The Engineer Sarah Guppy, 1770-1852 - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
The Engineer Sarah Guppy, 1770-1852
Background
- women were active in many areas of 19th-century British society, e.g. Jane Harrison was the first female 31
- by the end of the century there were 140 female dentists and 212 32, as well as many musicians and actors
Sarah Guppy
- was born in Birmingham and moved to Bristol with her husband
- designed bridges that could survive 33
- built 34 of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
- was a significant 35 in the Clifton Suspension Bridge together with her husband
- designed a ‘barnacle buster’ that allowed 36 to go faster
- helped stop 37 near railway lines
- built an amusing machine for making different parts of 38 at the same time
- designed an early type of 39 equipment
Conclusions
- other women worked as engineers, e.g. Ada Lovelace and Hertha Marks Ayrton
- it was not until 1906 that a woman 40 in engineering
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | academic | Jane Harrison is credited with being the first woman to be employed as an academic at a British university | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Jane Harrison is recognized as the very first woman to have a job as an academic (a teacher or researcher) at a university in Britain. Answer Explanation: The answer "academic" refers to a person who works in teaching or research at a university or college. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is identified by looking for the section about Jane Harrison's achievements. The text explicitly states that she was the first woman to hold a specific job title at a British university, which matches the context of her being a pioneer in society. The word "academic" is used to describe this professional role. |
| Q32 | doctors | So dentists – there were 140 women, and there were 212 women who were employed as doctors at the end of the century | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states the specific number of women in two medical professions: there were 140 dentists and 212 doctors working at the end of the 19th century. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies people who are trained to treat patients and practice medicine. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'doctors' because the speaker provides specific statistics about the number of women working in different professions in Britain during the late 1800s. After noting that there were 140 female dentists, the speaker directly states that 212 women were working as doctors at the end of the century. |
| Q33 | floods | This was a method of building bridges that were so strong they could withstand even severe floods, which might otherwise have destroyed the bridge | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that her bridge-building method was special because the structures could handle very powerful floods that would normally break a bridge apart. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Sarah Guppy created designs for bridges that were strong enough to stay standing during heavy rain and overflowing water. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section of the talk where the student discusses Sarah Guppy's first invention in 1811. The student mentions that she designed a way to make bridges strong enough to 'withstand' (meaning survive or stay safe during) 'severe floods.' Since the notes ask for a single word describing what the bridges could survive, 'floods' is the accurate term. |
| Q34 | models | However, she is known to have constructed models representing the entire structure, and these were of great assistance to Brunel when he built the Clifton Suspension bridge | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Sarah created small versions of the bridge's design. These small versions were very helpful to the person who was building the real bridge. Answer Explanation: The answer means small-scale physical versions or copies that show what the real bridge would look like and how it would work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "models" because the student explains that while Sarah Guppy wasn't the lead engineer for the Clifton Suspension bridge, she made small versions of the structure. These physical items were very useful to the main engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, during the building process. The word "constructed" in the transcript is a synonym for "built," which matches the note. |
| Q35 | investor | Together with her husband, Sarah was an important investor in the project, and did well out of it financially | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that Sarah and her husband put their money into the bridge project and earned a profit because of it. Answer Explanation: The answer "investor" means a person who puts money into a project or business to make more money in the future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "investor" because the student explains that Sarah and her husband gave money to help build the bridge. The word "important" in the transcript matches the word "significant" in the notes, and the student specifically uses the word "investor" to describe their role in paying for the project. |
| Q36 | ships | One of her inventions was the so-called ‘barnacle buster’. This was a device that increased the speed at which ships could sail, by preventing tiny creatures like barnacles growing on them | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that Sarah Guppy created a 'barnacle buster', which was a tool that helped ships move at a higher speed by keeping sea animals off of them. Answer Explanation: The answer 'ships' means large boats used for traveling or carrying things across the sea. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ships' because the speaker describes an invention by Sarah Guppy called the 'barnacle buster'. This machine was meant to increase the speed of ships by stopping tiny sea animals from attaching to them and slowing them down. The note focuses on what this invention helped to go faster, which fits the word 'ships'. |
| Q37 | erosion | And Sarah encouraged trees and vegetation to be planted in cuttings to reduce the problem of erosion – a technique that is still commonly used today | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that Sarah suggested growing plants on the dirt walls next to train tracks to solve the problem of the ground wearing away. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the process of soil or rock wearing away, which Sarah Guppy's idea helped prevent. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'erosion' because the transcript explains that Sarah Guppy suggested planting trees and plants in railway cuttings (man-made valleys for trains). She did this specifically to 'reduce the problem' of the ground washing away or breaking down, which the speaker identifies as 'erosion'. This matches the note that she 'helped stop' something near railway lines. |
