Production of Ceramics - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- Ceramics date back approximately 31.
- The first figurines were made in the area of 32.
- Early humans could not use their pots to store 33.
- The Chinese improved the quality of ceramics by mixing 34 with the clay.
- Chinese porcelain was also called 35.
- Bottger added quartz and 36 to clay to make porcelain.
- Glass production is similar to clay ceramics apart from the rate of 37.
- The Romans introduced the use of glass to make 38.
- The discovery of concrete is probably due to observing reactions of water and 39.
- The ability to build large 40 contributed to the success of the Roman Empire.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | 29,000 years / 29000 years | Well it all started around 29,000 years ago when humans discovered that if you dig up some soft clay from the ground, mould it into a shape and then heat it up to a very high temperature, when it cools the clay has been transformed into something hard and rigid | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the process of turning soft clay into a hard, rigid material through high heat began approximately 29,000 years ago. Answer Explanation: The answer 29,000 years is the amount of time that has passed since humans first began making ceramic objects. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the speaker's explanation of history. When the speaker asks how it "all started," they use the phrase "around 29,000 years ago" to mark the beginning of ceramic technology. This matches the phrase "date back" in the question, which refers to the time something began. |
| Q32 | southern Europe / south Europe | And all this activity was centred around southern Europe where there is also evidence of ceramics that were created much later | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the work of making these early clay shapes and statues mostly took place in the southern part of Europe. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the specific region where the earliest small clay statues were produced. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is substantiated by the transcript's mention of early humans making figurines (small clay statues). It explicitly states that this work happened in a specific part of Europe. Synonyms or keywords to look for include 'activity,' 'centred around,' and 'figurines,' which the transcript describes as small statues. |
| Q33 | water | The pots were porous so that, although they could carry water in them, it wasn't possible to store it over a long period | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that early clay pots let liquid pass through slowly. Because of this, people could use the pots to move water, but they could not keep the water inside the pots for a long time. Answer Explanation: The answer means that long ago, people could not keep water in their clay pots for a long time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "water" because the transcript explains that early clay pots were porous, meaning they had tiny holes. Because of these holes, liquid would slowly leak out. This meant that while people could carry water in the pots, they could not store it for a long period of time. |
| Q34 | minerals | In China at around 200 BC, they discovered that by adding minerals to the clay they could improve both the appearance and the strength of the ceramics | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in China long ago, people found out that putting minerals into the clay made the ceramics look nicer and last longer. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the natural materials that Chinese people put into clay to make their pottery better. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'minerals' because the transcript states that around 200 BC in China, people found that mixing these substances into the clay improved how the ceramics looked and how strong they were. This change was the main way they improved their product. |
| Q35 | white gold | In fact, it became so valuable that it was known as white gold and spies were sent to China to discover what they did to the clay to produce such high-quality merchandise | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that porcelain became worth a lot of money. Because of this high price, people called it "white gold." Answer Explanation: The answer "white gold" is a special name or nickname used for expensive Chinese porcelain. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "white gold" because the speaker explains that porcelain from China was extremely expensive and important for business. Because it was so valuable, people gave it this name. Keywords like "valuable" and "known as" help identify that "white gold" was the name for the porcelain. |
| Q36 | china stone | And after many years of experimentation, he discovered that by adding quartz and a material called china stone to very high-quality clay he managed to get the same results that the Chinese had been achieving for the last 1,000 years | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that after a long time of trying different things, Bottger found that putting quartz and 'china stone' into high-quality clay allowed him to make the same type of pottery that people in China had been making. Answer Explanation: The answer is the specific material that Johann Friedrich Bottger used, along with quartz and clay, to successfully create porcelain. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'china stone' because the transcript explicitly states that Bottger discovered a way to make high-quality porcelain by adding quartz and a material called 'china stone' to clay. This discovery allowed him to replicate the results that the Chinese had kept secret for centuries. |
| Q37 | cooling down / cooling | The main difference between ceramics made from clay and glass is that clay is made up of crystalline plates which become locked together in the cooling process whereas glass cools too quickly for crystals to form | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that although both materials are made with heat, the way they get cold is different: clay stays hot long enough for its parts to lock together, but glass gets cold so fast that this doesn't happen. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the process of a hot material becoming cold and solid. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "cooling (down)" because according to the transcript, the primary difference between clay ceramics and glass is how fast they get cold. While clay allows crystals to lock together during the "cooling process," glass "cools too quickly" for this to happen. This variation in speed is why the "rate" of cooling is the key distinction. |
