History Of Vitamin Supplements - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–26 Flow Chart Completion
Complete the flow-chart below.
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-I.
A. lifestyle changes | B. famous people | C. scientific findings
D. industrial processes | E. poor diet | F. effective packaging
G. toxic substances | H. processed foods | I. alarming images
History of vitamin supplements
Prior to 1900s: physical weakness is thought to be caused by 21
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Early 1900s: research shows a link between 22 and sickness
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1930s: governments become concerned about the popularity of 23
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1940s: 24 convince housewives to buy vitamin supplements
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1950s: 25 make vitamin supplements more accessible to consumers
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1960s to present day: vitamin supplement sales continue to rise because of 26
Questions 27–30 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | G | Or they’d been in contact with something poisonous or harmful. Something they’d handled or eaten. Doctors had no other explanation for it | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in the past, when doctors did not know why a patient was weak, they believed the person might have touched or eaten something dangerous (poisonous or harmful). This matches the idea of 'toxic substances.' Answer Explanation: The answer 'toxic substances' refers to chemicals or materials that are poisonous and can make a person sick. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because the transcript discusses how doctors explained physical weakness before the 1900s. Two possibilities were mentioned: infections (like a virus) or being 'in contact with something poisonous or harmful.' The phrase 'toxic substances' is a synonym for 'poisonous or harmful' things, which fits the category of causes doctors suspected at that time. |
| Q22 | E | But in the early 1900s, that changed. That researcher in the US -Joseph Goldberger, – he realised people who basically lived off corn – they were getting ill because they weren’t eating anything else | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in the early 1900s, a researcher named Joseph Goldberger found that people who ate almost nothing but corn became sick. They were ill because they were not eating other types of healthy food, meaning their diet was poor. Answer Explanation: The answer 'E' refers to a 'poor diet,' which happens when a person does not eat enough healthy or different types of food to provide the body with the nutrition it needs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'E' because the transcript explains how researchers in the early 1900s, like Joseph Goldberger, found that people were getting sick because they were only eating one thing, such as corn or white rice. This led them to realize that the illness was caused by a lack of nutritional value in the food, which is the definition of a 'poor diet.' Keywords like 'getting ill because they weren’t eating anything else' show that the diet was the direct cause of the sickness. |
| Q23 | H | Well, in the 1930s those governments were worried about people’s general health, because everyone was suddenly buying canned fruit, artificial butter, meat in tins that kind of thing |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that in the 1930s, the government became concerned about health because of products like canned fruit and tinned meat. In English, these items are known as processed foods. Answer Explanation: The answer is processed foods. These are foods that have been changed from their natural state, often being put into cans or boxes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is H because the text mentions that in the 1930s, governments were worried about people's health because they starting buying things like 'canned fruit, artificial butter, meat in tins.' These items are all types of processed foods. |
| Q24 | I | In the weekly magazines housewives read, the companies made exaggerated claims about what the supplements could do, and they showed pictures of rats in a laboratory before and after they were given vitamins. The ‘before’ pictures showed the rats looking very sick | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that sellers put pictures in magazines showing sick rats to make people feel afraid and buy the vitamins. These scary pictures are the 'alarming images' mentioned in the answer. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'alarming images', which refers to pictures that cause fear or worry. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'I' because the transcript discusses how companies in the 1940s used images of sick-looking rats in magazine advertisements to scare housewives into purchasing vitamin supplements. This fear-based marketing strategy made housewives believe they needed to buy the vitamins to keep their families healthy. 'Alarming' is a synonym for 'scary' or 'frightening', and 'images' is a synonym for 'pictures'. |
| Q25 | D | Well manufacturers had discovered how to produce vitamins artificially and in enormous quantities in their factories | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in the 1950s, companies found a way to make vitamins in factories. This allowed them to make a very large amount of vitamins at once. Answer Explanation: The answer is industrial processes, which means the methods and machines used to make products in a factory. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the speakers explain why vitamins became cheaper and easier for more people to buy in the 1950s. Lucy says that companies (manufacturers) learned how to make vitamins in factories in very large amounts. Using machines and technology in factories to make things is known as an industrial process. |
