Goodwood Car Show - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 1 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 2 · Questions 13–22
Audio
Questions
Questions 13–22 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
GOODWOOD CAR SHOW
Type of car: Duesenberg J-type
Number made: 13
Type of body: 14
Engines contained capsules of mercury to ensure a 15 trip.
Top speed: 16 per hour.
Sold as a 17
Main attraction: 18
Type of car: Leyat Helica
Number built: 19
Car looks like a 20 without 21
Steering used the 22
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q13 | 473 | Well, only 473 Duesenberg J-types were ever built and the model here is one of the rarest | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript clearly states that every Duesenberg J-type ever made adds up to a total of 473. Answer Explanation: The answer 473 represents the total number of Duesenberg J-type cars that were ever manufactured. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is stated directly by the reporter when introducing the Duesenberg car. He explicitly mentions that only 473 of this specific engine and model type were ever produced in history. |
| Q14 | open two-seater / two-seater / open 2-seater / 2-seater / open two seater / two seater / open 2 seater / 2 seater | Each had a short 125-inch chassis or framework and the body was always in the form of an open two-seater | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that every car of this specific model was built with a frame of a certain size and a body style meant for two people with no roof. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the style of the car's main structure, which was designed to hold two people and had an open top. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when the reporter describes the unique features of the Duesenberg J-type. He explicitly states that the body of this specific model was 'always in the form of an open two-seater.' The phrase 'in the form of' acts as a synonym for 'type of body' used in the notes. |
| Q15 | smooth | It featured capsules of mercury in the engines to absorb vibration and provide an incredibly smooth ride | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the car's engine had mercury inside to take away the shaking feelings so that the driving experience was very calm and steady. Answer Explanation: The answer "smooth" means that the car traveled in a very steady way without shaking or bouncing. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "smooth" because the transcript explains that the Duesenberg's engine used special parts—capsules of mercury—to stop the car from shaking. By stopping this shaking (vibration), the car was able to offer a very steady and comfortable travel experience, which the text describes as a "smooth ride." In the context of the notes, a "smooth ride" is the same as a "smooth trip." |
| Q16 | 180 kilometres / 180 kilometers | the Duesenberg promised a top speed of 180 kilometres per hour | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that this specific car model was very fast and could reach a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour. Answer Explanation: The answer means the fastest speed the Duesenberg car could reach was 180 kilometres per hour. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the section describing the Duesenberg's performance. The reporter compares it to other fast cars of the time and explicitly mentions its 'top speed'. In English, 'top speed' is a keyword that means the maximum speed a vehicle can travel. |
| Q17 | frame and engine | Duesenberg, who designed the car, sold it as a frame and engine this was typical of the age again and many prestige manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce did exactly the same |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the person who designed the car sold it to customers as just a "frame and engine," which was a normal way to sell high-quality cars during that time period. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the car was sold with only its basic metal skeleton and the motor, rather than as a finished vehicle with a body. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found where the reporter explains how the car was originally purchased. He states that the designer, Duesenberg, sold the car as a "frame and engine," which was a common practice for luxury brands at the time. This meant the "basic car" only included these essential mechanical parts, and the buyer would have to pay someone else to build the outer body. The phrase "frame and engine" fits the three-word limit and correctly describes the form in which it was sold. |
| Q18 | instrument panel / instruments / stop-watch / stopwatch | The Duesenberg's great attraction for the driver, was its instrument panel which offered all the usual features but also several others including a stop-watch | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the most interesting thing about the car for the driver was the control board because it had more features than normal cars, including a special clock to measure time. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the control board (the instrument panel), the tools found on that board (the instruments), or the special timer (the stop-watch) inside the car. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is identified by finding the part of the transcript that discusses what the Duesenberg car offered to someone driving it. The reporter uses the words 'great attraction' to highlight the 'instrument panel' and its specific tools, such as the 'stop-watch.' This matches the 'Main attraction' heading in the notes. |
