The History of the Biro Reading Answers

Jan 24, 2023

The History of the Biro Reading Answers is an academic reading topic and a detailed study of the Biro factory of pens. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Reading for the IELTS”. The topic named The History of the Biro Reading Answers comes with 14 different wide range of questions. Three different types of questions are included in this topic, like, choose the correct heading, choose the correct answer, and no more than two words. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like The History of the Biro Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

The History of the Biro Reading Answers

One chilly autumn morning in 1945, five thousand shoppers crowded the pavements outside Gimbels Department Store in New York City. The day before, Gimbels had taken out a full-page newspaper advertisement in the New York Times, announcing the sale of the first ballpoint pens in the United States. The new writing instrument was heralded as "fantastic ... miraculous … guaranteed to write for two years without refilling!" Within six hours, Gimbels had sold its entire stock of ten thousand ballpoints at $12.50 each - approximately $130 at today's prices.
In fact, this 'new' pen was not new after all, and was just the latest development in a long search for the best way to deliver ink to paper. In 1884 Lewis Waterman had patented the fountain pen, giving him the sole rights to manufacture it. This marked a significant leap forward in writing technology, but fountain pens soon became notorious for leaking. In 1888, a leather tanner named John Loud devised and patented the first "rolling-pointed marker pen" for marking leather. Loud's design contained a reservoir of ink in a cartridge and a rotating ball point that was constantly bathed on one side with ink. Loud's pen was never manufactured, however, and over the next five decades, 350 additional patents were issued for similar ball-type pens, though none advanced beyond the design stage. Each had their own faults, but the major difficulty was the ink: if the ink was thin, the pens leaked, and if it was too thick, they clogged. Depending on the climate or air temperature, sometimes the pens would do both.
Almost fifty years later, Ladislas and Georg Biro, two Hungarian brothers, came up with a solution to this problem. In 1935 Ladislas Biro was working as a journalist, editing a small newspaper. He found himself becoming more and more frustrated by the amount of time he wasted filling fountain pens with ink and cleaning up ink smudges. What's more, the sharp tip of his fountain pen often scratched or tore through the thin newsprint paper. Ladislas and Georg (a chemist) set about making models of new pen designs and creating better inks to use in them. Ladislas had observed that the type of ink used in newspaper printing dried rapidly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He was determined to construct a pen using the same type of ink. However, the thicker ink would not flow from a regular pen nib so he had to develop a new type of point. Biro came up with the idea of fitting his pen with a tiny ball bearing in its tip. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball bearing rotated and picked up ink from the ink cartridge which it delivered to the paper.
The first Biro pen, like the designs that had gone before it. relied on gravity for the ink to flow to the ball bearing at the tip. This meant that the pens only worked when they were held straight up, and even then the ink flow was sometimes too heavy, leaving big smudges of ink on the paper. The Biro brothers had a rethink and eventually devised a new design, which relied on capillary action rather than gravity to feed the ink. This meant that the ink could flow more smoothly to the tip and the pen could be held at an angle rather than straight up. In 1938, as World War II broke out, the Biro brothers fled to Argentina, where they applied for a patent for their pen and established their first factory.
The Biros' pen soon came to the attention of American fighter pilots, who needed a new kind of pen to use at high altitudes. Apparently, it was ideal for pilots as it did not leak like the fountain pen and did not have to be refilled frequently. The United States Department of War contacted several American companies, asking them to manufacture a similar writing instrument in the U.S. Thus fortune smiled on the Biro brothers in May 1945, when the American company 'Eversharp' paid them $500,000 for the exclusive manufacturing and marketing rights of the Biro ballpoint for the North American market. Eversharp were slow to put their pen into production, however, and this delay ultimately cost them their competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, in June 1945 an American named Milton Reynolds stumbled upon the Biro pen while on vacation in Buenos Aires. Immediately seeing its commercial potential, he bought several pens and returned to Chicago, where he discovered that loud's original 1888 patent had long since expired. This meant that the ballpoint was now in the public domain, and he, therefore, wasted no time making a copy based on the Biro design. Establishing his pen company with just $26,000, Reynolds quickly set up a factory with 300 workers who began production on 6th October 1945, stamping out pens from precious scraps of aluminum that hadn't been used during the war for military equipment or weapons. Just 23 days later, it was Reynolds' ballpoint pen that caused the stampede at Gimbels Department Store. Following the ballpoint's debut in New York City, Eversharp challenged Reynolds in the law courts, but lost the case because the Biro brothers had failed to secure a U.S. patent on their invention.

