Dark clouds appear over the River Mersey and a cold wind is blowing. A few raindrops are beginning to fall. We’re in the famous city of Liverpool and we’re going to spend this rainy day in the Williamson Tunnels, which were built by a man named Joseph Williamson.
Joseph Williamson was born into a poor family in 1769. At the age of 11, he left home and went to work for a tobacco company. He began at the bottom and worked his way up to become head of the business.
Williamson spent 30 years building these tunnels. From his death to this very day, these tunnels have remained a puzzle to researchers. Nobody knows why Williamson dug tunnels under most of Liverpool, but many think it was to create jobs. It is believed that about half of Liverpool’s population worked for him.
I go on a guided tour starting close to where his empire (集团) began in Edge Hill. In the tunnels, the steps leading from rooms below ground to those buildings, which no longer exist, seem particularly ghostly (幽灵似的).
We go into the Double Tunnel. It’s just been discovered that it’s actually a triple tunnel – but nobody knows why the three tunnels were built on top of each other.
We finish the tour and decide we’ll have coffee in the Williamson Tunnels Cafe Bar. There, I notice lots of flyers (宣传单) for bands and theater groups that are coming to play there.
Apart from the obvious attractions like the football clubs, or anything to do with the Beatles, Liverpool has a lot to offer. You should definitely visit Liverpool.
1.How was the weather in Liverpool when the writer arrived there?
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2.Who was Joseph Williamson?
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3.According to some people, why did Williamson dig tunnels under Liverpool?
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4.What are Paragraphs 4 and 5 mainly about?
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5.What’s the purpose of writing this passage?
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