雅思阅读真题（Part 2）
十八世纪伦敦的步行与鞋子
本篇也叫：18世纪伦敦步行、十八世纪鞋子、伦敦街道步行、高跟鞋套鞋、pattens套鞋、18世纪伦敦街道
Part 2 · 考频：高频 · 最近考试：2026.5.23宁波华贸国际学校
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 2）《Walking and shoes in eighteenth-century》，共 13 题，2026.5.23宁波华贸国际学校雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讲18世纪伦敦街道泥泞肮脏，上流阶层起初难以步行外出，步行被视为穷人行为；18世纪中期推行铺路立法后，宽阔干净的人行道出现，步行逐渐成为体面活动。街道改善也影响鞋子设计，早期鞋重防护，女性常穿带铁环的套鞋pattens防泥。
A
It was difficult to get about in eighteenth-century London. During the first half of that century, the physical mobility of the upper classes in the city had been considerably restricted: the poor condition of the streets did not allow walking for pleasure outside private parks or pleasure gardens. Streets were dirty, rush was everywhere and the British climate made matters worse. Walking could be a risky business. The terrible state of roads, always flooded and muddy, led to the employment of cleaners and street sweepers.
B
References to walking are not abundant in early eighteenth-century literature,except for writing about the countryside, where conditions were far better. Walking in London was regarded as inconvenient and even dangerous. For Londoners who wanted to travel, choices were limited to the use of boats and coaches. Walking in urban areas was generally associated with the poor, especially those who could not afford a coach.
C
This situation began to change in the mid-eighteenth century, with measures implementing the provision of public paving. The first legislation concerning paving in London was passed in 17nd during the following decades, similar measures were enacted in many cities. By the end of the century, areas for walking were commonplace, and far more people were enjoying the pastime than before. Sophie von la Roche writes about metropolitan street life in the diary of her visit to London of 1786. She comments on how many more pedestrians there were on the broad, clean pavements, alongside the houses where, she says, "many thousands of neatly clad people, eminent men and dressy women, pursue their way safe from the carriages, horses and dirt". Although the pavements were not yet a continuous feature of London's streets, their introduction marked a profound shift in how the city was experienced. Walking was no longer solely a necessity for the poor but had become a respectable activity for the upper classes.
D
The transformation of London's streets had significant implications for wear. In the early part of the century, shoes were designed primarily for protection rather than comfort or style. They typically made of stout leather with thick soles, intended to keep the wearer's feet dry and clean when negotiating muddy, refuse-strewn thoroughfares. Pattens - overshoes with raised iron rings-were commonly worn by women to lift their delicate footwear above the filth. These contraptions were noisy and awkward, clattering against the stones and requiring a mincing gait to avoid tripping. For men, sturdy riding boots were the norm, even when walking, as they provide the best defence against the mire.
E
As paving spread and streets became cleaner, shoe design evolved to reflect new possibilities. Lighter materials, including softer leathers and even silk and satin for evening wear, became fashionable. Heels grew more delicate, and soles thinner. This was particularly evident in women's footwear, where shoes became objects of display rather than mere utility. The French fashion for ornate buckles, often set with paste jewels, was widely adopted by London's elite. Men's shoes also became more refined, with the heavy riding boot giving way to the buckled court shoe for those not obliged to travel on horseback. This was not merely a matter of aesthetics; it represented a fundamental change in how Londoners inhabited their city. To walk in comfort and style was to announce one's participation in the new urban order.
F
The rise of promenading as a social ritual further accelerated these trends. By the 1780s, certain London spaces had become established venues for the display of fashionable clothing, including footwear. Parks such as St James's and Kensington Gardens attracted crowds of strollers during the season, their circuits providing opportunities for social encounter and the mutual inspection of attire. Shoemakers responded to this demand by producing ever more varied and decorative styles. The craft of shoe making itself was transformed, with specialist lasts-the forms around which shoes were shaped-being developed for left and right feet, a refinement not universally applied in earlier decades. This improved fit and comfort, encouraging yet more walking.
