Building the Skyline the Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers Reading Answers

Jan 20, 2023

Building the Skyline the Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers Reading Answers is an academic reading topic and a detailed study about the skyscrapers of Manhattan.. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “101 Ielts Reading Past Papers with Answers”. The topic named Building the Skyline the Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers Reading Answers comes with 14 different wide range of questions. Three different types of questions are included in this topic, which are, choose the correct letter, Yes/No/Not Given, and complete the summary. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like Building the Skyline the Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Building the Skyline the Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers Reading Answers

In Building the Skyline, Jason Barr takes the reader through a detailed history of New York City. The book combines geology, history, economics, and a lot of data to explain why business clusters developed where they did and how the early decisions of workers and firms shaped the skyline we see today.

Building the Skyline is organized into two distinct parts. The first is primarily historical and addresses New York's settlement and growth from 1609 to 1900; the second deals primarily with the 20th century and is a compilation of chapters commenting on different aspects of New York's urban development. The tone and organization of the book changes somewhat between the first and second parts, as the latter chapters incorporate aspects of Barr's related research papers.

Barr begins chapter one by taking the reader on a 'helicopter time-machine' ride – giving a fascinating account of how the New York landscape in 1609 might have looked from the sky. He then moves on to a subterranean walking - our of the city, indicating the location of rock and water below the subsoil, before taking the reader back to the surface. His love of the city comes through as he describes various fun facts about the location of the New York residence of early 19th-century vice-president Aaron Burr a.- well as a number of legends about the city.

Chapters two and three take the reader up to the Civil War (1861-1865), with chapter two focusing on the early development of land and the implementation of a grid system in 1811. Chapter three focuses on land use before the Civil War. Both chapters are informative and well researched and set the stage for the economic analysis that comes later in the book. I would have liked Barr to expand upon his claim that existing tenements prevented skyscrapers in certain neighbourhoods because 'likely no skyscraper developer was interested in performing the necessary "slum clearance".

Later in the book, Barr makes the claim that the depth of bedrock was not a limiting factor for developers, as foundation costs were a small fraction of the cost of development. At first glance, it is not obvious why slum clearance would be limiting, while more expensive foundations would not.

Chapter four focuses on immigration and the location of neighborhoods and tenements in the late 19th century. Barr identifies four primary immigrant enclaves and analyzes their locations in terms of the amenities available in the area. Most of these enclaves were located on the least valuable land, between the industries located on the waterfront and the wealthy neighborhoods bordering Central Park.

Part two of the book begins with a discussion of the economics of skyscraper height. In chapter five, Barr distinguishes between engineering height, economic height, and developer height - where engineering height is the tallest building that can be safely made at a given time, economic height is the height that is most efficient from society's point of view, and developer height is the actual height chosen by the developer, who is attempting to maximize return on investment.

Chapter five also has an interesting discussion of the technological advances that led to the construction of skyscrapers. For example, the introduction of iron and steel skeletal frames made thick, load-bearing walls unnecessary, expanding the usable square footage of buildings and increasing the use of windows and availability of natural light. Chapter six then presents data on building height throughout the 20th century and uses regression analysis to 'predict' building construction. While less technical than the research paper on which the chapter is based, it is probably more technical than would be preferred by a general audience.

Chapter seven tackles the 'bedrock myth', the assumption that the absence of bedrock close to the surface between Downtown and Midtown New York is the reason for skyscrapers not being built between the two urban centers. Rather, Barr argues that while deeper bedrock does increase foundation costs, these costs were neither prohibitively high nor were they large compared to the overall cost of building a skyscraper.

What I enjoyed the most about this chapter was Barr's discussion of how foundations are actually built. He descries the use of caissons, which enable workers to dig down for considerable distances, often below the water table, until they reach bedrock. Barr's thorough technological history discusses not only how caissons work, but also the dangers involved. While this chapter references empirical research papers, it is a relatively easy read.

Chapters eight and nine focus on the birth of Midtown and the building boom of the 1920s. Chapter eight contains lengthy discussions of urban economic theory that may serve as a distraction to reader' primarily interested in New York. However, they would be well-suited for undergraduates learning about the economics of cities. In the next chapter, Barr considers two of the primary explanations for the building boom of the 1920s - the first being exuberance, and the second being financing. He uses data to assess the viability of these two explanations and finds that supply and demand factors explain much of the development of the 1920s; though it enabled the boom, cheap credit was not, he argues, the primary cause.

