The History of Bicycles Reading Answers

Jan 6, 2023

The History of Bicycles Reading Answers contains sample answers about bicycles and its evolution throughout the years. The History of Bicycles Reading Answers has 13 different questions. IELTS The History of Bicycles Reading Answers contains three types of questions: complete the sentences and true/false/not given. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage to complete the sentences using no more than three words. Candidates need to thoroughly go through each paragraph to answer whether the given statement is true or false, write not given if the information is not stated. Candidates gain proficiency on diverse topics by undertaking IELTS Reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The History of Bicycles Reading Answers

The bicycle was not invented by one individual or in one country. It took nearly 100 years and many individuals for the modern bicycle to be born. By the end of those 100 years, bicycles had revolutionised the way people travel from place to place.

Bicycles first appeared in Scotland in the early 1800s, and were called velocipedes. These early bicycles had two wheels, but they had no pedals. The rider sat on a pillow and walked his feet along the ground to move his velocipede forward.

Soon a French inventor added pedals to the front wheel. Instead of walking their vehicles, riders used their feet to run the pedals. However, pedalling was hard because velocipedes were very heavy. The framework was made of solid steel tubes and the wooden wheels were covered with steel. Even so, velocipedes were popular among rich young men, who raced them in Paris parks.

Because the velocipedes were so hard to ride, no one thought about using them for transportation. People didn’t ride velocipedes to the market or to their jobs. Instead, people thought velocipedes were just toys.

Around 1870, American manufacturers saw that velocipedes were very popular overseas. They began building velocipedes, too, but with one difference. They made the frameworks from hollow steel tubes. This alteration made velocipedes much lighter, but riders still had to work hard to pedal just a short distance. In addition, roads were bumpy so steering was difficult. In fact, most riders preferred indoor tracks where they could rent a velocipede for a small fee and take riding lessons.

Subsequent changes by British engineers altered the wheels to make pedalling more efficient. They saw that when a rider turned the pedals once, the front wheel turned once. If the front wheel was small, the bicycle travelled just a small distance with each turn. They reasoned that if the front wheel were larger, the bicycle would travel a greater distance. So they designed a bicycle with a giant front wheel. They made the rear wheel small. Its primary purpose was to help the rider balance. Balancing was hard because the rider had to sit high above the giant front wheel in order to reach the pedals.

This meant he was in danger of falling off the bicycle and injuring himself if he lost his balance. Despite this inherent danger, “high wheelers” became very popular in England.

American manufacturers once again tried to design a better bicycle. Their goal was to make a safer bicycle. They substituted a small wheel for the giant front wheel and put the driving mechanism in a larger rear to wheel. It would be impossible for a rider to pedal the rear wheel, so engineers designed a system of foot levers. By pressing first the right one and then the left, the rider moved a long metal bar up and down. This bar turned the rear axle. This axle turned the rear wheel and the bicycle minimised the dangers inherent in bicycle riding, more and more people began using bicycles in their daily activities.

The British altered the design one last time. They made the two wheels equal in size and created a mechanism that uses a chain to turn the rear wheel. With this final change, the modern bicycle was born.

Subsequent improvements, such as brakes, rubber tires, and lights were added to make bicycles more comfortable to ride. By 1900, bicycle riding had become very popular with men and women of all ages. Bicycles revolutionised the way people worldwide ride bicycles for transportation, enjoyment, sport, and exercise.

'axle the centre bar of a wheel

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-6

Complete the sentences.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage above for each answer.

In the invention of the bicycle took part not only one individual or the country, but the world in general during the 1 ___________ years. This invention was firstly found in Scotland in the first decades of 1800, and was known as velocipedes. They did not resemble today’s bicycles and had two wheels, but they had no 2 ___________. The rider sat on a pillow and walked his feet along the ground in order to move his velocipede forward. Soon, a French inventor added pedals to the front wheel. However, because of their difficulty in riding, nobody used them in daily life, and they were accepted as 3 ___________. Around 1870, manufacturers in America found that this invention is popular 4 ___________, but within the difference: frameworks were made from 5 ____________, which makes them much lighter. Soon, the British inventors found a method which can make pedalling more efficient to turn pedals one by one. They designed a bicycle with a giant front wheel. However, as the rider had to sit high above the giant front wheel it was too difficult to keep the balance. The safer bicycle was invented by Americans. They designed the rear 6 ___________, which minimised the danger of falling and injuring. At last, the British changed the design one last time and added two wheels equal in size and the mechanism that induces a chain to turn the rear wheel. By this there was invented the example of the modern bicycle.

Question: 1

Answer: Hundred
Supporting Sentence: It took nearly 100 years and many individuals for the modern bicycle to be born
Keyword: nearly, years, individuals, bicycle
Keyword Location: paragraph 1, line 2
Explanation: The bicycle wasn't created by a single person or in a single nation, as stated in paragraph 1. The invention of the modern bicycle took almost 100 years and several people. Bicycles had completely changed how people got from place to place over the course of those 100 years.

Question: 2

Answer: pedals
Supporting Sentence: These early bicycles had two wheels, but they had no pedals.
Keyword : bicycles, two wheels, early
Keyword Location: paragraph 2, line 2
Explanation: According to paragraph 2, the first bicycles, known as velocipedes, debuted in Scotland in the early 1800s. They had two wheels, but no pedals, hence they were considered primitive bicycles. To propel his velocipede forward, the rider perched on a cushion and paced the ground with his feet.

