The Chat Room English

1. In which century did Manchester establish itself as a world leader in industry?

A) 17th century B) 18th century C) 19th century D) 20th century

Answer: C) 19th century. The script begins: “in the 19th century Manchester established itself…”.

2. Why did Manchester manufacturers want a ship canal?

A) To increase passenger travel B) To bypass Liverpool docks and reduce charges C) To connect to London by water D) To build a tourist attraction

Answer: B) To bypass Liverpool docks and reduce charges, saving money on moving goods.

3. When did construction on the canal start and finish (as given in the script)?

A) 1870 — 1876 B) 1887 — 1893 C) 1899 — 1905 D) 1901 — 1907

Answer: B) 1887 — 1893. The speaker states construction started in 1887 and finished in 1893.

4. Approximately how much did the canal cost at the time (script figures)?

A) £1 million B) £5 million C) £15 million D) £50 million

Answer: C) £15 million (the script states this and converts it roughly to £1.5 billion in today's money).

5. How many navvies (labourers) does the script say were working on the project?

A) 1,600 B) 16,000 C) 160,000 D) 6,000

Answer: B) 16,000 navvies. The script mentions "there were 16,000 navies working on the project".

6. How much earth (approx.) was moved to make way for the canal?

A) 5 million cubic tons B) 53 million cubic tons C) 530 million cubic tons D) 1 million cubic tons

Answer: B) 53 million cubic tons of earth were moved, according to the script.

7. Which of these is true about the canal's design (script info)?

A) It was only for small inland barges B) Its head is fed directly by a river and it could take deep-sea vessels C) It connected Manchester directly to London by water D) It was designed primarily for passenger ferries

Answer: B) The canal head is fed directly by a river and it was designed to take deep-sea vessels.

8. Why did the canal see a big commercial decline in the late 20th century?

A) Too many local fishermen B) Large container/cargo ships outgrew the canal and lock size restrictions C) The canal froze year-round D) The city banned shipping entirely

Answer: B) Deep-sea/cargo ships outgrew the canal and lock restrictions made it less attractive to shipping companies.

9. According to the script, which company now has a big presence both on the canal and at Liverpool docks?

A) Manchester Ports Ltd B) Peel Ports C) British Waterways D) Liverpool Shipping Co

Answer: B) Peel Ports. The script says "Peel Ports now on the canal ... have a big presence in Liverpool".

10. The script mentions container numbers rising to about how many by 2013?

A) 9,000 B) 15,000 C) 22,000 D) 100,000

Answer: C) 22,000 containers in 2013 (the script cites this figure).

Manchester Ship Canal — Video Quiz (10 questions)