[2026] PTE Academic Reading - Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

The Great Smog of London, which occurred in December 1952, was a severe air-pollution event that covered the British capital for five days.It was caused by a combination of unusually cold weather, an anticyclone, and windless conditions, which trapped smoke from coal fires and industrial emissions at ground level.At the time, London was heavily dependent on coal for domestic heating and power generation, resulting in a thick layer of soot and sulfur dioxide.Visibility was reduced to a few meters, making transportation nearly impossible and forcing the cancellation of public events.While initially viewed as a typical 'pea-souper' fog, the medical impact was devastating, with thousands of premature deaths reported due to respiratory and cardiovascular issues.Subsequent research suggested that the death toll was much higher than the initial estimates of 4,000, potentially reaching 12,000 fatalities.This environmental disaster served as a major turning point in public health history, leading to a radical shift in how the government approached air quality.In response to public outcry, the British Parliament passed the Clean Air Act of 1956, which introduced 'smoke control areas' where only smokeless fuels could be burned.The Act also offered financial incentives to householders to replace open coal fires with cleaner alternatives like gas or electricity.This legislation became a model for environmental policy worldwide, demonstrating that government intervention could successfully reduce industrial pollution.