The Iron Bridge — IELTS Reading Answers

When was the furnace bought by Darby originally constructed?

“In 1638, Basil Brooke patented a steel-making process and built a furnace at Coalbrookdale. This later became the property of Abraham Darby”

A year: the furnace was 'built' at Coalbrookdale in 1638 and later became Darby's property, so 1638 is its construction date.

When were the roads leading to the bridge completed?

“Work on the approach roads continued for another two years, and the bridge was opened to traffic in 1781”

A year: 'Work on the approach roads continued' until the bridge 'was opened to traffic in 1781'.

When was the bridge closed to traffic?

“Since 1934 the bridge has been open only to pedestrians”

A year: 'Since 1934 the bridge has been open only to pedestrians', so vehicles were excluded from 1934.

When was a model of the bridge built?

“So in 2001 a half-scale model of the bridge was built, in order to see if it could have been constructed in the way depicted in the watercolour”

A year: 'a half-scale model of the bridge was built' in 2001 to test the watercolour's construction method.

There is no written evidence of how the original bridge was constructed.

“Despite its pioneering technology, no eye-witness accounts are known which describe the iron bridge being erected – and certainly no plans have survived”

TRUE: 'no eye-witness accounts are known' and 'no plans have survived', so no written record of the erection exists.

The painting by Elias Martin is the only one of the bridge when it was new.

“Although there is a wealth of early views of the bridge by numerous artists, this is the only one which actually shows it under construction”

FALSE: there is 'a wealth of early views... by numerous artists'; Martin's is unique only in showing the bridge 'under construction'.

The painting shows that the bridge was constructed from the two banks.

“But the picture clearly shows sections of the bridge being raised from a barge in the river”

FALSE: sections were 'raised from a barge in the river', not built out from the two banks, as the picture 'clearly shows'.

The original bridge and the model took equally long to construct.

“Construction took three months during the summer of 1779, and remarkably, nobody was injured during the construction process – a feat almost unheard of even in modern major civil engineering projects So in 2001 a half-scale model of the bridge was built,”

NOT GIVEN: the original took 'three months during the summer of 1779', but no construction time is given for the 2001 model.

Elias Martin is thought to have made other paintings of the bridge.

“The Swedish watercolour sketch had apparently been torn from a book which would have contained similar sketches. It had been drawn by a Swedish artist who lived in London for 12 years and travelled Britain drawing what he saw.”

TRUE: the sketch came from 'a book which would have contained similar sketches', and 'the other sketches' may still exist.

why a bridge was required across the River Severn

“His son, Abraham Darby II, pioneered the manufacture of cast iron, and had the idea of building a bridge over the Severn, as ferrying stores of all kinds across the river, particularly the large quantities of fuel for the furnaces at Coalbrookdale and other surrounding ironworks, involved considerable expense and delay”

Paragraph D: 'ferrying stores of all kinds across the river' caused 'considerable expense and delay', which is why a bridge was proposed.

a method used to raise money for the bridge

“Abraham Darby III funded the bridge by commissioning paintings and engravings, but he lost a lot on the project, which had cost nearly double the estimate, and he died leaving massive debts in 1789, aged only 39”

Paragraph E: Darby 'funded the bridge by commissioning paintings and engravings', the method used to raise money.

why Coalbrookdale became attractive to iron makers

“This led to cheaper, more efficient ironmaking from the abundant supplies of coal, iron and limestone in the area”

Paragraph C: 'abundant supplies of coal, iron and limestone in the area' produced 'cheaper, more efficient ironmaking', attracting iron makers.

how the sections of the bridge were connected to each other

“The bridge wasn't welded or bolted together as metal bridges are these days. Instead it was fitted together using a complex system of joints normally used for wood – but this was the traditional way in which iron structures were joined at the time”

Paragraph H: sections were 'fitted together using a complex system of joints normally used for wood', not welded or bolted.