| Q38 | breakfast | One that stood out for me was a machine that made tea, kept toast warm and boiled an egg all at the same time, so you could sit down for a typical British breakfast without waiting for anything | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Sarah made a funny machine to prepare food. This machine made several morning food items together so that a person could eat their morning meal, or breakfast, quickly. Answer Explanation: The answer is the name of the first meal of the day, eaten in the morning. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is breakfast because the speaker describes a machine Sarah Guppy made that could cook tea, toast, and eggs all at once. The speaker specifically says these items are part of a 'typical British breakfast.' |
| Q39 | gym | Then there was one area where Sarah was really ahead of her time because she designed an early type of equipment that’s very common today. This was a sort of gym machine that you could keep at home | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says Sarah made a special machine for the home that was like the exercise equipment we use in a gym today. Answer Explanation: The answer 'gym' refers to a type of machine used for exercise that Sarah Guppy created. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'gym' because the speaker explains that Sarah Guppy created a design for home exercise equipment. She specifically identifies this as a 'gym machine' that was very advanced for its time. |
| Q40 | graduated | Just by way of illustration, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t until 1906 – 54 years after Sarah’s death – that a woman studied engineering at university and graduated as an engineer for the first time | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that 54 years after Sarah Guppy died, a woman finally finished her engineering studies at a university for the first time. Answer Explanation: The answer "graduated" means to successfully finish a course of study at a school, college, or university. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "graduated" because the student explains that even though Sarah Guppy was an inventor, women did not officially finish university degrees in engineering until much later. The text specifically states that in the year 1906, for the first time, a woman finished her university studies to become an engineer. |
Transcript
Student: Well, hi everyone. In my presentation today I’m going to be talking about Sarah Guppy, a female engineer in Britain in the 19th century.
So, first some background. Um, so in Britain at that time, there weren’t many women engineers. But the 19th century was a time of great change in Britain and women were becoming increasingly active in many aspects of society. So one example would be Jane Harrison, who was a linguist and an expert on ancient civilisations. Jane Harrison is credited with being the first woman to be employed as an academic at a British university. And slowly women were being employed in more fields during this period. Let me just give you a few statistics to illustrate. Um, so, by the end of the 19th century, there were thousands of female musicians and actors and more than half in each group were women. When it came to the professions, the numbers were much lower. So dentists – there were 140 women, and there were 212 women who were employed as doctors at the end of the century.
OK, so moving onto Sarah Guppy herself. Sarah was born in 1770 in the city of Birmingham into a family of merchants. Aged 25 she married Samuel Guppy and moved to the city of Bristol. Then in 1811, she patented her first invention. This was a method of building bridges that were so strong they could withstand even severe floods, which might otherwise have destroyed the bridge. Her idea was used by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel when he built the famous Clifton Suspension bridge. Sarah was not directly involved in this project as an engineer. However, she is known to have constructed models representing the entire structure, and these were of great assistance to Brunel when he built the Clifton Suspension bridge. What’s more, Sarah was involved in the project to build the Clifton Suspension bridge in another way, too. Together with her husband, Sarah was an important investor in the project, and did well out of it financially.
Student: However, Sarah’s talents as an engineer and designer went beyond bridges. One of her inventions was the so-called ‘barnacle buster’. This was a device that increased the speed at which ships could sail, by preventing tiny creatures like barnacles growing on them. Sarah also had an interest in railways. Now, the 19th century was a time when a huge number of railway lines were being built across Britain. Frequently, this involved digging ‘cuttings’, where the railway line was cut into a hill. And Sarah encouraged trees and vegetation to be planted in cuttings to reduce the problem of erosion – a technique that is still commonly used today.
I’d also like to mention that some of Sarah Guppy’s machines are quite amusing when we look back at them today. One that stood out for me was a machine that made tea, kept toast warm and boiled an egg all at the same time, so you could sit down for a typical British breakfast without waiting for anything. It’s quite strange to look at but I guess it might have been convenient! Then there was one area where Sarah was really ahead of her time because she designed an early type of equipment that’s very common today. This was a sort of gym machine that you could keep at home. And in the last 150 years or so that’s an industry that has really taken off.
OK, so in conclusion, what can we say about the career of Sarah Guppy? She certainly wasn’t the only woman engineer in 19th century Britain. I mean, for example there was Ada Lovelace, who is sometimes described as the first computer programmer and Hertha Marks Ayrton, a mathematician and electrical engineer. But still, Sarah’s contribution was highly unusual. Just by way of illustration, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t until 1906 – 54 years after Sarah’s death – that a woman studied engineering at university and graduated as an engineer for the first time. Now one other thing…