1. Bands were playing and the gentlemen in hats
were preparing to make speeches about their great achievement. They madethe first underground railway travel in the world — a distance of
almost four miles.
It wasthe year 1863 and on that first
historic day 30,000 Londoners usedthis new and strange way of travel.
Now more than a hundred years later the London Underground carriesmore
than a million passengers every day. The total number of passengers
carried by the London Underground each year is enormous, and it is
constantly growing.
2. In the early days the trains were driven by steam locomotives which burnt coal.
It is said that the train staff and porters' asked permission to grow beards and moustaches — as an early form of smog mask.
Now the atmosphere "underground" is considered even better than that
outside as germs cannot grow in the dry air, and the trains, of course,
are electric.
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were playing — Past Continuous Active
were preparing — Past Continuous Active
made — Past Simple Active
was — Past Simple Active
used — Past Simple Active
carries — Present Simple Active
is growing — Present Continuous Active
were driven — Past Simple Passive
burnt — Past Simple Active
is said — Present Simple Passive
asked — Past Simple Active
is considered — Present Simple Passive
cannot grow — Present Simple Active
are — Present Simple Active