IELTS Listening Test Questions

Good morning, everyone. Today, we'll be going into the topic of Roman architecture, specifically focusing on the types of accommodation that Romans lived in. At its peak Rome was likely the largest city the world had ever seen, (Q1)with estimates of the city’s population ranging from half a million to over 3.5 million. Its bustling streets needed to house what was at the time, a huge number of people, from all walks of life. But what were their homes like?

Thanks to some incredibly well preserved remains in Pompei and Herculaneum, we have some snapshots of the way ancient Romans once lived. Archeologists have also been able to look at (Q2)the remains of less intact buildings from around the Roman empire, and when combined, they form a remarkably vivid picture of what people’s homes were like at this time. We can tell that the conditions that Romans lived in depended greatly on their status. The wealthy enjoyed large and airy villas or houses, while the poorest members of society were cramped into dark, unsanitary and potentially dangerous structures.

If you were one of the Roman elite, you probably lived in what was called a ‘domus’. (Q3)The domus was characterised by its spacious layout and multiple rooms. These houses were often built around a central courtyard known as the atrium, which served as the focal point of the household. The atrium was usually adorned with intricate mosaics and often featured (Q4)a small pool known as the impluvium to collect rainwater. It was where socialising took place, and the bedrooms and living rooms led off it. At the back of the house was the postica section, which was more private and contained areas for growing herbs, dining, a kitchen and bathrooms, and was where live-in slaves slept and worked.

Moving on to the insulae, these were multi-story apartment buildings that provided housing for the urban lower and middle classes.(Q5)The word "insula" comes from the Latin term for "island," possibly because these buildings were isolated structures with clear spaces between them. Insulae were scattered across Rome, with the largest ones having up to 10 or more floors, and reaching heights of 20-25 metres. These buildings played a significant role in Roman urbanism, housing a large portion of the city's population and serving as centres for both residential and commercial activities.

(Q6)The ground floor of insulae typically housed businesses, while living spaces were located above. Higher paying tenants lived in the first two floors, which had larger rooms, balconies and running water. The upper floors, meanwhile, were for the least well off, and offered substandard living conditions, where you might find entire families living in one room (Q7)with no natural light, water supply or other facilities.The construction of these structures was, in comparison to many other Roman structures, shoddy, and relied on mud brick and wood in their construction. This meant that the buildings could at times collapse, and were susceptible to fire, making living on a higher floor a somewhat risky affair.

Another noteworthy type of accommodation was the villa. (Q8)Ancient Roman villas were opulent country houses that served as retreats for the wealthy elite of Roman society. These grand residences were more than just homes; they were statements of wealth, power, and refinement, and reflected a life of luxury and comfort. Roman villas sat on large rural estates located outside urban areas, and were often surrounded by vineyards, farmland, and gardens. As such, they could also be centres of production, growing food, and (Q9)sometimes even containing factories for producing goods. Roman villas were divided into different parts: the villa urbana, where the master family lived; the villa rustica, where the slaves and workers resided; (Q10)and the villa fructuria, which housed farm produce and sometimes a private temple.

These villas were known for their architectural grandeur. Some famous examples of Roman villas include Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, and the Fishbourne Roman Palace in Sussex. Roman villas were not only architectural marvels but also symbols of the high status and power of their owners.