| Q26 | B | Lucy: Companies changed their promotional strategy to increase their sales. They used movie stars to say how effective the supplements were.Sam: That’s still true today. Celebrity endorsement really seems to work. Someone on the TV says vitamins have made them healthier and immediately more consumers go out and buy them | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in the 1960s, companies started using movie stars to help sell vitamins. It also notes that this strategy still works today, as seeing a celebrity on TV talk about vitamins makes people want to go out and buy them right away. Answer Explanation: The answer B means that famous people, like actors and celebrities, are the reason more people have been buying vitamins from the 1960s until now. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speakers discuss how companies began using 'movie stars' to sell vitamins in the 1960s. Sam explains that this 'celebrity endorsement' (when a famous person supports a product) continues to be a very effective way to make people buy supplements today. Therefore, 'famous people' is the best match for the cause of rising sales from the 1960s to the present day. |
| Q27 | A | According to the research I read, many Australians are just taking a more active approach to staying well. They don’t want to rely on their doctor for everything, so they’re turning to vitamins. They can take those themselves and feel they’re doing something positive | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that many people in Australia want to be involved in their own health care. Instead of depending entirely on a doctor, they use vitamins to take action themselves and feel like they are doing something good for their bodies. Answer Explanation: The answer means Sam agrees that people in Australia are taking more vitamins because they want to manage their health themselves instead of just doing what a doctor tells them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the transcript describes a shift in how people view their health. Lucy mentions that instead of following advice from health authorities or being motivated by cheaper prices, Australians are taking a 'more active approach' to their wellbeing. They choose to buy vitamins because they 'don’t want to rely on their doctor for everything.' By taking vitamins 'themselves,' they feel they are in control and doing something 'positive' for their health. Sam acknowledges this by dismissing the idea that price competition is the main driver and showing interest in the research Lucy presents. |
| Q28 | C | Did you know the industry is under no obligation to prove that their supplements actually work. I don't think that's right | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Lucy questioning the fact that vitamin companies don't have to show that their products are truly useful before selling them. She clearly says she does not agree with this lack of rules. Answer Explanation: The answer means Lucy is worried that companies in the US do not have to show proof that their vitamins actually help people's health. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Lucy explicitly states that the vitamin supplement industry in the US is 'under no obligation to prove' that their products 'actually work.' This lack of requirement to provide proof or evidence of effectiveness is what she finds concerning. In this context, the words 'prove' and 'actually work' are synonyms for 'provide evidence' and 'effective.' |
| Q29 | B | Sam: But the ‘high dose’ people were just as likely to get sick as the people not taking any vitamins. That’s not to say that scientists now know everything about vitamins. Lucy: No. Like you say, investigations and long-term trials need to continue before they can be certain about what taking vitamin supplements can actually achieve | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Sam explaining that the results of the experiment do not mean scientists have all the answers. Lucy agrees and explains that scientists must keep doing more studies and tests before they can be completely sure about how vitamins work. Answer Explanation: The answer means that scientists do not yet have complete or perfect knowledge regarding how vitamin supplements work and what they can do for our bodies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because, during their discussion of the Danish experiment, Sam points out that even though the study happened, it doesn't mean scientists "know everything." Lucy agrees, stating that more "investigations" and "long-term trials" (meaning scientific tests over a long time) are necessary before researchers can be "certain" (sure) about the effects of vitamins. These keywords—"not... know everything," "investigations... need to continue," and "before they can be certain"—all indicate that the subject is not yet fully understood by experts. |
| Q30 | C | Sam: Fair enough. I guess if the government made it harder to get certain products, like say, fish oil with vitamin D, people would protest.Lucy: They certainly would | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Sam and Lucy agreeing that if the government makes it more difficult to buy vitamins, the public will be angry and take action to show they do not like the change. Answer Explanation: The answer means that if the government created tougher rules for the vitamin industry, many customers would likely be unhappy about it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Sam and Lucy both believe that people would be upset if new rules made it harder to buy supplements. Sam mentions that if the government restricted access to certain products, people would 'protest'—meaning they would loudly express their disagreement. Lucy agrees wholeheartedly, confirming that consumers would likely fight against stricter control over their health choices. |
Transcript
Lecturer: OK, we’ve looked at the history of vitamin supplements and thought about why people take them. We’ve also considered the reasons why some health professionals are critical of the vitamin supplement industry. Now work with a partner and discuss the key issues.
Lucy: Sam, shall we work together?
Sam: Sure. Let’s go over the history.
Lucy: Well, before the 1900s, when someone became weak and tired, and it wasn’t clear why, doctors assumed they were suffering from an infection – like a virus.