| Q38 | windows | One of the more innovative uses was to use it in windows as, up until then, they had just been holes in walls | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that using glass for windows was a clever new use during Roman times. Before they used glass, windows were just empty holes in the walls. Answer Explanation: The answer "windows" refers to the glass pieces placed in the walls of buildings to let light in while keeping out the wind and rain. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "windows" because the speaker explains that during the time of the Roman Empire, glass began to be used for practical purposes. One specific and clever new use mentioned is putting glass into windows, which previously were just empty holes in the walls. |
| Q39 | volcanic ash | The Romans observed that, when volcanic ash mixes with water and then cools, it gets extremely hard and almost impossible to break up | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the Romans noticed that when ash from volcanoes and water are put together and then get cold, they turn into a very strong material that is very difficult to destroy. Answer Explanation: The answer "volcanic ash" refers to the gray, dusty powder that comes out of a volcano when it erupts. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "volcanic ash" because the transcript explains that the invention of concrete was likely linked to the volcanic activity in Rome. It specifically mentions that Romans watched how volcanic ash reacted when mixed with water: the mixture became very hard and solid. This observation led to the discovery of concrete. |
| Q40 | harbours / harbors | As the Roman Empire grew, the Romans needed to take control of the seas and for this they needed to build harbours capable of holding a fleet of ships. Pouring concrete mixture into the sea immediately started the hardening process and rather than just dissolving in the mass of water, the substance was tough and long-lasting. This strange characteristic of concrete made a significant contribution to the success of the Roman Empire | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that buildng strong ports (harbours) for many ships was necessary for the Romans to control the ocean. The fact that they could build these structures using a special kind of concrete helped make the Roman Empire very successful. Answer Explanation: The answer "harbours" refers to safe areas of water where ships can stay near the land to load and unload goods. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "harbours" because the transcript explains that the Romans wanted to control the seas, which required building strong places for many ships. By using concrete that could harden even underwater, they were able to build these harbours, and this ability played a major role in the overall success and growth of their empire. |
Transcript
Hi everyone - today I'm going to be talking about the origins of ceramics. So, first of all, let's start off with - what is a ceramic? Well, generally speaking, ceramics are what you get when you apply heat to certain inorganic, non-metallic solids and then allow them to cool. And examples of ceramics are everyday things like earthenware pots, crockery, glassware and even concrete.
So how did it all begin? Well it all started around 29,000 years ago when humans discovered that if you dig up some soft clay from the ground, mould it into a shape and then heat it up to a very high temperature, when it cools the clay has been transformed into something hard and rigid. And so - what did those first humans do with their discovery? Well - they created figurines which were small statues and which depicted animals or gods or any shape that the clay could be moulded into. And all this activity was centred around southern Europe where there is also evidence of ceramics that were created much later.
The early humans also found a practical use for their discovery, such as storing things like grain - although there were drawbacks. The pots were porous so that, although they could carry water in them, it wasn't possible to store it over a long period. And also, they were quite brittle and shattered very easily if they were dropped.
But despite these problems, it was many thousands of years before there were any improvements. In China at around 200 BC, they discovered that by adding minerals to the clay they could improve both the appearance and the strength of the ceramics. But it took nearly a thousand years before they perfected the process to produce high-quality ceramics known as porcelain. And once they had perfected the process, they kept it a secret - for another thousand years! Compared to the first ceramics, porcelain was lighter, finer, harder and whiter and became an important commodity in China's trading with the rest of the world for hundreds of years. In fact, it became so valuable that it was known as white gold and spies were sent to China to discover what they did to the clay to produce such high-quality merchandise.
It wasn't until the eighteenth century that the secret began to unravel. A German alchemist called Johann Friedrich Bottger was asked by the king to make gold out of lead. Unfortunately, Bottger failed to achieve this and soon gave up, but in order to please the king he attempted to make high-quality porcelain. And after many years of experimentation, he discovered that by adding quartz and a material called china stone to very high-quality clay he managed to get the same results that the Chinese had been achieving for the last 1,000 years.
We'll now look at another ceramic which is made from mixing sand with minerals and heating to over 600 degrees Celsius. When this mixture cools the result is of course glass. The main difference between ceramics made from clay and glass is that clay is made up of crystalline plates which become locked together in the cooling process whereas glass cools too quickly for crystals to form. Apart from that, the process of heating up naturally occurring materials to transform them is the same.
The origins of glass date back to 3500 BC but it wasn't until the Roman Empire, 2,000 years ago, that the art of glass-blowing and the practical uses of glass became more widespread. One of the more innovative uses was to use it in windows as, up until then, they had just been holes in walls. It must have been very draughty in those days!
The Romans were also responsible for inventing concrete. And although the origins are uncertain, experts think that this is largely due to the high level of volcanic activity in the area. The Romans observed that, when volcanic ash mixes with water and then cools, it gets extremely hard and almost impossible to break up. The chemical reaction that follows is very complex and continues for many years, and the concrete just keeps getting harder. Evidence of this is the numerous Roman remains that are still standing, many of which are almost completely intact.
One of the most important facts about concrete for the Romans was that it can be created underwater. As the Roman Empire grew, the Romans needed to take control of the seas and for this they needed to build harbours capable of holding a fleet of ships. Pouring concrete mixture into the sea immediately started the hardening process and rather than just dissolving in the mass of water, the substance was tough and long-lasting. This strange characteristic of concrete made a significant contribution to the success of the Roman Empire.