Underground Cities - Japan's answer to Overcrowding Reading Answers

May 7, 2025

Underground Cities - Japan's answer to Overcrowding Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Underground Cities - Japan's answer to Overcrowding Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set given you have to indicate whether the following characteristics apply to Alice Cities or Urban Geo Grids or both or neither. In the next question set given, you have to choose the correct answer from the given text in no more than three words to fill the blanks. In the last question set given you have to complete each gap in the summary by choosing a word from the box below the summary.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognize essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practicing these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 UNDERGROUND CITIES—JAPAN'S ANSWER TO OVERCROWDING

A nation running out of room seeks a down-to-earth solution

The Japanese may find a solution to the nation's space shortage right beneath their feet. Some of Japan's largest construction companies are planning underground cities that would not only ease urban crowding but also provide protection against earthquakes and increase energy efficiency.

Japan's soaring real-estate prices provide reason enough. In a country with nearly half as many people as the United States, but squeezed onto an archipelago which is only one hundredth the size, land shortages have led to construction becoming prohibitively expensive. Another plus for subterranean construction is that the underground earth's movement during an earthquake is far less than the surface's —a big consideration in earthquake-prone Japan. The devastation caused by recent earthquakes in Japan could to some extent have been avoided if much of the cities affected were largely located underground.

In addition, the near-constant temperature would reduce the fuel costs for subterranean cities. Underground areas would need much less heating in winter and much less cooling in summer.

Taisei Corporation of Tokyo is planning a network of 'Alice Cities', named after the fictional Lewis Carroll heroine who fell down a rabbit hole into a wonderland. Taisei proposes turning cramped downtowns into airy underground spaces connected by subway trains and subterranean roads. The Cities will be designed for self-sufficiency, but could be linked to sister Cities by underground railway. Although some buildings and roads would remain above ground, much surface space would be freed up for trees and public parks.

Each Alice City would be divided into three sectors. The first sector, Town Space, would comprise verdant underground boulevards and open-air and atrium-type plazas—all free of automobile traffic. These boulevards and plazas will include shopping malls, entertainment

complexes and fitness centres. Secondly, the Office Space sector will house business operations, hotels and parking lots. A solar dome above each office complex will ease feelings of claustrophobia. Express elevators or an extension of the underground railway system will

run to the bottom level. Some workers will ride to work vertically horn residential areas within the sector, while others will commute from the suburbs. Isolated From the town and office sectors will be the third sector. Infrastructure Space, This will contain facilities for power generation. regional heating and air-conditioning, waste recycling, and sewage treatment.

Existing cities could be redeveloped beneath the surface using the Alice system. The downtown areas could be retained above ground in a slightly modified form and most of the future growth of the cities could be accommodated underground.

An alternative to the Alice City concept is the Shimizu Corporation's proposed Urban GeoGrid, a vast network of smaller subterranean city spaces linked by tunnels. The $80.2 billion project would cover 485 square miles and accommodate a half-million people.

The Urban Geo Grid provides for a much more complicated interaction of many underground spaces over a larger area. Each 'grid station' —a complex of underground offices, shopping malls and hotels—would be connected to several smaller 'grid points', which would provide

local services such as public baths and convenience stores. The Grid would provide a network for road and rail transportation, communication, and energy supply both within a city and between cities. Individual facilities for various services such as power generation and waste

treatment will be on a smaller scale, but more numerous.

Whichever concept is ultimately applied, one obstacle that will need to be overcome before Japanese cities have real 'downtowns' involves the nation's geology, Japan's densely populated lowlands are mostly founded on loose geologic strata, making underground construction

particularly difficult. Thus, Japanese construction firms are conducting extensive research and development on technologies for drilling, excavation and underground construction.

Some of the technology is already available. Robots similar to those that built the Channel Tunnel between France and England could be used for excavation and construction in

some areas. It is anticipated that within 10 to 15 years most of the remaining technological obstacles will be overcome. Underground city spaces in Japan are therefore coming much closer to reality. It may be difficult to imagine people adapting to life underground, but in Japan it may be one of the most practical solutions to the problem of limited living space. The next century may see many similar developments in Other countries.

Questions 28-30

Indicate whether the following

characteristics apply to Alice Cities or Urban Geo Grids or both or neither by writing:

AC -if it applies to Alice Cities

UGG - if it applies to Urban Geo Grids

BOTH - if it applies to both

NEITHER - if it applies to neither Alice Cities nor Urban Geo Grids

28. one large space for city facilities such as waste treatment

Answer: AC

Supporting statement: This will contain facilities for power generation. regional heating and air-conditioning, waste recycling, and sewage treatment.

Keywords: facilities, sewage

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 9-10

Explanation: According to the text, the third sector will be separate from the office and town sectors and will be known as the Infrastructure Space. This space will include power generation facilities, regional sewage treatment, recycling, and cooling and heating services.

