an artist must imagine what a new work of art will be. What will the building look like? Will it be modern in design, made of glass and steel? Usually, the architect has a concept of the building in mind. Starting from a simple sketch, the design gradually takes shape and includes all the elements the architect has chosen to express a particular idea or to serve a certain purpose.
5
After the design is established, the building process begins. This can take many months or even many years! In the beginning, the structure doesn’t look much like a building at all. Gradually, each part of the new building is added and it begins to resemble the architect’s idea. Sometime, changes are made along the way, either inside the building or even on the outside. In that way, the final building may be different from the architect’s first idea. This is often the case with works of art: we don’t really know what they will look like until they are finished.
6
Finally the building is finished and people move in to use it. This is the final test of the building’s success. Is it a pleasant and comfortable environment to live or work in? Was it designed well for its use? Is it interesting and beautiful to look at? Does it fit in well with its environment? The answers to these questions will determine whether or not it is a great work of architecture.
Many buildings around the world are considered to be works of art. Different countries have different kinds of architecture. Our Motherland Ukraine also has many incredible and famous buildings. For example, Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra is a beautiful church with numerous caves. Tourists stop to admire the House of Chimeras with its fairy animals. My native town Kaniv, also has a beautiful church built in 1144. But not only old buildings and churches can be works of art. Nowadays, we can find thousands of modern, but nice-looking buildings.
I can’t say that we can call all buildings as architecture art. But there are real masterpieces. Our country is full of beautiful famous buildings. There are a lot of beautiful buildings in Kyiv. There are Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra, House with Chimeras, Vydubytsky monastery,
Saint Sophia Cathedral. There are also many amazing buildings in all corners of Ukraine, for example Assumption Church in Lviv, Derzhprom in Kharkiv, Lviv Opera House, Pochaev Lavra, Witch house in Odessa, Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater, Svyatogorsk Lavra, etc. There is a beautiful old church in my town. There are a lot of beautiful modern buildings that we can call art creations.
When you visit a new city, country, your attention is always attracted to the architecture. There are many incredible historical buildings, which are known well by almost everyone. And in ancient times seven of them we called “Seven wonders of the world” . I am sure, that architecture masterpieces must be visited. In Ukraine, there are plenty of amazing architectural creations: palaces, churches, and castles. In almost every country you can see houses, or buildings, which have some ethnic peculiarities and you can get acquainted with the culture, and you can never find this “taste” in any other country. The art of architecture is varied everywhere, but at the same time it unites us.