G
The new culture of walking also had its critics. Moralists complained that the freedom to stroll encouraged idleness and frivolous display. Young people of both sexes, it was feared, might use the promenade as an opportunity for unsuitable liaisons. The very anonymity of the crowd, so different from the close-knit community of the village, was seen by some as a threat to social order. Yet such complaints were themselves a testament to how thoroughly walking had been transformed. What had once been a dangerous necessity for the poor had became a leisure activity pursued by all of society, accompanied by its own etiquette, its own spaces, and its own distinctive footwear. The pedestrian had become a familiar figure in the London scene, and the shoe had become far more than a mere protection for the foot.
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答案：A
原文定位：The terrible state of roads, always flooded and muddy, led to the employment of cleaners and street sweepers
同义替换：「the employment of people」↔「employment of cleaners」，「keep streets clean」↔「cleaners and street sweepers」
答案：F
原文定位：Parks such as St James's and Kensington Gardens attracted crowds of strollers during the season
同义替换：「specific locations」↔「Kensington Gardens」，「fashionable people gathered to walk」↔「display of fashionable clothing」
答案：D
原文定位：Pattens - overshoes with raised iron rings-were commonly worn by women to lift their delicate footwear above the filth. These contraptions were noisy and awkward
同义替换：「awkward devices」↔「contraptions」，「women used to protect their shoes from dirt」↔「lift their delicate footwear above the filth」
答案：C
原文定位：The first legislation concerning paving in London was passed in 17nd during the following decades, similar measures were enacted in many cities
同义替换：「laws」↔「legislation」，「improve the condition of street」↔「concerning paving」
答案：G
原文定位：The new culture of walking also had its critics. Moralists complained that the freedom to stroll encouraged idleness and frivolous display
同义替换：「criticism」↔「complained」，「concerned about moray」↔「Moralists」
答案：B
原文定位：References to walking are not abundant in early eighteenth-century literature,except for writing about the countryside, where conditions were far better
同义替换：「countryside」↔「countryside」
答案：poor
原文定位：Walking in urban areas was generally associated with the poor, especially those who could not afford a coach
同义替换：「associated mainly with」↔「generally associated with」，「walking in London」↔「Walking in urban areas」
答案：dirt
原文定位：many thousands of neatly clad people, eminent men and dressy women, pursue their way safe from the carriages, horses and dirt
同义替换：「Sophie von la Roche」↔「Sophie von la Roche」，「kept them away from」↔「safe from」
答案：leather
原文定位：They typically made of stout leather with thick soles, intended to keep the wearer's feet dry and clean when negotiating muddy, refuse-strewn thoroughfares
同义替换：「thick」↔「stout」，「protect the feet」↔「keep the wearer's feet dry and clean」
答案：fit
原文定位：This improved fit and comfort, encouraging yet more walking
同义替换：「specialist lasts for left and right feet」↔「specialist lasts‑the forms around which shoes were shaped‑being developed for left and right feet」，「improved」↔「improved」
答案：The improved condition of streets allowed for lighter footwear.
原文定位：As paving spread and streets became cleaner, shoe design evolved to reflect new possibilities. Lighter materials;became fashionable
同义替换：「change in」↔「evolved」，「improved condition of streets」↔「paving spread and streets became cleaner」，「footwear」↔「materials」
答案：made walking a respectable activity for all social classes.
原文定位：Walking was no longer solely a necessity for the poor but had become a respectable activity for the upper classes
同义替换：「made walking a respectable activity」↔「become a respectable activity」
答案：to show that not everyone approved of the changes in walking culture
原文定位：The new culture of walking also had its critics. Moralists complained that the freedom to stroll encouraged idleness and frivolous display
同义替换：「not everyone approved」↔「had its critics」，「changes in」↔「new」