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A Town That Lives in One Building: B1 Reading — with Answers
Level B1B1
Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.
In the small Alaskan town of Whittier, almost everyone lives behind the same front door. That includes the police officer, the doctor, the postmaster, and most of the children. Around 260 people call Whittier home, and nearly all of them live inside a single fourteen-storey building called Begich Towers.
The building was built by the US Army in the 1950s. Today it holds almost everything a resident needs: apartments, a small grocery store, a laundromat, a health clinic, a church, and the local police station. Until recently, children could walk from their apartment to school entirely indoors, through a covered tunnel, without ever stepping outside in winter.
Whittier's weather explains why. The town can receive more than five metres of snow in a single winter, and fierce winds blow in off the water. The only road in or out passes through a narrow, one-lane tunnel that trains also use. Cars take turns with the railway on a fixed schedule. For much of the year, the safest and warmest place to be is simply inside. So the town built its whole community into one building instead of spreading it across the mountainside.
1.
Roughly how many people live in Whittier, Alaska?
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About this reading
This B1 English reading introduces Whittier, Alaska, a real town where almost every resident lives inside a single building. It's a striking example of how extreme weather and geography can shape the way a whole community organises its daily life.
As you read, look for the writer's explanation at the end — the passage builds toward a clear reason (harsh weather, an isolated location) rather than just listing facts. Identifying a writer's overall explanation, not just individual details, is a core B1 and IELTS reading skill.
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