Talking About The History Of Bikes - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 1 Academic Listening Test 3 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions
Questions 31–37 Table Completion
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Talking about the history of bikes
| Years/Time | Feature | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | wooden wheels
covered with metal |
need 31 than walking | quite 32 |
| 33 | Chain and sprocket are 34 | easier and 35 ride | harder to balance |
| 1880s | use 36 | more comfortable | The faster you go, the more you feel every bump. |
| 1890s | equal-sized wheels | 37 | dangerous before brakes appeared |
Questions 38–40 Multiple Choice (Three Answers)
Choose THREE letters, A-F, and write them next to questions 38-40.
The invention of different gears on a bicycle affected which THREE of the following?
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | less effort | The early bike let people travel with less effort than walking | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that using an early bicycle allowed people to reach their destination without having to work as hard as they would by walking on foot. Answer Explanation: The answer means that moving with a bike was not as hard or tiring for the body as walking. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the part of the talk about the 1830s. The speaker explains that because cities were becoming very large, walking was difficult. Bikes were invented to help people travel from one place to another while using much less strength or energy. In English, 'less effort' means something is easier to do. |
| Q32 | uncomfortable | So the downside was that the ride was quite uncomfortable on most roads | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that a bad part (downside) of these early bikes was that they were not nice to sit on or ride because the wheels were hard and the roads were rough. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'uncomfortable', which means that riding the bike did not feel good or pleasant. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is determined by looking at the description of early bikes from the 1830s. The speaker mentions that because the wheels were made of wood and covered with metal, the experience of riding them on roads was not smooth. The word 'downside' is used as a synonym for 'disadvantage', directly leading to the description of the ride as 'quite uncomfortable'. |
| Q33 | 1860s | By the 1860s, though, improvements were being made. As you can see from this specimen, metal frames had become the rule. They're more durable than wood, and they don't warp in the rain. The biggest improvement however was the development of the chain and sprocket system. They are connected. This meant you did not push the bike. You used pedals just like today. You had to try harder to balance, so it took some practice to figure out how to use the pedals | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that starting in the 1860s, bikes changed. They got a new system with chains and pedals. This made the bike easier to move, but it also made it more difficult for the rider to keep their balance. Answer Explanation: The answer 1860s refers to the decade in the 19th century when specific improvements were made to bicycles. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1860s because the transcript explicitly links this time period to the introduction of the chain and sprocket system. It mentions that during this time, these parts were connected so that riders used pedals. The speaker also notes the benefits (the ride was smoother and easier) and the drawbacks (it was harder to balance) associated with this specific era of bike development. |
| Q34 | connected | The biggest improvement however was the development of the chain and sprocket system. They are connected | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the chain and the sprocket (the gear wheel) are joined together in the bicycle's design. Answer Explanation: The answer "connected" means that two or more pieces of a machine are joined together to work together. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "connected" because the speaker discusses the improvements made to bicycles in the 1860s. He explains that the most important change was the chain and sprocket system. He says that these two parts are joined together (connected). This change was important because it allowed riders to use pedals to move forward rather than pushing the bike with their feet. |
| Q35 | smoother | As a result, the good thing was that you could ride a lot more smoothly and with very little effort | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that because of new bicycle parts, riders had a 'good thing' (another word for an advantage). This advantage was that the bike moved without shaking and was not hard work to use. Answer Explanation: The answer 'smoother' describes a bike ride that is level and pleasant. It means the bicycle does not shake or jump over bumps. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'smoother' because the speaker mentions that in the 1860s, bikes received a new 'chain and sprocket system.' This system made riding 'so much easier.' The speaker describes the 'good thing' (a synonym for advantage) as being able to ride 'a lot more smoothly.' In the table, this matches the description of an 'easier and smoother ride.' |
| Q36 | rubber wheels | By the 1880s, another big change was the use of rubber wheels | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that during the 1880s, a major update for bicycles was that people began using wheels made of rubber. Answer Explanation: The answer rubber wheels refers to bike tires made from a soft, elastic material that replaced the hard wood and metal wheels used in earlier years. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is rubber wheels because the speaker identifies this as a major change that happened in the 1880s. According to the transcript, these wheels were much better for the rider because they were more comfortable than the previous materials used, like iron and wood. |
| Q37 | safer | Another characteristic of the bike in this period is that it has two equal-sized wheels, which signalled a big change in bikes This meant that bikes became a great deal safer |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that during the 1890s, bikes changed to have wheels of the same size and new ways to stop. These changes resulted in bicycles being much "safer" to ride than they were in the past. Answer Explanation: The answer "safer" means that riding the bike was now less dangerous and the person riding it was less likely to have an accident or get hurt. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is located in the section of the transcript describing bicycles around the year 1890. During this time, bikes began to have two wheels of the same size and, importantly, brakes were added. Before these inventions, stopping a bike was difficult and "dangerous." Because riders could now stop easily by pushing the pedals backward, the speaker concludes that bicycles became a "great deal safer." |
| Q38 | — | — | |
| Q39 | — | — | |
| Q40 | C / D / F | Why are today's bikes so much faster? Well, it's not just that today's athletes are faster. The answer is partly mechanical. If you look closely here, at the back wheel you'll see a number of gears. Changing gears is what makes those fast speeds possible. You can shift gears depending on the terrain and how hard you wish to pedal. So you can put it on a higher gear for downhill, and a lower gear for uphill travel to make it easier to climb that slope. You'll notice this gear-shifting mechanism is attached at the back wheel, and when the rider shifts on the handlebar gear shifter, the chain moves to the appropriate sprocket | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that gears are the mechanical reason why modern bikes can reach high speeds. It mentions that the gears are located on the back wheel and that bikers use them to make riding easier when going downhill. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies three specific areas that were changed or improved by adding gears to a bicycle: how fast it goes (rate of speed), the setup of the back wheel, and how the bike handles downhill travel. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the final section of the speech. First, the speaker notes that gears are what make 'fast speeds possible,' which corresponds to 'Rate of speed.' Second, the speaker points out that the gears and the shifting system are physically 'attached at the back wheel.' Third, the speaker explains that gears allow riders to adjust to the road conditions, specifically mentioning using a higher gear for 'downhill' travel. Keywords like 'fast speeds,' 'back wheel,' and 'downhill' directly link the transcript to these three choices. |
Transcript
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our exhibition, "Two Centuries of the Bike". Let's stroll around the exhibition, shall we?