Section 2

Questions 27-32

The reading passage has six paragraphs A-F.

Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number i-ix in your answer sheet.

List of Headings

Fountain pens are history.
Fame at last for the Biro brothers.
A holiday helps bring the biro to America.
A second design and a new country.
War halts progress.
Dissatisfaction leads to a new invention.
Big claims bring big crowds.
A government request brings a change of ownership.
Many patents and many problems.

Question 27: Paragraph A

Answer: vii
Supporting sentence: One chilly autumn morning in 1945, five thousand shoppers crowded the pavements outside Gimbels Department Store in New York City.
Keyword : chilly, autumn morning, five thousand shoppers, crowded
Keyword location: paragraph A, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph A states that in a cold autumn morning in 1945, five thousand shoppers crowded. Hence, option vii is the correct option.

Question 28: Paragraph B

Answer: ix
Supporting sentence: Loud's pen was never manufactured, however, and over the next five decades, 350 additional patents were issued for similar ball-type pens, though none advanced beyond the design stage.
Keyword : Loud's pen, manufactured, 350 additional patents, one advanced beyond the design stage
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 7-9
Explanation: The seventh to ninth lines of paragraph B states that over the next five years, 350 more patents were expressed for similar ball-type pens. In spite of that, none progressed beyond the design stage. So, option ix will be the right choice.

Question 29: Paragraph C

Answer: vi
Supporting sentence: He was determined to construct a pen using the same type of ink.
Keyword : determined, construct, pen, same type of ink
Keyword location: paragraph C, line 8
Explanation: Line 8 of paragraph C implies that almost after fifty years, Ladislas and Georg Biro, two Hungarian brothers, came up with a way out to this problem. He was determined to craft a pen implementing the same type of ink. So, option vi is the correct choice.

Question 30: Paragraph D

Answer: iv
Supporting sentence: In 1938, as World War II broke out, the Biro brothers fled to Argentina, where they applied for a patent for their pen and established their first factory.
Keyword : Biro brothers, fled, Argentina, applied for a patent for their pen
Keyword location: paragraph D, lines 6-8
Explanation: Lines 6-8 of paragraph D suggests that the Biro brothers had a design relied on artery action rather than gravity to feed the ink. In 1938, the Biro brothers fled to Argentina, as World War II commenced. It is the
place, where they applied for a patent for their pen and also their first factory.

Question 31: Paragraph E

Answer: viii
Supporting sentence :The United States Department of War contacted several American companies, asking them to manufacture a similar writing instrument in the U.S.
Keyword : United States, Department of War, American companies, manufacture a similar writing instrument
Keyword location: paragraph E, lines 3-7
Explanation: The third to seventh lines of paragraph E explains that the United States Department of War contacted several American companies. They also gave Biro brothers the marketing rights of the Biro ballpoint for the North American market. Hence, option viii is the correct answer.

Question 32: Paragraph F

Answer: iii
Supporting sentence: Meanwhile, in June 1945 an American named stumbled upon the Biro pen while on vacation in Buenos Aires.
Keyword : June 1945, American, Milton Reynolds, vacation in Buenos Aires
Keyword location: paragraph F, lines 1-2
Explanation: Lines 1-2 of paragraph F states that the time, in June 1945 an American named Milton Reynolds lumbered upon the Biro pen. He came to fumble while on a vacation in Buenos Aires. So, option iii is the right choice.

Questions 33-35

Choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D and write in your answer sheet from 33-35

Question 33:.The problem with the ballpoint pens invented between 1888 and 1935 was that

they cost a great deal of money to manufacture.
the technology to manufacture them did not exist.
they could not write on ordinary paper:
they were affected by weather conditions.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: Depending on the climate or air temperature, sometimes the pens would do both.
Keyword : Depending, climate, air temperature, pens would do both.
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 7-11
Explanation: The seventh to eleventh lines of paragraph B says that Loud's pen was never manufactured. If the ink was thin, the pens leaked, and if it was too thick, they creates a blockade for writing. Depending on the weather or air temperature, sometimes the pens would engulf both obstructions.
Question 34: The design of the Biro brothers' first pen

was similar to previous pens.
was based on capillary action,
worked with heavy or light inks.
worked when slanted slightly.

