IELTS Reading: Engineering and History

Vocabulary flashcards covering the development of the London Underground, the evolution of historical stadiums, and the fugitive journey of King Charles II.

Charles Pearson

A solicitor for the City of London who advocated for an underground railway to link overground stations and relocate residents from inner-city slums.

'Cut and cover'

A construction technique where a trench about $10\,m$ wide and $6\,m$ deep was dug and later covered with a $2\,m$ layer of soil.

Metropolitan Railway Company

The organization established in $\text{August } 1854$ that constructed the world's first underground railway between Paddington and Farringdon Street.

City & South London Railway

The world's first deep-level electric railway which opened in $1890$ and ran from the City to Stockwell, south of the River Thames.

'Tuppenny Tube'

The popular name for the Central London Railway which began operation in $1900$ using new electric locomotives.

Amphitheatre of Arles

A Roman stadium in southwest France built in $90\,AD$ that has been used as a fortress, a village, and a bullfighting arena.

Smart grid

An electricity supply network using digital communications technology to detect and react to local usage changes without significant energy losses.

Kaohsiung Stadium

A modern stadium in Taiwan featuring $8,844$ photovoltaic panels that produce up to $1.14\,GWh$ of electricity annually.

Battle of Worcester

The conflict in September $1651$ where King Charles II was comprehensively defeated, leading to a six-week national manhunt.

Samuel Pepys

The diarist whom King Charles II requested to record his personal recollections of his escape to ensure the episode was never forgotten.