Sports Science Course - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–22 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 23–24 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 25–30 Matching
What comment do the students make about the development of each of the following items of sporting equipment?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-H, next to Questions.
Comments about the development of the equipment
A It could cause excessive sweating.
B The material was being mass produced for another purpose.
C People often needed to make their own.
D It often had to be replaced.
E The material was expensive.
F It was unpopular among spectators.
G It caused injuries.
H No one ring it liked it at first.
Items of sporting equipment
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | — | — | |
| Q22 | C / E | Yeah – that was my goal, and all my classmates assumed I would achieve it; they thought I was brilliant. Perhaps they should have pushed me harder, though. |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Thomas's classmates admired him for his sporting abilities and believed he would achieve his goal. Thomas mentions that maybe they should have pushed him harder, implying that he feels he could have done more. Answer Explanation: The answer suggests that Thomas's fellow students admired him for his sports activities (point E) and that perhaps Thomas feels he could have worked harder at them (point C). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the excerpt as it aligns with Thomas's classmates admiring him (point E) and his own admission that maybe he could have been pushed harder (point C). This shows a connection between his classmates' admiration and his own reflection on putting in more effort. |
| Q23 | — | — | |
| Q24 | A / D | I just kept thinking how fortunate I was. What a great chance this was! I thought ‘this can’t be happening’! |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Thomas felt lucky and had doubts about the situation. Answer Explanation: The answer suggests that Thomas experienced feelings of disbelief (A) and gratitude (D) in Kenya. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A (disbelief) and D (gratitude) because the transcript indicates he couldn't believe his luck ('this can’t be happening') which aligns with disbelief, and he mentioned how fortunate he felt, showing gratitude ('What a great chance this was'). |
| Q25 | B | In about the 1920s, a factory was making rolls of the rubber in bulk for something like horse harnesses. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that in the 1920s, a factory was producing large quantities of rubber for a different purpose, such as making equipment for horse harnesses. Answer Explanation: The answer suggests that the material for the table tennis bat was being mass-produced for another use. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'B' because the information provided in the excerpt indicates that the rubber used for the table tennis bat was initially manufactured in bulk for a different purpose, which aligns with answer choice B. |
| Q26 | F | I’m just looking on the internet … and it says that when the first cricket helmet came in, in 1978, the Australian batsman who first wore it was booed and jeered by people watching because it was so ugly! | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that when the first cricket helmet was introduced in 1978, the Australian batsman who wore it was not liked by the audience because they thought it was unattractive or unappealing. Answer Explanation: The answer 'F' indicates that the cricket helmet was unpopular among spectators. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'F' because the excerpt describes how the introduction of the cricket helmet was met with disapproval from spectators who found it ugly. This aligns with the comment that the equipment was unpopular among spectators. |
| Q27 | A | It says serious cyclists ended up with wet hair from all the hard exercise. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about serious cyclists getting wet hair because they exercise hard. Answer Explanation: The answer suggests that the cycle helmet could cause excessive sweating. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because sweating can lead to wet hair, which is mentioned in the excerpt. This aligns with the potential problem of excessive sweating caused by wearing a cycle helmet during intense exercise. |
| Q28 | D | I remember my great grandfather telling me that because a club was made entirely of wood, it would easily break and players had to get another. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that the golf club was made of wood and would easily break, leading players to have to get a replacement. Answer Explanation: The answer indicates that the golf club often had to be replaced. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'D' because the excerpt clearly states that the golf club would frequently break, resulting in players needing to obtain a new one. This aligns with the idea that the equipment often had to be replaced. |
| Q29 | C | What it does say here, though, is that when the game started you had to produce a stick yourself. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in the beginning, players had to make their own hockey sticks. Answer Explanation: The answer choice 'C' means that people often needed to make their hockey sticks themselves. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'C' because the excerpt directly mentions that when the game started, players had to produce their own hockey sticks, which aligns with the idea that people often needed to make their own equipment. |
| Q30 | G | You can imagine the damage to player’s necks when the ball was headed. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about the potential injury that players could experience in their necks when they head the ball during a football game. Answer Explanation: The answer choice 'G' suggests that the development of football caused injuries, which aligns with the possibility of neck injuries mentioned in the excerpt. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'G' because the comment about the football causing injuries matches the description of potential neck injuries from heading the ball in the given text. |
Transcript
JEANNE: Hi Thomas, how are you enjoying the course so far?
