A Brief History of the Swimming Pool Reading Answers

May 15, 2025

A Brief History of the Swimming Pool Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. A Brief History of the Swimming Pool Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set, you have to choose which paragraph contains the given statement. In the next question set, you have to choose the correct answer in no more than one word or a number from the given passage.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through several IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognise essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practising A Brief History of the Swimming Pool IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SWIMMING POOL

A. The first public swimming pool in the UK opened In 1828. After that, the number of pools developed rapidly, but they were segregated by social class, and women rarely had the opportunity to learn to swim. The catastrophic sinking of the Princess Alice on the river Thames

in 1878 highlighted the dangers of not being able to swim. It also drew attention to the inequality between the sexes. Most of the deaths, when the ship sank, were of female non-swimmers dragged down by their long skirts. Changes in swimming habits went hand in hand with changes to social attitudes. Gradually, it became more acceptable for the sexes to mix while wearing swimsuits and more and more swimming pools were constructed.

The 1930s are considered the 'golden age of lidos' when 169 of them were built across the UK. Lidos are outdoor swimming pools, which were at the height of their popularity in the twentieth century before foreign holidays became affordable.

B. Lidos typically had sunbeds and lawns around them for sunbathing and the emphasis was more on recreation than serious swimming. Visits to the local lido would last all day. Families would bring a picnic and it was a relatively affordable way to spend a day during the summer holidays. Most people over 50 have happy memories of splashing around at their local lido.

Today there are only about 80 lidos in the country. It was not only the possibility of travelling abroad which led to the closure of so many outdoor pools. The British climate means that there are only a few months of the year when open-air swimming is attractive to the majority of people. Maintaining a facility used so little became unfeasible in times of cuts in public spending.

C. However, it is not just lidos that have shut down. In the three years to March 2022, Britain lost over 65 public pools, including indoor pools. The number of children not learning to swim has increased, which has been called an 'absolute health and welfare disaster'. While most can still access a pool if they are willing to travel, not all pools are suitable for activities such as synchronised swimming, diving and water polo.

The pools that remain have changed dramatically from the pools of the 20th century. People who were young then remember nearly every pool had diving boards and deep ends. From the end of the last century, pool renovations often involved reducing the depth of pools and replacing diving boards with flumes (long tunnel like slides) and wave machines. The two main reasons for these changes were cost and safety. A 5-foot (1.5 metre) deep pool is easier and cheaper to heat and maintain than a 12-foot (3.6 metre) deep pool. Diving accidents are the fourth most common cause of spinal injury leading to paralysis. It became apparent that the best way to avoid lawsuits was to remove the diving boards.

D. Unfortunately, both regular swimming and other pool-based activities have become less accessible to those with lower incomes. It could also mean that those who want to swim will turn to less safe options, such as rivers, lakes and the sea, leading to an increase in accidents.

Although there are now fewer diving pools, new technology has brought some hope to divers. The adjustable swimming pool floor enables the same pool to change depth from as shallow as 2 feet (0.5 metres) to as deep as 13 feet (4 metres). This mechanism has been adopted by many sports centres keen to offer a wide range of activities to customers, while only needing to maintain one pool. Such pools offer a 'depth timetable', which lets swimmers know when it will be shallow enough for children and non-swimmers and when it will be deep enough to use the diving boards. For facilities very limited in space, the adjustable floor can be moved to maximum height to turn the pool into a dance floor or meeting space.

E. Another innovation in swimming technology is the 'endless pool'. Ideal for those who want to swim regularly, but don't have the space for a full-sized pool, the endless pool is to swimming what a treadmill is to running. The current in the water is controlled by a propeller, which enables you to keep swimming without turning in a very small pool. Not only is it a space-saver, it is also a good choice for athletes, who can adjust the current to increase resistance and give them a better work-out. Many professional swimmers choose these mini pools in preference to a regular pool. There is no doubt that swimming will remain a popular pastime with all ages, and that swimming pools will continue to develop with changes in technology and lifestyles.

QUESTIONS 28-35

The text is divided into 5 sections, A-E. Which section contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-E.

28. The limitations of some swimming pools.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: not all pools are suitable for activities such as synchronised swimming, diving and water polo.

Keywords: activities, swimming

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the text, there are some limitations to some swimming pools as they do not have facilities for allowing activities such as synchronised swimming, diving and water polo.

