The History of Bicycles Reading Answers

You are given The History of Bicycles reading answers in the table below. Use them to measure your performance and identify your mistakes.

1. hundred	2. pedals	3. toys	4. overseas
5. hollow steel tubes	6. axle	7. False	8. True
9. Not Given	10. True	11. size	12. foot, levers
13. chain

The IELTS exam consists of four modules, out of which the IELTS reading is considered to be the most difficult module. The reading test has a time limit of 60 minutes. Devise a strategy to utilize your time properly and complete the test. The History of Bicycle reading answers with locations is given below to help you find the answers easily.

The History of Bicycle reading passage explains in detail how the modern bicycle design came into existence. The author has mentioned and described how the first ever bicycle looked and how it was made along with the changes made to it. This article has three IELTS reading question types;

• IELTS Reading Summary Completion
• IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given
• IELTS Reading Sentence Completion

Refer to the IELTS reading tips, which are gathered by our experts.

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IELTS Reading Passage - The History of Bicycle

The reading test has three passages and forty questions in total. The time limit of the test is 60 minutes, out of which you should delegate at least 20 minutes for this passage. Read the passage carefully and proceed to solve the questions.

The History of Bicycle

1. The bicycle was not built by a single individual or in a single nation. The modern bicycle took approximately 100 years and several people invented it. By the time those 100 years were over, bicycles had changed how people traveled.
   
   
2. Bicycles were first seen in Scotland in the early 1800s, where they were called velocipedes. These bicycles were two-wheeled but without pedals. The velocipede's rider pushed it forward by sitting on a pillow and moving his feet along the road.
   
   
3. Immediately after that, a French inventor somehow added new pedals to the front wheel. Instead of walking, passengers used their feet to move the pedals of their bikes. Unfortunately, it was difficult to pedal since the velocipedes were so heavy. The wooden tires were covered with steel, and the framework was built of solid steel tubes. Still, velocipedes were popular with affluent young men who raced them in Paris parks.
   
   
4. Nobody considered using velocipedes for transportation as they were so difficult to ride. People did not ride velocipedes to the markets or their workplaces. Instead, people would think velocipedes are toys.
   
   
5. Around 1870, American manufacturers noticed that velocipedes were quite popular overseas. They also began building velocipedes, but there was one difference. They built the framework with hollow steel tubes.
   
   
6. Although this modification made velocipedes considerably lighter, riders still had to work very hard to pedal, even for a short distance. Furthermore, steering was challenging due to the bumpy roads. In fact, the majority of riders preferred indoor tracks where they could rent a velocipede and take riding lessons for a nominal fee.
   
   
7. To improve the efficiency of pedaling, British engineers made subsequent changes to the wheels. They claim that every time a rider rotated the pedals, the front wheel also turned once. If the bicycle's front wheel was small, it would only travel a short distance with each turn.
   
   
8. They believed that if a bicycle's front wheel was larger, it would travel a greater distance. So they manufactured a bicycle with a huge front wheel. They reduced the size of the rear wheel. Its basic objective was to help the cyclist's balance. It was difficult to balance since the cyclist had to be seated far above the huge front wheel to reach the pedals.
   
   
9. This meant that if he lost his balance, he could fall off the bicycle and hurt himself. Despite the obvious risk, "high wheelers" gained a lot of popularity in England.
   
   
10. Once again, American manufacturers tried to build a better bicycle. Their objective was to design a safer bicycle. They swapped the huge front wheel with a smaller one and placed the drive system in the larger rear wheel. Engineers built a set of foot levers since pedaling the rear wheel would be impossible for a person to do. The rider pushed a long metal bar up and down by pressing the right one first and then the left one. This bar was able to turn the rear axle. More and more people started using bicycles for regular activities as the rear wheel was moved by this axle, reducing the inherent dangers of riding a bicycle.
    
    
11. One final change was made to the design by the British. They matched the sizes of the two wheels and built a mechanism that spins the rear wheel through a chain. The modern bicycle was born after this final alteration.
    
    
12. Bicycles were later improved with features like lights, brakes, and rubber tires to make riding them more comfortable. By 1900, bicycle riding had become quite popular among men and women of all ages. Bicycles changed the way individuals all over the globe rode bicycles for transportation, entertainment, sport, and fitness.

