Steve Jobs: A Brief Life History Reading Answers

Jan 22, 2025

Steve Jobs: A Brief Life History is a generic topic for IELTS Reading answers. Steve Jobs: A Brief Life History Reading Answers consists of 13 IELTS questions. For the given set of questions (Questions No. 21-27), the candidate has to write the correct year as answers for the given statements after reading the given passage thoroughly.

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Section 1 Steve Jobs: A Brief Life History Reading Answers

In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the first Apple computer, the Apple 1. The next year, they unveiled the Apple I, which went on to become the first successful mass-produced computer.

The computer's success made Jobs a millionaire by the time he was 23. By late 1980, Apple was ready to hold an initial public offering (IPO), a sale that generated more capital than any IPO since the 1956 Ford Motor Company's offering and created roughly 300 millionaires instantly, more than any IPO in history.

In 1983, Apple hired PepsiCo executive John Sculley as its CEO. However, Sculley and Jobs had serious differences on the direction the company should take. Those tensions came to a head in 1985, when Jobs resigned, taking a handful of Apple employees with him to create a new company, called NeXT, Inc.

Jobs invested $7 million of his own money, which the company burned through in its first year. Ross Perot stepped in as an investor, and the company released its first product, the NeXT Computer, in 1990. It was state-of-the-art, but, at $9,999, too expensive for most, especially its target customer-the education sector. By 1993, the company had only sold 50,000 machines and decided to switch to software development. The move led to its first profit when it netted $1 million in 1994.

At the same time, however, Jobs became involved with a venture that would go a long way toward cementing his reputation and his fortune, when he bought Lucasfilm's computer graphics division for $10 million. The standalone company was renamed Pixar and created a generation of iconic children's movies, including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and WALL-E. In 2006, The Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion in stock, making Jobs the biggest single shareholder of The Walt Disney Company.

In 2000, Jobs returned to Apple as its CEO, and he began to look beyond the PC again, first with the groundbreaking iPod digital music player, which changed the way people listened to music. Before the iPod's launch in 2001, very few people listened to music on portable digital players. By 2012, more than 350 million devices had been sold worldwide. The iPod's sleek design and easy user interface paved the way for the company's 2007 release of the iPhone, which revolutionized cellular phone design. In 2014 alone, Apple sold roughly 170 million iPhones worldwide. Not content to forever alter the way people used mobile phones and listened to music, Jobs launched the iPad in 2010. The very first version of the compact tablet computer sold more than 250 million units. It has been credited with single-handedly revitalizing the previously moribund market for tablet computers.

In 2011, with Apple at the summit of not just the tech industry, but of all of American business, Jobs resigned as Apple's CEO. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer and knew he would soon die. After his resignation, he stayed on as chairman of the board, continuing to work for Apple until the day before his death.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 21–27

Write the correct YEAR of the given statements.

21. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the first Apple computer, the Apple I, in ____________.

Answer: 1976

Supporting statement: “......In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the first Apple computer, the Apple 1. The next year, they unveiled the Apple I, which went on to become the first successful mass-produced computer.........”

Keywords: Steve Jobs, Apple, Computer

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 1-3

Explanation: The passage states that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the first generation of Apple computers, ‘Apple 1’, in 1976.

22. By late _______, Apple was ready to hold an initial public offering (IPO).

Answer: 1980

Supporting statement: “......By late 1980, Apple was ready to hold an initial public offering (IPO), a sale that generated more capital than any IPO since the 1956 Ford Motor Company's offering and created roughly 300 millionaires instantly, more than any IPO in history..........”

Keywords: Public Offering, Millionaires, History

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 2-4

Explanation: Apple was ready for its IPO by the end of 1980, a significant event that generated millions for the company and created 300 millionaires.

23. In _________, Apple had hired PepsiCo executive John Sculley as its CEO.

Answer: 1983

Supporting statement: “.......In 1983, Apple hired PepsiCo executive John Sculley as its CEO. However, Sculley and Jobs had serious differences on the direction the company should take.........”

Keywords: CEO, Executive, Hired, Apple

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 1-2

Explanation: Apple hired John Sculley as its CEO in 1983 to take advantage of John Sculley's business expertise, but tensions later arose between him and Steve Jobs over the direction of the company.

24. Ross Perot stepped in as an investor, and the company released its first product, the NeXT Computer, in _________.

Answer: 1990

Supporting statement: “......Ross Perot stepped in as an investor, and the company released its first product, the NeXT Computer, in 1990. It was state-of-the-art, but, at $9,999, too expensive for most, especially its target customer-the education sector.......”

Keywords: Investor, Stepped, Product, Expensive

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 2-4

Explanation: Ross Perot invested in NeXT and the company released the NeXT computer in 1990, although it was too expensive for its target audience.

25. In ________, The Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion in stock.

Answer: 2006

Supporting statement: “......In 2006, The Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion in stock, making Jobs the biggest single shareholder of The Walt Disney Company........”

Keywords: Acquired, Pixar, Stock, Shareholder

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 6-7

Explanation: The above passage states that Steve Jobs acquired Pixar, and it became successful with their animated films. Later, Disney acquired Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion in stock.

26. Listening to music on portable digital players was not very common in ___________.

Answer: 2001

Supporting statement: “......Before the iPod's launch in 2001, very few people listened to music on portable digital players. By 2012, more than 350 million devices had been sold worldwide.........”

Keywords: Portable, Music, Listening, Launch

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 3-5

Explanation: Listening to music on portable digital players was not very common before the launch of the iPod in 2001, which changed the way people listened to music.

27. Jobs launched the iPad in _________.

Answer: 2010

Supporting statement: “......Not content to forever alter the way people used mobile phones and listened to music, Jobs launched the iPad in 2010. The very first version of the compact tablet computer sold more than 250 million units..........”

Keywords: Launched, iPad, Version, Tablet

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 8-10

Explanation: The above passage states that Steve Jobs launched the iPad in 2010. The first version of the compact tablet computer sold more than 250 million units.

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