In the final chapter (chapter 10), Barr discusses another of his empirical papers that estimates Manhattan land values from the mid-19th century to the present day. The data work that went into these estimations is particularly impressive. Toward the end of the chapter, Barr assesses 'whether skyscrapers are a cause or an effect of high land values'. He finds that changes in land values predict future building height, but the reverse is not true. The book ends with an epilogue, in which Barr discusses the impact of climate change on the city and makes policy suggestions for New York going forward.

Section 2

Solution And Explanation

Questions 27-31

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Question 27. What point does Shester make about Barr's book in the first paragraph?

It gives a highly original explanation for urban development.

Elements of Barr's research papers are incorporated throughout the book.

Other books that are available on the subject have taken a different approach.

It covers a range of factors that affected the development of New York.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: In Building the Skyline, Jason Barr takes the reader through a detailed history of New York City.
Keyword : Building the Skyline, Jason Barr, detailed history, New York City
Keyword location: paragraph 1, line 1
Explanation: Line 1 of paragraph 1 suggests that Jason Barr provides a comprehensive history of New York City in his book Building the Skyline. To explain why company clusters grew where they did and how early decisions made by workers and businesses shaped the skyline we see today some books. We see the book blends geology, history, economics, and a lot of data. Building the Skyline is splitted into two stages. The first, which focuses on history, covers New York's settlement and development from 1609 to 1900. The second, which focuses on the 20th century, is a collection of chapters that remark on various facets of New York's urban development. Hence, option D is the correct answer here.

Question 28. How does Shester respond to the information in the book about tenements?

She describes the reasons for Barr's interest.

She indicates a potential problem with Barr's analysis.

She compares Barr's conclusion with that of other wipers.

She provides details about the sources Barr used for his research.

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: I would have liked Barr to expand upon his claim that existing tenements prevented skyscrapers in certain neighbourhoods because 'likely no skyscraper developer was interested in performing the
necessary "slum clearance".
Keyword : Barr, tenements, skyscrapers, slum clearance
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 4-7
Explanation: Lines 4-7 of paragraph 4 says that up until the Civil War (1861–1865), the reader is taken through chapters two and three. Chapter two focuses on early land development and the introduction of a grid system in 1811. Land use before the Civil War is the subject of chapter three. Both chapters serve as introductions to the book's economic analyses and are educational and thoroughly researched. Narrator would have liked Barr had gone farther with his assertion that certain neighbourhoods were barred from having skyscrapers. It is because "presumably no skyscraper developer was interested in executing the requisite "slum clearance". So, option B is the correct answer.

Question 29. What does Shester say about chapter six of the book?

It contains conflicting data.

It focuses too much on possible trends.

It is too specialised for most readers.

It draws on research that is out of date.

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: While less technical than the research paper on which the chapter is based, it is probably more technical than would be preferred by a general audience.
Keyword : chapter six, technical, research paper, general audience
Keyword location: paragraph 8, lines 6-7
Explanation: Lines 6-7 of paragraph 8 portrays that in Chapter 5, there is also a fascinating examination of the technological improvements. Those led to the construction of skyscrapers. For instance, the development of
iron and steel skeletal frames eliminated the need for heavy, thick walls. It does so by increasing the amount of usable space in buildings and allowing for more windows and natural light. The information on building height during the 20th century is then presented in chapter six. This is the chapter where building construction is "predicted" using regression analysis. It is undoubtedly more technical than what a broad audience would want, although being less technical than the research paper on which the chapter is based. Therefore, option C is the right answer.

Question 30. What does Shester suggest about the chapters focusing on the 1920s building boom?

The information should have been organised differently.

More facts are needed about the way construction was financed.

The explanation / a is given for the building boom is unlikely.

Some parts will have limited appeal to certain people.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: He uses data to assess the viability of these two explanations and finds that supply and demand factors explain much of the development of the 1920s; though it enabled the boom, cheap credit was not, he argues, the primary cause.
Keyword : 1920s, boom, cheap credit,argues
Keyword location: paragraph 11, lines 6-8
Explanation: Lines 6-8 of paragraph 11 implies that the creation of Midtown and the 1920s construction boom are the main topics of chapters eight and nine, respectively. Long discussions of urban economic theory are found in Chapter 8, which can be off-putting to readers who are primarily interested in New York. They would, however, be suitable for undergraduates studying urban economics. Barr examines two of the main causes of the 1920s building boom in the following chapter. The first is enthusiasm, and the second is money. Using statistics, he evaluates the feasibility of these two hypotheses. He concludes that supply and demand factors account for a large portion of the development of the 1920s. Although cheap credit contributed to the boom, he contends that it was not the main driver. Thus, option D is the right response.

