雅思剑TestReadingx

IELTS10
Test1
ReadingPassage1
Stepwells
Amillenniumago,stepwellswerefundamentaltolifeinthedriestpartsofIndia.Richard
Coxtravelledtonorth-westernIndiatodocumentthespectacularmonumentsfromabygoneera.
Duringthesixthandventhcenturies,theinhabitantsofthemodern-daystatesofGujarat
andRajasthaninnorth-westernIndiadevelopedamethodofgainingaccesstoclean,fresh
groundwater
during
thedryasonfor
drinking,
bathing,wateringanimals
andirrigation.
However,
thesignificanceofthisinvention-thestepwell-goesbeyonditsutilitarianapplication.
Uniquetothisregion,stepwellsareoftenarchitecturallycomplexandvarywidelyinsize
andshape.Duringtheirheyday,theywereplacesofgathering,ofleisureandrelaxationandof
worshipforvillagersofallbutthelowestclass.Moststepwellsarefounddottedroundthe
dert
areasofGujarat
(wheretheyarecalled
vav)
andRajasthan(where
theyarecalled
baori),
whileafewalsosurviveinDelhi.Somewerelocatedinornearvillagesaspublicspacesfor
community;otherswerepositionedbesideroadsasrestingplacesfortravellers.
Astheirnamesuggests,stepwellscompriariesofstonestepsdescendingfromground
leveltothewatersource(normallyanundergroundaquifer)asitrecedesfollowingtherains.
Whenthewaterlevelwashigh,theurneededonlytodescendafewstepstoreachit;whenit
waslow,verallevelswouldhavetobenegotiated.
Somewellsarevast,opencraterswithhundredsofstepspavingeachslopingside,oftenin
tiers.Othersaremoreelaborate,withlongsteppedpassagesleadingtothewaterviaveral
storeys.Builtfromstoneandsupportedbypillars,theyalsoincludedpavilionsthatsheltered
visitorsfromtherelentlessheat.Butperhapsthemostimpressivefeaturesaretheintricate
decorative
sculpturesthat
embellish
manystepwells,
showingactivities
fromfighting
anddancing
toeverydayactssuchaswomancombingtheirhairorchurningbutter.
Downthecenturies,
thousands
of
wellswereconstructed
throughout
north-westernIndia,
but
themajorityhavenowfallenintodisu;manyarederelictanddry,asgroundwaterhasbeen
'
diverted
forindustrial
uandthe
wellsnolongerreachthe
watertable.
Theircondition
hasn
bt
eenhelpedbyrecentdryspells:southernRajasthansufferedaneight-yeardroughtbetween1996
and2004.
However,someimportantsites
in
Gujarathaverecentlyundergonemajor
restoration,
andthe
stategovernmentannouncedinJunelastyearthatitplanstorestorethestepwellsthroughout
thestate.
'
'
Inpatan,thestate
sancientcapital,thestepwellofRaniKiVav(Queen
sStepwell)is
perhapsthe
finest
current
example.Itwasbuilt
byQueenUdayamatiduring
thelate
11th
century,
butbacamesiltedupfollowingafloodduringthe13thcentury.ButtheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiabeganrestoringitinthe1960s,andtodayitisinpristinecondition.At65metres
long,20metreswideand27metresdeep,RaniKiVavfeatures500sculpturescarvedintonichesthroughoutthemonument.Incredibly,inJanuary2001,thisancientstructuresurvivedan
earthquakethatmeasured7.6ontheRichterscale.
Another
exampleisthe
SuryaKundin
Modhera,northern
Gujarat,
next
tothe
SunTemple,built
byKingBhimaIin1026tohonourthesungodSurya.Itactuallyremblesatank(kundmeans
rervoirorpond)ratherthanawell,butdisplaysthehallmarksofstepwellarchitecture,
includingfoursidesofstepsthatdescendtothebottominastunninggeometricalformation.
Theterraceshou108small,intricatelycarvedshrinesbetweenthetsofsteps.
Rajasthan
also
hasawealth
ofwells.
Theancient
city
ofBundi,
200kilometres
southofJaipur,
isrenownedforitsarchitecture,includingitsstepwells.
OneofthelargerexamplesisRanijiKiBaori,whichwasbuiltbythequeenoftheregion,
Nathavatji,
in
1699.At46metresdeep,
20metreswideand40metreslong,
theintricately
carved
monumentisoneof21baoriscommissionedintheBundiareabyNathavatji.
IntheoldruinedtownofAbhaneri,about95kilometreastofJaipur,isChandBaori,one
ofIndia
'
soldestanddeepestwells;aestheticallyit
'
sperhapsoneofthemost
Builtinaround850ADnexttothetempleofHarshatMata,thebaoricomprishundredsof
zigzaggingstepsthatrunalongthreeofitssides,steeplydescending11storeys,resultingin
astriking
pattern
whenenfromafar.
Onthe
fourth
side,
verandaswhicharesupported
byornate
pillarsoverlookthesteps.
StillinpublicuisNeemranaKiBaori,locatedjustofftheJaipur-Delhihighway.
Constructed
in
around1700,
it
isnine
storeys
deep,
with
the
last
twobeingunderwater.
Atground
level,
there
are86colonnaded
openings
fromwherethe
visitor
descends170stepstothedeepest
watersource.
Today,
following
years
of
neglect,
manyof
the
monumentsto
medieval
engineering
havebeen
savedbytheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndia,whichhasrecognidtheimportanceofprerving
themaspartofthecountry
'
srichhistory.Touristsflocktowellsinfar-flungcornersof
north-western
India
togazein
wonderat
the
architectural
marvels
from
hundredsof
years
ago,
whichrve
asareminderof
boththe
ingenuity
andartistry
of
ancient
civilisations
andof
the
valueofwatertohumanexistence.TRUEifthestatementagreeswiththeinformationFALSEif
thestatement
contradictsthe
information
NOTGIVENif
there
is
noinformation
onthis
Questions
1-5
Examplesofancientstepwellscanbefoundallovertheworld.
Stepwellshadarangeoffunctions,inadditiontothorelatedtowatercollection.
ThefewexistingstepwellsinDelhiaremoreattractivethanthofoundelwhere.
Ittookworkersmanyyearstobuildthestonestepscharacteristicofstepwells.
5Thenumberofstepsabovethewaterlevelinastepwellalteredduringthecourofayear.Questions6-8
ChooONEWORDONLYfromthepassageforeachanswer.
Whichpartofsomestepwellsprovidedshadeforpeople?
Whattypeofriousclimaticevent,whichtookplaceinsouthernRajasthan,ismentionedinthearticle?
8Whoarefrequentvisitorstostepwellsnowadays?Questions9-13
Stepwell
Date
Features
RaniKi
Late11th
Asmanyas500sculptures
Vav
century
decoratethemonument

Othernotes
Restoredinthe1960s.
Excellentcondition,despite
the9of2001
SuryaKund1026
RanijiKi
1699
Baori
ChandBaori850AD
Neemarana1700KiBaori

Stepsonthe10producea
geometricalpattern
Carvedshrines
Intricatelycarvedmonument
Stepstakeyoudown11storeystothebottom
Hastwo13levels

Looksmorelikea11thanawell
Oneof21baorisintheareacommissionedbyQueenNathavatjji
Old,deepandverydramaticHas
12whichprovideaviewofthesteps
Udbypublictoday