29. cities largely independent

Answer: AC

Supporting statement: The Cities will be designed for self-sufficiency, but could be linked to sister Cities by underground railway.

Keywords: Cities, self-sufficiency

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 6

Explanation: According to the text, the Alice cities by Taisei Corporation of Tokyo will be designed in such a way so that they can run independently.

30. construction has already stoned

Answer: NEITHER

Supporting statement: Underground city spaces in Japan are therefore coming much closer to reality.

Keywords: Underground city, reality

Keyword Location: Para 7, Line 5

Explanation: The text states that the underground cities are not yet in the construction phase, but they might be a reality in the near future.

Questions 31-35

write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

31. Real estate is expensive in Japan because……………..

Answer: OF LAND SHORTAGE

Supporting statement: Land shortages have led to construction becoming prohibitively expensive.

Keywords: land shortages, expensive

Keyword Location: Para 2, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text the housing is expensive in Japan due to the shortage of land.

32. By moving many buildings and roads underground, surface land in Alice Cities could be used for…………. .

Answer: TREES AND PARK

Supporting statement: Although some buildings and roads would remain above ground, much surface space would be freed up for trees and public parks.

Keywords: surface space, trees and public parks

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text, the Alice cities will have most of the buildings and infrastructure underground, leaving ample surface space for planting trees and constructing public parks.

33. In Alice Cities, some people will live in the sector called…………

Answer: OFFICE SPACE

Supporting statement: Secondly, the Office Space sector will house business operations, hotels and parking lots

Keywords: Office Space, hotels

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 4-5

Explanation: According to the text in Alice cities some people can live in the office space sector, which will include business operations, hotels, and parking spaces.

34. Underground cities in Japan cannot yet be built because of two factors: loose geologic strata and……………..

Answer: technologies

Supporting statement: Japan's densely populated lowlands are mostly founded on loose geologic strata, making underground construction particularly difficult.

Keywords: lowlands, construction

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, the two main obstacles in the construction of the underground cities are Japan's loose geologic strata and the technology required for the construction.

35. In the Urban Geo Grid, hotels would be located in the………………..

Answer: GRID STATION

Supporting statement: Each 'grid station' —a complex of underground offices, shopping malls and hotels

Keywords: grid station, underground offices

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 5

Explanation: According to the text in the Urban Geo Grid, each grid station will include hotels, shopping complexes, and underground offices.

Questions 36-40

Complete each gap in the summary by choosing a word from the box below the summary. Write your answers in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

Note: There are more words than gaps so you will not need to use them all. You may use any word more than

One Japanese company plans to develop large cities underneath existing(36)............. areas.

Answer: DOWNTOWN

Supporting statement: Taisei proposes turning cramped downtowns into airy underground spaces connected by subway trains and subterranean roads.

Keywords: Taisei, downtowns

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 4-5

Explanation: According to the text, the Taisei Corporation of Tokyo Alice Cities, named after the fictional Lewis Carroll heroine who fell down a rabbit hole into a wonderland, will be constructed by turning the cramped existing downtown areas into airy underground spaces connected by subway trains and subterranean roads.

Each of these cities would be divided into three sectors: for ,(37)............. office and infrastructure spaces.

Answer: LEISURE

Supporting statement: These boulevards and plazas will include shopping malls, entertainment

complexes and fitness centres.

Keywords: boulevards and plazas, entertainment complexes and fitness centres

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the text, each Alice City would be divided into three sectors, one of them including space for leisure, which will have boulevards, plazas, shopping malls, entertainment complexes and fitness centres.

Another company plans a more spread out and complicated(38)............ based on smaller spaces.

Answer: NETWORK

Supporting statement: An alternative to the Alice City concept is the Shimizu Corporation's proposed Urban GeoGrid, a vast network of smaller subterranean city spaces linked by tunnels.

Keywords: Shimizu Corporation's , vast network

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, another company named Shimizu Corporation's proposed the Urban GeoGrid, which will be a massive network of smaller underground city areas connected by tunnels, as an alternative to the Alice City concept.

The main (39).............to the construction of these cities is the unstable structure of the(40)............. itself.

(39).............

Answer: OBSTACLE

Supporting statement: Whichever concept is ultimately applied, one obstacle that will need to be overcome before Japanese cities have real 'downtowns' involves the nation's geology.

Keywords: obstacle, 'downtowns

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text one of the obstacles in the construction of the underground cities is the nation's geology as it is unusable for such construction.

(40)................

Answer: GROUND

Supporting statement: Japan's densely populated lowlands are mostly founded on loose geologic strata, making underground construction particularly difficult.

Keywords: Japan's underground

Keyword Location: Para 6, Lines 2- 3

Explanation: According to the text, the Japan ground is one of the main problems as its lowlands are densely populated and are mostly structured on loose geologic strata.