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: The first Biro pen, like the designs that had gone before it.
Keyword : first, Biro pen, designs, gone before it.
Keyword location: paragraph D, line 1
Explanation: Paragraph D states about the first Biro pen, like the old designs had gone before it. Those pen relied on gravity for the ink to flow to the ball bearing at the tip. This implied that the pens only worked at the time they were held straight up. Also, the ink flow was sometimes too heavy, leaving big blots of ink on the paper.

Question 35: Milton Reynolds was able to copy the Biro brothers' design because

the Biro brothers' original patent was out of date.
it was legal to copy other designs at the time.
they did not have a patent for North America.
the Biro brothers gave him permission.

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: Following the ballpoint's debut in New York City, Eversharp challenged Reynolds in the law courts, but lost the case because the Biro brothers had failed to secure a U.S. patent on their invention.
Keyword : ballpoint's debut, Reynolds, lost the case, U.S. patent on their invention
Keyword location: paragraph F, lines 9-11
Explanation: Paragraph F clarifies that Reynolds quickly set up a factory with 300 workers who started production on 6th October 1945. He began stamping out pens from precious scraps of aluminum which was not been used during the war for military apparatus or weapons. Although, they lost the case as the Biro brothers had failed to secure a U.S. patent on their creation.

Questions 36-40

Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Write your answers from 36-40 in your answer sheet

Question 36. What material was the first ballpoint pen designed to write on?

Answer: leather
Supporting sentence: In 1888, a leather tanner named John Loud devised and patented the first "rolling-pointed marker pen" for marking leather.
Keyword : John Loud, devised and patented, first "rolling-pointed marker pen", leather
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 4-6
Explanation: Paragraph B states that in the year of 1888, John Loud, a leather designer crafted and patented the first rolling-pointed marker pen. He crafted it basically for marking leather. Loud's design contained a ink cistern inside a cartridge. Also, a rotating ball point that was steadily soaked on one side with ink.

Question 37. Where did the Biro brothers open their first factory?

Answer: (in) Argentina
Supporting sentence: In 1938, as World War II broke out, the Biro brothers fled to Argentina, where they applied for a patent for their pen and established their first factory.
Keyword : World War II, Biro brothers, fled, Argentina
Keyword location: paragraph D, lines 6-8
Explanation: Paragraph D implies that the Biro brothers had a re-evaluation and then made a new design. This particular design confides on capillary action rather than gravity to feed the ink. In 1938, the time when World War II happened, the Biro brothers escaped to Argentina. It is the place where they applied for a patent for their pen and rooted their first factory.

Question 38. In what year did the first American biro factory begin production?

Answer: (in) 1945
Supporting sentence: Establishing his pen company with just $26,000, Reynolds quickly set up a factory with 300 workers who began production on 6th October 1945
Keyword : Establishing, pen company, factory, 6th October 1945
Keyword location: paragraph F, lines 5-7
Explanation: Paragraph F implies that in June 1945 an American named Milton Reynolds fumbled upon the Biro pen while on his vacation in Buenos Aires. He then established his pen company with just $26,000, Reynolds rapidly set up a factory on 6th October 1945.

Question 39. How many workers set up the factory?

Answer: 300 workers
Supporting sentence: Reynolds quickly set up a factory with 300 workers who began production on 6th October 1945
Keyword : Reynolds, set up, factory, 300 workers,
Keyword location: paragraph F, lines 5-6
Explanation: The implication in paragraph F is that an American named Milton Reynolds accidentally discovered the Biro pen in June 1945 while on vacation in Buenos Aires.It is after that, Reynolds started his pen company along with 300 workers in the factory.

Question 40. Which element use for stamping the pen?

Answer: Aluminium
Supporting sentence: stamping out pens from precious scraps of aluminum
Keyword : stamping out, pens, precious scraps, aluminum
Keyword location: paragraph F, line 7
Explanation: Line 7 of paragraph F states that Reynolds started the factory in the year of 1945. He made it possible along with 300 workers working in his factory. He stamped out pens from rare scraps of aluminum. It is the tool which had not been used at the time of the war for military accessories or weapons.