Sam: Or they’d been in contact with something poisonous or harmful. Something they’d handled or eaten. Doctors had no other explanation for it.
Lucy: But in the early 1900s, that changed. That researcher in the US -Joseph Goldberger, – he realised people who basically lived off corn – they were getting ill because they weren’t eating anything else.
Sam: Exactly. And other researchers were realising the same thing. Like, in places where people only ate white rice – they were suffering from a disease called beriberi.
Lucy: So the researchers concluded that there must be something missing – that the stuff some people were eating had no nutritional value. And from there, researchers began to identify vitamins – like A and B – for the first time.
Sam: A huge scientific breakthrough.
Lucy: So doctors, the public, ...everyone got to hear about vitamins – first that they existed, and second, you needed them to be healthy.
Sam: But it was governments that were really worried about vitamin deficiency. Certainly in the US and in the UK, at least.
Lucy: What do you mean?
Sam: Well, in the 1930s those governments were worried about people’s general health, because everyone was suddenly buying canned fruit, artificial butter, meat in tins...that kind of thing. It became very common. And so newspapers were featuring lots of government reports about how serious this was.
Lucy: I see.
Sam: And then, some people saw a business opportunity.
Lucy: Naturally.
Sam: In the 1940s, companies started making and selling vitamin supplements in bottles. And they decided the easiest way to market them was to target housewives.
Lucy: Why was that? Because housewives were responsible for keeping families healthy?
Sam: I’d say so. In the weekly magazines housewives read, the companies made exaggerated claims about what the supplements could do, and they showed pictures of rats in a laboratory before and after they were given vitamins. The ‘before’ pictures showed the rats looking very sick.
Lucy: So they scared the housewives into buying their product.
Sam: Apparently.
Lucy: But vitamins were still expensive, weren’t they? It wasn’t until the 1950s that more people could afford to buy them.
Sam: Why was that?
Lucy: Well manufacturers had discovered how to produce vitamins artificially and in enormous quantities in their factories.
Sam: I suppose that’s what goes on with any product. It starts expensive until manufacturers adapt their technology. Were there any developments in the 1960s?
Lucy: Companies changed their promotional strategy to increase their sales. They used movie stars to say how effective the supplements were.
Sam: That’s still true today. Celebrity endorsement really seems to work. Someone on the TV says vitamins have made them healthier and immediately more consumers go out and buy them.
Lucy: So apparently the number of Australians taking vitamin supplements has doubled in the last decade.
Sam: Incredible. I suppose so many fitness-related articles recommend them.
Lucy: I wouldn’t say that that’s the reason. According to the research I read, many Australians are just taking a more active approach to staying well. They don’t want to rely on their doctor for everything, so they’re turning to vitamins. They can take those themselves and feel they’re doing something positive.
So it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact the price has dropped because so many companies are making supplements.
Sam: I doubt it. Even people in lower socio-economic groups are buying them, apparently.
Lucy: Most of my own research has been about the US vitamin supplement industry. Did you know the industry is under no obligation to prove that their supplements actually work. I don’t think that’s right.
Sam: How do you mean?
Lucy: Well, in the US, the Food and Drug Administration department regards vitamin supplements as a food. With medicine – manufacturers have to demonstrate that their products really can improve people’s health, before they go on sale.
Sam: But you said vitamins are classed as a food.
Lucy: Yes, so the industry can sell whatever vitamin supplements they like, you know: ‘This one will improve your brain function’ - even if there’s nothing to support their claims.
Sam: That Danish experiment – thousands of people took part in that.
Lucy: Yes, the scientists wanted to see if high doses of vitamins really could prevent medical problems like heart disease. Or just reduce the chances of people getting a simple cold.
Sam: But the ‘high dose’ people were just as likely to get sick as the people not taking any vitamins. That’s not to say that scientists now know everything about vitamins.
Lucy: No. Like you say, investigations and long-term trials need to continue before they can be certain about what taking vitamin supplements can actually achieve.
Sam: But in the meantime, do we need stricter regulation of the supplement industry? Do you think people would stop buying and taking vitamins if they were told it’s a waste of time?
Lucy: Hardly. No one likes being told what they can or can’t buy… especially where health is concerned.
Sam: Fair enough. I guess if the government made it harder to get certain products, like say, fish oil with vitamin D, people would protest.
Lucy: They certainly would. What I think is that...