THOMAS: Yeah, I think it’s good.
JEANNE: Remind me – why did you decide to study sports science? Didn’t you want to be a professional athlete when you were at school?
THOMAS: Yeah – that was my goal, and all my classmates assumed I would achieve it; they thought I was brilliant.
JEANNE: That must have been a nice feeling.
THOMAS: Mm, I thought I could win anything. There was no one who could run faster than me.
JEANNE: Exactly – so what happened? Did your mum and dad want you to be more ‘academic’?
THOMAS: Not at all. Perhaps they should have pushed me harder, though.
JEANNE: What do you mean?
THOMAS: I think I should have practised more.
JEANNE: What makes you say that?
THOMAS: Well, I went out to Kenya for a couple of weeks to train …
JEANNE: Really! I didn’t know that.
THOMAS: I was chosen to go there out of loads of kids and run with some of the top teenage athletes in the world. And … I was so calm about it. I just kept thinking how fortunate I was. What a great chance this was! Everyone back home was so proud of me. But once we started competing, I very quickly realised I wasn’t good enough.
JEANNE: That must have been a huge shock.
THOMAS: I thought ‘this can’t be happening’! I was used to winning.
JEANNE: I’m sorry to hear that.
THOMAS: It’s OK. I’m over it now and I think it’s much better to do a university course and this one has such a variety of sports-related areas. It’s going to be good.
JEANNE: Oh, I agree – I chose it because of that.
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THOMAS: So Jeanne – have you thought of any ideas for the discussion session next week on technology and sport?
JEANNE: We have to cover more than one sport, don’t we?
THOMAS: Yeah.
JEANNE: You know – we always think technology is about the future, but we could gather some ideas about past developments in sport.
THOMAS: Look at early types of equipment perhaps? Uh, I remember reading something about table tennis bats once – how they ended up being covered with pimpled rubber.
JEANNE: Cos they were just wooden at first, I’d imagine.
THOMAS: Yeah. In about the 1920s, a factory was making rolls of the rubber in bulk for something like horse harnesses.
JEANNE: Really!
THOMAS: Yeah – and someone realised that it’d make a perfect covering for the wooden bats.
JEANNE: So what about cricket – that’s had a few innovative changes. Maybe the pads they were on their legs?
THOMAS: I don’t think they’ve changed much but, I’m just looking on the internet … and it says that when the first cricket helmet came in, in 1978, the Australian batsman who first wore it was booed and jeered by people watching because it was so ugly!
JEANNE: Wow, players have to protect themselves from getting hurt! I mean everyone wears one now.
THOMAS: Mm, unlike the cycle helmet.
JEANNE: Well, unless you’re a professional, but you’re right, many ordinary bikers don’t wear a helmet.
THOMAS: Hey, look at these pictures of original helmet designs. This one looks like an upside-down bowl!
JEANNE: Yet, the woman’s laughing – she’s so proud to be wearing it!
THOMAS: It says serious cyclists ended up with wet hair from all the hard exercise.
JEANNE: I guess that’s why they have large air vents in them now so that the skin can breathe more easily.
THOMAS: OK, so we’ve done helmets. What about golf balls or better still golf clubs – they’ve changed a lot.
JEANNE: Yeah – I remember my great grandfather telling me that because a club was made entirely of wood, it would easily break and players had to get another.
THOMAS: There’s no wood at all in them now, is there?
JEANNE: No – they’re much more powerful.
THOMAS: The same must be true of hockey sticks.
JEANNE: I don’t think so because players still use wooden sticks today. What it does say here, though, is that when the game started you had to produce a stick yourself.
THOMAS: I guess they just weren’t being manufactured. So, one more perhaps. What about football?
JEANNE: Well, I know the first balls were made of animal skin.
THOMAS: Yeah, they covered them with pieces of leather that were stitched together, but … the balls let in water when it rained.
JEANNE: Oh, that would have made them much heavier.
THOMAS: That’s right. You can imagine the damage to player’s necks when the ball was headed.
JEANNE: How painful that must have been!
THOMAS: Yeah, well, I think we can put together some useful ideas …