*axle: the center bar of a wheel

The History of Bicycle Reading Questions

Questions 1 - 6

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

The creation of the bicycle involved not only one individual or country, but the entire world over a (1.) ______ years. In the early decades of the 1800s, this invention named velocipedes was first found in Scotland. These bicycles had two wheels, but no (2.) _______ and did not resemble the bicycles of today. To push the velocipede forward, the rider sat on a pillow and moved his feet along the ground. A French inventor soon installed pedals to the front wheel. However, they were considered as (3.) ________, because it was difficult to ride them, and no one used them in daily life. By 1870, American manufacturers realized that this product was famous (4.) __________, but with one difference: frameworks were built from (5.) _________, which made them considerably light. Soon after, the British engineers found a way for pedaling more efficiently by turning the pedals one at a time. They manufactured a bicycle with a huge front wheel. But, it was extremely challenging to maintain balance since the rider had to sit quite high above the large front wheel. Americans invented the safer bicycle. They created the rear (6.) ______ to reduce the risk of falling and being injured. Finally, the British altered the design one more time, adding two wheels of equal size and a mechanism that allows a chain to rotate the rear wheel. Hence, the example of the modern bicycle was invented.

Click here to know more about the IELTS Reading Summary Completion

Questions 7 - 10

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

7. To make pedaling more efficient, British inventors brought changes to the wheels.
8. Americans were the only ones who invented the bicycle.
9. The velocipedes were very difficult to lead because of their weight.
10. The alteration of velocipedes made people's lives considerably easier.

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Questions 11 -13

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

11. American engineers created a set of ________ that were moved by pressing the right pedal first, then the left pedal.
12. The last change in the creation of the modern bicycle was making both wheels of equal size and spinning the rear wheel using a ________.
13. The British inventors thought the bicycle would cover a comparatively longer distance if the front wheel was larger in ______.

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The History of Bicycle Reading Answers with Explanations

The History of Bicycle reading answers with explanations are given below. Along with them, we have also provided you with the locations for answers, to simplify the process of finding answers. These will help you understand and rectify the errors.

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. Hundred (H6)

Answer Location: Paragraph A, Line 1.
Explanation: The bicycle was not built by a single individual or in a single nation. The modern bicycle took approximately 100 years and several people invented it. The line states that it took nearly a century for the bicycle to be born and several people to build it.

2. Pedals

Answer Location: Paragraph B, Line 2.
Explanation: These bicycles were two-wheeled but without pedals. As the line indicates that these bicycles had two wheels and no pedals. The answer is pedals.

3. Toys

Answer Location: Paragraph D, Line 2.
Explanation: People did not ride velocipedes to the markets or their workplaces. Instead, people would think velocipedes are toys. They were considered toys as it was difficult to steer around and not used by the people for their day-to-day chores.

4. Overseas

Answer Location: Paragraph E, Line 1.
Explanation: Around 1870, American manufacturers noticed that velocipedes were quite popular overseas. The author has mentioned the popularity and use of velocipedes in countries overseas.

5. hollow steel tubes

Answer Location: Paragraph E, Line 3.
Explanation: They built the framework with hollow steel tubes. The Americans designed bicycles with hollow tubes instead of solid tubes to decrease their weight.

6. Axle

Answer Location: Paragraph J, Line 5.
Explanation: The rider pushed a long metal bar up and down by pressing the right one first and then the left one. This bar was able to turn the rear axle. This writer has said that the metal bar was used to turn the rear axle which rotated the rear wheel of the bicycle.

7. True

Answer Location: Paragraph G, Line 1.
Explanation: To improve the efficiency of pedaling, British engineers made subsequent changes to the wheels. The statement agrees with the information in the passage. Hence, the answer is true.

8. False

Answer Location: Paragraph B, Line 1.
Explanation: Bicycles were first seen in Scotland in the early 1800s, where they were called velocipedes. The writer has mentioned that bicycles were first found in Scotland, thus, the answer is false.

9. True

Answer Location: Paragraph C Line 3.
Explanation: Unfortunately, it was difficult to pedal since the velocipedes were so heavy. The wooden tires were covered with steel, and the framework was built of solid steel tubes. Due to the heavyweight, it is difficult to maneuver the velocipedes.

10. Not Given

Answer Location: Not available
Explanation: There is no relevant information regarding the modifications being useful in making people’s lives easy. Hence, the answer is not given.

11. foot levers

Answer Location: Paragraph J, Line 4.
Explanation: Engineers built a set of foot levers since pedaling the rear wheel would be impossible for a person to do. The American engineers created these foot levers because it was not possible for cyclists to turn the rear wheel while sitting near the front wheel and maintain balance.

12. Chain

Answer Location: Paragraph K, Line 1.
Explanation: One final change was made to the design by the British. They matched the sizes of the two wheels and built a mechanism that spins the rear wheel through a chain. The chain was connected to the apex of the rear wheel, enabling the rotation of the wheel as the chain spun.

13. Size

Answer Location: Paragraph H, Line 1.
Explanation: They believed that if a bicycle's front wheel was larger, it would travel a greater distance. So they manufactured a bicycle with a huge front wheel. The British manufacturers believed that if the front wheel was large in size, the bicycle would cover a larger distance.

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Conclusion

You have been provided with “The History of Bicycle reading answers”. This article is inclusive of a reading passage with three types of IELTS question types. We have also provided you with explanations and locations for the answers. The links given above will help you in improving your skills.