| Q19 | 30 / thirty | Only 30 of these French propellor cars were built | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that just thirty of these French cars with propellers were ever manufactured. Answer Explanation: The answer 30 is the total number of Leyat Helica cars that were produced. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 30 because the reporter mentions this specific number when introducing the Leyat Helica. He uses the word 'built' to describe how many were manufactured. Paying attention to numbers mentioned right after the name of the car helps identify the answer. |
| Q20 | light aircraft / plane | The Leyat very strongly resembles a light aircraft with its front propellor but in this case it's minus any wings of course | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that this car looks a lot like a small plane (a light aircraft) because it has a propeller on the front, but it does not have wings. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Leyat Helica car looks very similar to a small airplane. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'light aircraft' because the reporter describes the car's design as being heavily influenced by airplanes. He uses the word 'resembles', which means 'looks like', to compare the car to a 'light aircraft'. The designer, Marcel Leyat, was an 'aviation pioneer', which explains why his car design looks like a plane. |
| Q21 | wings | The Leyat very strongly resembles a light aircraft with its front propellor but in this case it's minus any wings of course | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the Leyat car looks much like a small airplane because it has a propeller, but it does not have wings. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the flat parts on the side of a plane that allow it to fly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "wings" because the car is described in the transcript as being very similar to a small airplane. However, the reporter points out a major difference: the car does not have the side parts used for flying. The transcript uses the word "minus" as a synonym for "without" to show that these parts are missing. |
| Q22 | rear wheels | The Leyat matched its propellor drive with its equally bizarre steering which used the rear rather than the front wheels | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the Leyat car had a strange way of steering because it used the wheels at the back instead of the ones at the front. Answer Explanation: The answer means the car was steered using the wheels located at the back of the vehicle. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the reporter's description of the Leyat Helica car. He explains that the way this car turned was very unusual or 'bizarre' because the steering system was connected to the back (rear) wheels instead of the front wheels, which is how most cars work. |
Transcript
Announcer: The Goodwood Museum is currently celebrating some of the most extravagant types of car design in its festival of speed. Here's our reporter Vincent Freed, who's on site, to tell us about some of the cars on display.
Reporter: Well, here I am, standing in front of one of the most prestigious cars ever built, the Duesenberg, a fantastically expensive, luxurious car built in the early part of the 20th century and bearing all the glamorous qualities of the jazz age. How many were there? Well, only 473 Duesenberg J-types were ever built and the model here is one of the rarest. Each had a short 125-inch chassis or framework and the body was always in the form of an open two-seater. The technology behind the car's 6.9-litre engine was extraordinary. It featured capsules of mercury in the engines to absorb vibration and provide an incredibly smooth ride. In fact, these cars offered unparalleled performance ... in an age when 160 kilometres per hour was considered very fast, the Duesenberg promised a top speed of 180 kilometres per hour and could do 140 kilometres per hour in second gear.
Duesenberg, who designed the car, sold it as a frame and engine ... this was typical of the age again and many prestige manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce did exactly the same. Owners able to afford the hefty $9,000 price tag for the basic car would then commission a coachwork company to build a body tailored to their own individual requirements.
The Duesenberg's great attraction for the driver, was its instrument panel which offered all the usual features but also several others including a stop-watch. It was the Duesenberg's technology that lay behind its success as a racing car and they dominated the American racing scene in the 1920s winning the Indianapolis Grand Prix in 1924, '25 and '27.
On to another celebrity, the 1922 Leyat Helica. Only 30 of these French propellor cars were built and the model here at Goodwood, which was the fourth to be made, is thought to be the only surviving example still capable of running. The brains behind this car was Marcel Leyat who was an aviation pioneer first and foremost, and the influence of flying is quite apparent in the car. The Leyat very strongly resembles a light aircraft with its front propellor but in this case it's minus any wings of course! It's quite odd to think that this car was whirring through France, just as the Duesenberg was blasting down roads at 160 kilometres per hour across the Atlantic. The Leyats were used regularly in France in the 1920s and were even produced in saloon and van form, as well as two-seater.
The Leyat matched its propellor drive with its equally bizarre steering which used the rear rather than the front wheels! But despite looking rather frail, it was a tough machine. In fact, when troops tried to steal it during the Second World War, the car's baffling design was clearly beyond the would-be thieves and it ended up being driven into a tree, breaking the propellor.
And now for the Firebird ...