Roller Coaster - IELTS Reading Answers
Increase your IELTS reading score to 8 or higher with the ‘Roller Coaster’ IELTS reading passage & its answer key. By using the provided tips, you can also learn how to deal with different types of IELTS reading questions to refine your reading strategy.
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It is possible to deeply focus on mastering question types because many single passages, like ‘Roller Coaster IELTS Reading Answers’ from the best IELTS Reading books, contain concentrated sets of just one or two of them. Whether it’s Summary Completion or Diagram Completion, single-passage sets help you understand how each question type behaves within a specific context.
So, take up the questions with the passage ‘Roller Coaster Reading Answers’ given below to master the useful reading techniques. Then, check your answers against the provided location and explanations, and improve your performance in the reading module.
Passage for Roller Coaster IELTS Reading Answers
Now go through the passage for ‘Roller Coaster’ Reading Answers given below, and be prepared to solve similar IELTS Reading topics for General and Academic for the reading section.
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
Roller Coaster
A 600 years ago, roller coaster pioneers never would have imagined the advancements that have been made to create the roller coasters of today. The tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world is the Kingda Ka, a coaster in New Jersey that launches its passengers from zero to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds (most sports cars take over four seconds to get to just 60 miles per hour). It then heaves its riders skyward at a 90-degree angle (straight up) until it reaches a height of 456 feet, over one and a half football fields, above the ground, before dropping another 418 feet (Coaster Grotto “Kingda Ka”). With that said, roller coasters are about more than just speed and height; they are about the creativity of the designers that build them, each coaster having its own unique way of producing intense thrills at a lesser risk than the average car ride. Roller coasters have evolved drastically over the years, from their primitive beginnings as Russian ice slides to the metal monsters of today. Their combination of creativity and structural elements make them one of the purest forms of architecture.
B At first glance, a roller coaster is something like a passenger train. It consists of a series of connected cars that move on tracks. But unlike a passenger train, a roller coaster has no engine or power source of its own. For most of the ride, the train is moved by gravity and momentum. To build up this momentum, you need to get the train to the top of the first hill or give it a powerful launch. The traditional lifting mechanism is a long length of chain running up the hill under the track. The chain is fastened in a loop, which is wound around a gear at the top of the hill and another one at the bottom of the hill. The gear at the bottom of the hill is turned by a simple motor. This turns the chain loop so that it continually moves up the hill like a long conveyer belt. The coaster cars grip onto the chain with several chain dogs, sturdy hinged hooks. When the train rolls to the bottom of the hill, the dogs catch onto the chain links. Once the chain dog is hooked, the chain simply pulls the train to the top of the hill. At the summit, the chain dog is released and the train starts its descent down the hill.
C Roller coasters have a long, fascinating history. The direct ancestors of roller coasters were monumental ice slides – long, steep wooden-slides covered in ice, some as high as 70 feet – that were popular in Russia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Riders shot down the slope in sleds made out of wood or blocks of ice, crash-landing in a sand pile. Coaster historians diverge on the exact evolution of these ice slides into actual rolling carts. The most widespread account is that a few entrepreneurial Frenchmen imported the ice slide idea to France. The warmer climate of France tended to melt the ice, so the French started building waxed slides instead, eventually adding wheels to the sleds. In 1817, the Russes a Belleville (Russian Mountains of Belleville) became the first roller coaster where the train was attached to the track (in this case, the train axle fit into a carved groove). The French continued to expand on this idea, coming up with more complex track layouts, with multiple cars and all sorts of twists and turns.