Question 31. What impresses Shester the most about the chapter 10 on land values?

the broad time period that is covered

the interesting questions that Barr asks

the nature of the research into the topic

the recommendations Barr makes for the future

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: He finds that changes in land values predict future building height, but the reverse is not true.
Keyword : finds, changes, land values, predict future building height
Keyword location: paragraph 12, lines 4-5
Explanation: Lines 4-5 of paragraph 12 portrays that Barr addresses a different one of his empirical works in the book's concluding chapter (chapter 10). It calculates Manhattan land values from the middle of the 19th century to the present. These estimates were created using some excellent data work. Barr evaluates "whether skyscrapers are a cause or an effect of high land values" at the chapter's conclusion. He discovers that while the opposite is not true, changes in land values do predict future building heights. Barr analyses the effects of climate change on the city in the book's epilogue and offers future policy recommendations for New York. Hence, option C is the correct assertion.

Questions 32-35

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Question 32. The description in the first chapter of how New York probably looked from the air in the early 1600s lacks interest.

Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: The first is primarily historical and addresses New York's settlement and growth from 1609 to 1900; the second deals primarily with the 20th century and is a compilation of chapters commenting on
different aspects of New York's urban development.
Keyword : New York's settlement, growth, 1609 to 1900, urban development
Keyword location: paragraph 2, lines 1-4
Explanation: Lines 1-4 of paragraph 2 implies that Building the Skyline, written by Jason Barr, contains a thorough history of New York City. Books have been written to explain why business clusters grew in the locations they did. It also explains how early decisions made by employees and employers shaped the skyline we see today. We can see that the book combines a tonne of facts with geology, history, and economics. The construction of the Skyline is divided into two phases. The first, which has a history theme, covers the settlement and growth of New York from 1609 to 1900. The second, which is centred on the 20th century, is made up of a number of chapters that comment on different features of New York's urban development. So, it can be said that the first chapter doesn’t explain that New York probably looked from the air in the early 1600s lacks interest. Thus, it is an incorrect statement.

Question 33. Chapters two and three prepare the reader well for material yet to come.

Answer: YES
Supporting sentence: Chapters two and three take the reader up to the Civil War (1861-1865), with chapter two focusing on the early development of land and the implementation of a grid system in 1811.
Keyword : Chapters two and three, take, reader, up to the Civil War (1861-1865)
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 4 states that the reader is guided through chapters two and three up until the Civil War (1861–1865). Early land development and the implementation of a grid system in 1811 are the main topics of Chapter 2. Chapter 3 discusses land use prior to the Civil War. Both chapters are instructive and well-researched; they serve as introductions to the book's economic studies. The narrator preferred with his claim that certain neighbourhoods were prohibited from having skyscrapers, Barr had gone further. The reason for this is apparently that no tower developer was motivated to carry out the necessary "slum removal." So, we can say that chapters two and three prepare the reader well for material which are yet to appear. So, the above statement can be concluded to be a correct one.

Question 34. The biggest problem for many nineteenth-century New York immigrant neighbourhoods was a lack of amenities.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting sentence: Barr identifies four primary immigrant enclaves and analyzes their locations in terms of the amenities available in the area.
Keyword : Barr, four primary immigrant, locations, amenities
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 of paragraph 6 implies that the topics of immigration, neighbourhood layout, and tenement locations are covered in Chapter 4 of the book. Barr recognises four main immigrant neighbourhoods and evaluates each one's location in terms of the advantages it offers. The majority of these enclaves were situated between affluent districts abutting Central Park and businesses on the waterfront on the least desirable land. So, we can say that no relevant statement being available to support this sentence, it is an invalid one.

Question 35. In the nineteenth century, New York's immigrant neighborhoods tended to concentrate around the harbor.

Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: Chapter four focuses on immigration and the location of neighborhoods and tenements in the late 19th century.
Keyword : Chapter four, immigration, location of neighborhoods, late 19th century
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 6 states that the fourth chapter focuses on immigration and the location of communities. It also puts light on the tenements in the late nineteenth century. Barr recognises four main immigrant neighbourhoods and evaluates each one's location in terms of the advantages it offers. The majority of these enclaves were situated between affluent districts abutting Central Park and businesses on the waterfront on the least desirable land. So, it is clear that in the nineteenth century, New York's immigrant neighborhoods had not tended to concentrate around the harbour. Thus, the above statement can be taken as an invalid one.

