TEST1READINGPASSAGE1Youshouldspendabout20minutesonQuestions1-13,whicharebasedonReadingPassage1below.StepwellsAmillenniumago,stepwellswerefundamentaltolifeinthedriestpartsofIndia.RichardCoxtravelledtonorth-westernIndiatodocumentthesespectacularmonumentsfromabygoneeraDuringthesixthandseventhcenturies,theinhabitantsofthemodern-daystatesofGujaratandRajasthaninnorth-westernIndiadevelopedamethodofgainingaccesstoclean,freshgroundwaterduringthedryseasonfordrinking,bathing,wateringanimalsandirrigation.However,thesignificanceofthisinvention-thestepwell-goesbeyonditsutilitarianapplication.Uniquetothisregion,stepwellsareoftenarchitecturallycomplexandvarywidelyinsizeandshape.Duringtheirheyday,theywereplacesofgathering,ofleisureandrelaxationandofworshipforvillagersofallbutthelowestclasses.MoststepwellsarefounddottedroundthedesertareasofGujarat(wheretheyarecalledvav)andRajasthan(wheretheyarecalledbaori),whileafewalsosurviveinDelhi.Somewerelocatedinornearvillagesaspublicspacesforthecommunity;otherswerepositionedbesideroadsasrestingplacesfortravellers.Astheirnamesuggests,stepwellscompriseaseriesofstonestepsdescendingfromgroundleveltothewatersource(normallyanundergroundaquifer)asitrecedesfollowingtherains.Whenthewaterlevelwashigh,theuserneededonlytodescendafewstepstoreachit;whenitwaslow,severallevelswouldhavetobenegotiated.Somewellsarevast,opencraterswithhundredsofstepspavingeachslopingside,oftenintiers.Othersaremoreelaborate,withlongsteppedpassagesleadingtothewaterviaseveralstoreys.Builtfromstoneandsupportedbypillars,theyalsoincludedpavilionsthatshelteredvisitorsfromtherelentlessheat.Butperhapsthemostimpressivefeaturesaretheintricatedecorativesculpturesthatembellishmanystepwells,showingactivitiesfromfightinganddancingtoeverydayactssuchaswomencombingtheirhairorchurningbutter.Downthecenturies,thousandsofwellswereconstructedthroughoutnorthwesternIndia,butthemajorityhavenowfallenintodisuse;manyarederelictanddry,asgroundwaterhasbeendivertedforindustrialuseandthewellsnolongerreachthewatertable.Theirconditionhasn’tbeenhelpedbyrecentdryspells:southernRajasthansufferedaneight-yeardroughtbetween1996and2004.However,someimportantsitesinGujarathaverecentlyundergonemajorrestoration,andthestategovernmentannouncedinJunelastyearthatitplanstorestorethestepwellsthroughoutthestate.InPatan,thestate’sancientcapital,thestepwellofRaniKiVav(Queen’sStepwell)isperhapsthefinestcurrentexample.ItwasbuiltbyQueenUdayamatiduringthelatethecentury,butbecamesiltedupfollowingafloodduringthe13thcentury.ButtheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiabeganrestoringitinthe1960s,andtodayitisinpristinecondition.At65metreslong,20metreswideand27metresdeep,RaniKiVavfeatures500sculpturescarvedintonichesthroughoutthemonument.Incredibly,inJanuary2001,thisancientstructuresurvivedanearthquakethatmeasured7.6ontheRichterscale.AnotherexampleistheSuryaKundinModhera,northernGujarat,nexttotheSunTemple,builtbyKingBhimaIin1026tohonourthesungodSurya.Itactuallyresemblesatank(kundmeansreservoirorpond)ratherthanawell,butdisplaysthehallmarksofstepwellarchitecture,includingfoursidesofstepsthatdescendtothebottominastunninggeometricalformation.Theterraceshouse108small,intricatelycarvedshrinesbetweenthesetsofsteps.Rajasthanalsohasawealthofwells.TheancientcityofBundi,200kilometressouthofJaipur,isrenownedforitsarchitecture,includingitsstepwells.Oneofthelargerexample...