Although there were a few early efforts back in the 1700s, you didn't really see many bikes till, say, the 1830s in England. Bikes were a response to the rapid growth of cities early in the 19th century. Cities like London were getting too big to walk across! The early bike let people travel with less effort than walking. Plus a bike was a lot cheaper than a horse!
Think of it. No one invented a bike for, what, five thousand years of human history? Why did people do it then? Probably because this was the start of the Machine Age: people wanted machines to do all the work.
There were some drawbacks, however. For one thing, there were no pedals. You simply pushed yourself along using your feet. Kind of like today's skateboard. That meant you went fairly slowly. And uphill, you actually worked harder, pushing that two-wheeler. Plus, the wheels were made of wood covered with metal, as you can see from this model. So the downside was that the ride was quite uncomfortable on most roads. Only a few gadget lovers had or used them.
By the 1860s, though, improvements were being made. As you can see from this specimen, metal frames had become the rule. They're more durable than wood, and they don't warp in the rain. The biggest improvement however was the development of the chain and sprocket system. They are connected. This meant you did not push the bike. You used pedals just like today. You had to try harder to balance, so it took some practice to figure out how to use the pedals. But it made the ride so much easier. As a result, the good thing was that you could ride a lot more smoothly and with very little effort.
By the 1880s, another big change was the use of rubber wheels. These became pretty common at that time. Though the first ones were solid rubber, the ride was a good deal more comfortable than the old iron and wood system. This is a big consideration because the faster you go, the more you feel every bump. Air-filled tyres – "pneumatic tyres" – didn't really come into use till around the year 1900, as you can see from this exhibition over here. That made the ride even more comfortable.
So, by 1890 or so, people were going a lot faster and a lot more smoothly. There was one problem when you were going quickly and comfortably: "OH NO! HOW DO I STOP?" Yes, we all laugh now. But for a long time, the only way to stop was drag your feet. That didn't work very well and it would be dangerous if you were going fast. In the crowded cities of those years – New York, Chicago, and so on, you would get killed if you couldn't stop for, say, a streetcar.
Plus look at this bike. The front wheel is nearly a metre and two thirds tall! They made them that way so you could see over people and wagons. But you couldn't drag your feet. This model is called a "velocipede" – a "speed pedal". Another characteristic of the bike in this period is that it has two equal-sized wheels, which signalled a big change in bikes.
For with the velocipede, brakes appeared. If you wanted to stop, you just pushed the pedal backwards. Doing that stopped the back wheel of the bike. This technique worked a lot better than dragging your feet or jumping off the high seat there! This meant that bikes became a great deal safer. It would have been safer if people wore helmets, but the first bicycle helmet wasn't invented until years later, and even then it was little more than a leather ballcap. It really wasn't until the 1970s that the bike helmet was modified to provide some real protection.
Before continuing on to look at developments since the 1890s, let's say a word more about safety. Everyone knows if you're going downhill, you can get going dangerously fast. To go more than a hundred kilometres an hour isn't all that difficult! But even on level ground it's easy to go too quickly. On a city street, today's bicycles can be ridden at a speed of over forty miles an hour, over a short distance. That's about sixty-four kilometres an hour. Remember you're on a bike, not in a car. There's nothing to protect you. People are killed in single-bicycle accidents every day, just from hitting the road.
A good rule to remember is, if you're going faster than the cars, slow down. And please wear a helmet. Nearly one quarter of the epilepsy cases come from head injuries in accidents on bikes and motorcycles. I didn't mean to scare you, but safety is everyone's business.
What? Now that's a good question. Why are today's bikes so much faster? Well, it's not just that today's athletes are faster. The answer is partly mechanical. If you look closely here, at the back wheel you'll see a number of gears. Changing gears is what makes those fast speeds possible. You can shift gears depending on the terrain and how hard you wish to pedal. So you can put it on a higher gear for downhill, and a lower gear for uphill travel to make it easier to climb that slope. You'll notice this gear-shifting mechanism is attached at the back wheel, and when the rider shifts on the handlebar gear shifter, the chain moves to the appropriate sprocket. And, speaking of changing gears, let's look over here at our "Tour de France" exhibit...