Questions 36-40

Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-J, below. Write the correct letter, A-

J, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

The bedrock myth

In chapter seven, Barr indicates how the lack of bedrock close to the surface does not explain why skyscrapers are absent from (36)....................He points out that although the cost of foundations increases when bedrock is deep below the surface, this cannot be regarded as (37)..................... . Especially when compared to (38).................. . A particular enjoyable part of the chapter was Barr's account of how foundations are built. He describes not only how (39)..................are made possible by the use of caissons, but he also discusses their (40)........ . The chapter is well researched but relatively easy to understand.

development plans

deep excavations

great distance

excessive expense

impossible tasks

associated risks

water level

specific areas

total expenditure

construction guidelines

Question 36:

Answer: H
Supporting sentence: Chapter seven tackles the 'bedrock myth', the assumption that the absence of bedrock close to the surface between Downtown and Midtown New York
Keyword : Chapter seven, bedrock myth, absence, Downtown and Midtown New York
Keyword location: paragraph 9, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 9 states that the "bedrock myth," holds the lack of bedrock near the surface between Downtown and Midtown New York. It is the reason skyscrapers haven't been built there, which is discussed in Chapter 7. Instead, Barr contends that while higher foundation expenses are associated with deeper bedrock, these expenditures were not unreasonably expensive. Also, it is not significant in comparison to the entire cost of constructing a skyscraper. So, option H is the right option.

Question 37:

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: Rather, Barr argues that while deeper bedrock does increase foundation costs
Keyword : Barr, deeper bedrock, increase, foundation costs
Keyword location: paragraph 9, lines 3-4
Explanation: Lines 3-4 of paragraph 9 states that the seventh chapter addresses the 'bedrock myth’. It holds that the lack of bedrock close to the surface between Downtown and Midtown New York is the reason of lack of building of skyscrapers. It is the reason why they are not being built between the two major areas. Instead, Barr contends that while higher foundation expenses are associated with deeper bedrock, these expenditures were not unreasonably expensive. They are not significant in comparison to the entire cost of constructing a skyscraper.

Question 38:

Answer: I
Supporting sentence: Rather, Barr argues that while deeper bedrock does increase foundation costs, these costs were neither prohibitively high nor were they large compared to the overall cost of building a skyscraper
Keyword : Barr argues, costs, prohibitively high, overall cost
Keyword location: paragraph 9, lines 3-5
Explanation: Lines 3-5 of paragraph 9 explains that there is no bedrock at the surface between Downtown and Midtown New York, according to the "bedrock myth". It is the cause, as explained in Chapter 7. It is chapter 7 where it is illustrated that why skyscrapers haven't been constructed there. Barr argues that despite the fact that deeper bedrock is associated with higher foundation costs, these costs were not excessive. Additionally, it is insignificant when compared to the whole cost of building a skyscraper. Therefore, option I is the suitable option to be chosen for this question.

Question 39:

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: He descries the use of caissons, which enable workers to dig down for considerable distances, often below the water table, until they reach bedrock.
Keyword : use of caissons, workers, dig down, reach bedrock
Keyword location: paragraph 10, lines 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 of paragraph 10 portrays that chapter seven’s explanation of the actual construction of foundations. It was what the narrator thought to be most interesting. He criticises the usage of caissons, which allow labourers to dig down to bedrock for long distances, frequently below the water table. Barr's in-depth technological history covers both the risks and the operation of caissons. Despite citing actual research papers, this chapter is rather simple to read. Therefore, option B will be the right option.

Question 40:

Answer: F
Supporting sentence: Barr's thorough technological history discusses not only how caissons work, but also the dangers involved.
Keyword : Barr's, technological history, caissons work, dangers involved
Keyword location: paragraph 10, lines 3-4
Explanation: Lines 3-4 of paragraph 10 explains the The description of how foundations are actually built. The narrator found it to be the most fascinating part of the story. He criticises the use of caissons, which enable
workers to go far underground, often below the water table. He also addressed that it made the workers drill to bedrock. The hazards and the use of caissons are both covered in Barr's thorough technological history. This chapter is rather simple to read even if it references actual research publications. Hence, option F is actually the right option for the above question.