CELPIP Reading

Reading Comprehension

CELPIP · Reading Comprehension

Read the text and answer the question.

Lighthouse keepers once led isolated lives, tending lamps that guided ships safely past dangerous coasts. Their main task was to keep the light burning every night, which meant trimming wicks, cleaning glass, and winding the heavy machinery that rotated the lens. Many keepers also recorded weather and reported passing vessels. As electric lights and automatic systems spread in the twentieth century, the profession slowly disappeared. Today most lighthouses run without anyone living inside them. Yet some former keepers' cottages have found new life as small museums or guesthouses, allowing visitors to imagine the quiet, demanding routine of those who once lived there.

Why did the profession of lighthouse keeper decline?

Unofficial practice item, scored entirely in your browser. Not affiliated with any test provider.