Question: 3

Answer: toys
Supporting Sentence: People didn’t ride velocipedes to the market or to their jobs. Instead, people thought velocipedes were just toys.
Keyword : people, ride, velocipedes, markets, jobs
Keyword Location: paragraph 4, line 2-3
Explanation: The velocipedes were difficult to ride, according to paragraph 4, thus no one considered using them as a mode of transportation. Velocipedes were not used to get people to work or the market. Contrarily, people believed that velocipedes were merely playthings.

Question: 4

Answer: overseas
Supporting Sentence: Around 1870, American manufacturers saw that velocipedes were very popular overseas.
Keyword : american, manufacturers, velocipedes
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph 5, American producers became aware of the popularity of velocipedes abroad about the year 1870. They also started constructing velocipedes, but there was a difference.

Question: 5

Answer: hollow steel tubes
Supporting Sentence: They began building velocipedes, too, but with one difference. They made the frameworks from hollow steel tubes.
Keyword : building, velocipedes, difference, framework
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 2-3
Explanation: According to paragraph 5, American producers became aware of the popularity of velocipedes abroad about the year 1870. They also started constructing velocipedes, but there was a difference. Hollow steel tubes were used to construct the frameworks. With this modification, velocipedes were significantly lighter, but riders still had to exert a lot of effort to pedal only a short distance.

Question: 6

Answer: axle
Supporting Sentence: By pressing first the right one and then the left, the rider moved a long metal bar up and down. This bar turned the rear axle.
Keyword : pressing, metal bar, turned
Keyword Location: paragraph 7, line 5
Explanation: According to paragraph 5, the rider was able to raise and lower a long metal bar by first pressing the right button, then the left. The rear axle was rotated by this bar. This axle turned the bicycle's rear wheel, reducing the risks
associated with cycling. As a result, more and more individuals started riding bicycles for transportation in daily life.

Questions 7-10

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? Write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The bicycle was invented by Americans only

Answer: false
Supporting Sentence: The bicycle was not invented by one individual or in one country.
Keyword : bicycle, invented, individual, one country
Keyword Location: paragraph 1, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph 1, the bicycle wasn't created by a single person or in a single nation. The invention of the modern bicycle took almost 100 years and several people. Hence, the given statement is false.

It was too hard to lead the velocipedes due to their heaviness

Answer: true
Supporting Sentence: However, pedalling was hard because velocipedes were very heavy. The framework was made of solid steel tubes and the wooden wheels were covered with steel.
Keyword : pedalling, velocipedes, heavy
Keyword Location: paragraph 3,line 2-4
Explanation: According to paragraph 3, riders operated the pedals with their feet rather than by walking their vehicles. However, because velocipedes were so heavy, pedalling was challenging. Solid steel tubes made up the framework, and steel was used to cover the hardwood wheels. Therefore, the given statement is true.

The alteration of velocipedes made the life of people much more easy

Answer: not given
Explanation: The relevant information regarding the statement is not given in the passage.

The changes by British inventors altered the wheels to make pedalling more efficient

Answer: true
Supporting Sentence: Subsequent changes by British engineers altered the wheels to make pedalling more efficient.
Keyword : changes, british, altered, wheels, efficient
Keyword Location: paragraph 6, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph 6, British engineers made further modifications to the wheels to increase the efficiency of pedalling. They observed that the front wheel spun once for every pedal rotation made by the rider. On a bicycle with a small front wheel, each revolution would only cover a small distance. They reasoned that a larger front wheel would allow the bicycle to travel farther. Therefore, they created a bicycle with a huge front wheel.

Questions 11-13

Complete the sentences.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The British inventors concluded that if the front wheel were large in __________, the bicycle would travel a comparatively long distance.

Answer: size
Supporting Sentence: They made the two wheels equal in size and created a mechanism that uses a chain to turn the rear wheel.
Keyword : two wheels, mechanism, rear wheel
Keyword Location: paragraph 9
Explanation: According to paragraph 9, the British made one final change to the design. They equalised the size of the two wheels and devised a system that rotates the back wheel via a chain. This final adjustment led to the creation of the modern bicycle.

American engineers designed a system of __________ which was driven by pressing first the right and then the left pedals.

Answer: foot levers
Supporting Sentence: It would be impossible for a rider to pedal the rear wheel, so engineers designed a system of foot levers.
Keyword : rider, pedal, rear wheel, engineers, system
Keyword Location: paragraph 8, line 3-4
Explanation: According to paragraph 8, American producers replaced the enormous front wheel with a smaller one and installed the drivetrain in a larger rear wheel. Engineers created a set of foot levers since pedalling the back wheel would be impossible for a rider to do.

The last, but not least alteration in creating of the modern bicycle was making the two wheels equal in size and using the __________ to spin the rear wheel.

Answer: chain
Supporting Sentence: They made the two wheels equal in size and created a mechanism that uses a chain to turn the rear wheel.
Keyword : mechanism, size, wheels
Keyword Location: paragraph 9
Explanation: According to paragraph 9, the British made one final change to the design. They equalised the sizes of the two wheels and devised a system that rotates the back wheel via a chain. This final adjustment led to the creation of the modern bicycle.

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