29. Two main reasons outdoor swimming pools shut down.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: The British climate means that there are only a few months of the year when open-air swimming

Keywords: climate, open-air

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text, the two main causes of outdoor swimming pools shutting down are the British climate, as it allows only a few months for the swimmers to use the pool and the cost of maintaining the pool, which is not used as often, faces cuts in funds to keep it running.

30. An alternative way for elite swimmers to train.

Answer: E

Supporting statement: Many professional swimmers choose these mini pools in preference to a regular pool.

Keywords: professional, pool

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text, elite swimmers preferred to use mini pools, also called endless pools as they are space savers and the current in the pool is controlled by a propeller, which allows a swimmer to keep swimming without turning in a very small pool. You can also adjust the current to increase resistance and have a better workout.

31. Growth of awareness of the importance of swimming.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: The catastrophic sinking of the Princess Alice on the river Thames

in 1878 highlighted the dangers of not being able to swim.

Keywords: sinking, Thames

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, the awareness regarding the importance of swimming started spreading after the tragic sinking of The Princess Alice on the River Thames

in 1878

32. Places where poorer people now swim.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: It could also mean that those who want to swim will turn to less safe options, such as rivers, lakes and the sea,

Keywords: safe, rivers

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the text, due to the shutdown of outdoor pools, people with low incomes who cannot afford to pay for private or indoor pools usually started to swim in rivers, lakes and seas, which is not a safe option.

33. Why pools are shallower than they used to be.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: The two main reasons for these changes were cost and safety.

Keywords: reasons, changes

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 10

Explanation: According to the text, pools nowadays are shallower than they used to be for two main reasons, one being the cost of maintaining. For example, the maintenance of a 5-foot deep pool is much easier to clean and maintain than compared to a 12-foot deep pool. Secondly, safety in deep pools can cause serious accidents, sometimes life-threatening, so the best way to avoid such accidents is to reduce the depth of the pools.

34. Flexible use of the available space.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: The adjustable swimming pool floor enables the same pool to change depth from as shallow as 2 feet (0.5 metres) to as deep as 13 feet (4 metres).

Keywords: adjustable, feet

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 5

Explanation: According to the text a new way has been discovered to compensate for the reduction in diving pools, which is the adjustable swimming pool floor, which allows the same pool to change its depth from as shallow as 2 feet to as deep as 13 feet without taking any extra space. These kinds of pools are popular among many sports centres that wish to offer a wide range of activities to customers, while only having to maintain a single pool.

35. The period when outdoor pools were constructed.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: The 1930s are considered the 'golden age of lidos' when 169 of them were built across the UK.

Keywords: 1930s, UK

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 9

Explanation: The text states that 169 outdoor pools were constructed in the 1930s, which made that time be considered the 'golden age of lidos'

QUESTIONS 36-40

Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each.

When the first swimming pools were built, it was not common for (36)............ to have access to them. Awareness of the value of being able to swim grew after the (37)............ of a famous boat in London. Many of the people who drowned did so because of the weight of their (38)............ As time went by, men and women were allowed to swim together dressed in (39)............, which had not been permissible before. Lidos were the most popular in the (40)............

(36)............

Answer: WOMEN

Supporting statement: and women rarely had the opportunity to learn to swim.

Keywords: women, opportunity

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the text, when the first swimming pools were built in the UK women had no access to them, and they rarely had the opportunity to learn how to swim.

(37)............

Answer: SINKING

Supporting statement: The catastrophic sinking of the Princess Alice on the river Thames

in 1878 highlighted the dangers of not being able to swim.

Keywords: sinking, dangers

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The text mentions that the awareness regarding the importance of swimming only spread after the tragic sinking of The Princess Alice on the River Thames in 1878 In London, in which a lot of people drowned as they did not know how to swim.

(38)............

Answer: SKIRTS

Supporting statement: were of female non-swimmers dragged down by their long skirts

Keywords: female, long skirts

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 5-6

Explanation: According to the text, most of the people who drowned during the sinking of The Princess Alice River Thames were females, as they were weighted down due to their long skirts.

(39)............

Answer: SWIMSUITS

Supporting statement: it became more acceptable for the sexes to mix while wearing swimsuits and more and more swimming pools were constructed.

Keywords: swimsuits, swimming pools

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 8

Explanation: According to the text after the sinking incident People became more aware of the importance of swimming for both genders, and gradually it was acceptable for both men and women to swim together in swimming pools while wearing swimsuits

(40)............

Answer: 1930

Supporting statement: The 1930s are considered the 'golden age of lidos'

Keywords: 1930s, golden

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 9

Explanation: According to the text, lidos which are outdoor swimming pools became popular around the 1930s

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