R45: Passage 1, solved live

Let's do a Passage 1 together, from start to finish. The passage below is original and written for practice, about something every Bangladeshi student knows. Give yourself 15 minutes. Then read my thinking for each answer.

The passage

The Rickshaw: From Japan to Dhaka

A The rickshaw began life in Japan in the late nineteenth century. The first models were pulled by a man running on foot, and the name comes from the Japanese word jinrikisha, meaning "human-powered vehicle". The idea spread quickly across Asia, reaching cities such as Shanghai, Singapore and Kolkata.

B Pulled rickshaws were gradually replaced by the cycle rickshaw, in which the driver pedals instead of running. Cycle rickshaws arrived in what is now Bangladesh in the first half of the twentieth century. Within a few decades, they had become the most common form of short-distance transport in Dhaka.

C Today, Dhaka is often called the rickshaw capital of the world. Estimates of the number of rickshaws vary widely, but most agree that it runs into the hundreds of thousands. For many families who move to the city from rural areas, pulling a rickshaw is one of the few jobs available without formal education.

D Dhaka's rickshaws are famous for their bright decoration. Artists paint film stars, birds, flowers and village scenes on the metal panels at the back. In 2023, rickshaws and rickshaw painting in Dhaka were added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

E However, the future of the cycle rickshaw is uncertain. City authorities have banned them from some main roads to reduce traffic jams, and battery-powered vehicles are becoming more popular. Supporters argue that rickshaws are cheap, quiet and produce no exhaust fumes, and that they deserve a place in a modern city.

Questions 1 to 5: True, False or Not Given?

1. The first rickshaws were powered by bicycles.
2. The word "rickshaw" has Japanese origins.
3. Cycle rickshaws reached Bangladesh before they reached Kolkata.
4. There is agreement about the exact number of rickshaws in Dhaka.
5. Rickshaw painting has received international recognition.

Questions 6 to 9: Complete the sentences. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage.

6. Many rickshaw pullers come to Dhaka from __________ areas.
7. Rickshaw art often shows birds, flowers and scenes from village life on metal __________.
8. Some main roads in Dhaka no longer allow rickshaws because of traffic __________.
9. Supporters say rickshaws are a good choice because they create no exhaust __________.

My thinking before reading

• Title: rickshaws, from Japan to Dhaka. So history first, then Dhaka.
• Questions 1 to 5 follow order. Question 1 is probably in A, question 5 near D.
• Questions 6 to 9 also follow order, probably C to E.

Answers with my thinking

1. FALSE. Paragraph A: "pulled by a man running on foot". Bicycles came later, in B.
2. TRUE. "The name comes from the Japanese word jinrikisha."
3. NOT GIVEN. Kolkata is mentioned for pulled rickshaws in A, but the passage never says when cycle rickshaws reached Kolkata. A comparison trap.
4. FALSE. "Estimates... vary widely." The trap is the phrase "most agree", which is about the size, not the exact number.
5. TRUE. Added to "UNESCO's list". UNESCO is international, so this is a paraphrase of international recognition.
6. rural. "move to the city from rural areas".
7. panels. "on the metal panels at the back".
8. jams. "to reduce traffic jams". The word traffic is already in the sentence.
9. fumes. "produce no exhaust fumes".

What this passage teaches

• Question 3 was the hardest: a comparison with no information. That's NOT GIVEN.
• Question 4 used a keyword trap ("most agree").
• Questions 6 to 9 were all about copying one exact word and not repeating words already printed.

Score yourself

8 or 9 is excellent. 6 or 7 is solid. Below 6, review R11 and R15.

Honest note

Some details in this passage are simplified for practice. If you use it in a video, keep it as a practice text and don't present it as a full history.