D In comparison to the world’s first roller coaster, there is perhaps an even greater debate over what was America’s first true coaster. Many will say that it is Pennsylvania’s own Maunch Chunk-Summit Hill and Switch Back Railroad. The Maunch Chunk-Summit Hill and Switch Back Railroad was originally America’s second railroad, and considered my many to be the greatest coaster of all time. Located in the Lehigh valley, it was originally used to transport coal from the top of Mount Pisgah to the bottom of Mount Jefferson, until Josiah White, a mining entrepreneur, had the idea of turning it into a part-time thrill ride. Because of its immediate popularity, it soon became strictly a passenger train. A steam engine would haul passengers to the top of the mountain, before letting them coast back down, with speeds rumored to reach 100 miles per hour! The reason that it was called a switch back railroad, a switch back track was located at the top – where the steam engine would let the riders coast back down. This type of track featured a dead end where the steam engine would detach its cars, allowing riders to coast down backwards. The railway went through a couple of minor track changes and name changes over the years, but managed to last from 1829 to 1937, over 100 years.
E The coaster craze in America was just starting to build. The creation of the Switch Back Railway, by La Marcus Thompson, gave roller coasters national attention. Originally built at New York’s Coney Island in 1884, Switch Back Railways began popping up all over the country. The popularity of these rides may puzzle the modern-day thrill seeker, due to the mild ride they gave in comparison to the modern-day roller coaster. Guests would pay a nickel to wait in line up to five hours just to go down a pair of side-by-side tracks with gradual hills that vehicles coasted down at a top speed around six miles per hour. Regardless, Switchback Railways were very popular and sparked many people, including Thompson, to design coasters that were bigger and better.
F The 1910s and 1920s were probably the best decade that the roller coaster has ever seen. The new wave of technology, such as the “unstop wheels”, an arrangement that kept a coaster’s wheels to its tracks by resisted high gravitational forces, showed coasters a realm of possibilities that had never been seen before. In 1919, North America alone had about 1,500 roller coasters, a number that was rising rampantly. Then, the Great Depression gave a crushing blow to amusement parks all over America. As bad as it was, amusement parks had an optimistic look on the future in the late 1930s. But, in 1942 roller coasters could already feel the effects of World War Two, as they were forced into a shadow of neglect. Most, nearly all of America’s roller coasters were shut down. To this very day, the number of roller coasters in America is just a very tiny fraction of the amount of roller coasters in the 1920s.
Questions for Roller Coaster Reading Answers
The passage, Roller Coaster Reading Answers, consists of 14 questions, which showcase three different IELTS Reading question types. They are:
- IELTS Reading Diagram Completion (Q. 1-4)
- IELTS Reading Summary Completion (Q. 5-10)
- IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not Given (Q. 11-14)
Questions 1-4
Answer the questions below.
A diagram that explains the mechanism and working principles of roller coaster.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Traditional lifting mechanism
1 …………………
2 …………………
3 …………………
4 …………………
Questions 5-10
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.
The first roller coaster was perhaps originated from Russia which is wrapped up by 5…………………, which was introduced into France, and it was modified to 6…………………, because temperature there would 7………………… the ice. This time 8………………… were installed on the board.
In America, the first roller coaster was said to appear in Pennsylvania, it was actually a railroad which was designed to send 9 ………………… between two mountains. Josiah White turned it into a thrill ride, it was also called switch back track and a 10………………… there allowed riders to slide downward back again.
Questions 11-14
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the view of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the view of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
11 The most exciting roller coaster in the world is in New Jersey.
12 French added more innovation on Russian ice slide including both cars and tracks.
13 Switch Back Railways began to gain popularity since its first construction in New York.
14 The Great Depression affected amusement parks yet did not shake the significant role of US roller coasters in the world.
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Answers and Explanations of Roller Coaster IELTS Reading Passage
Within this section, you can review the answers that have been given to you, along with an explanation designed to help you recognize the correct responses. Check out the 'Roller Coaster' answers and assess your improvement for a high IELTS band score.
Unlock Explanations
| Question number | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | chain | Paragraph B states that “the traditional lifting mechanism is a long length of chain running up the hill under the track.” From this sentence, we can infer that the ‘lifting mechanism’ or the ‘lifting force’ is a long length of chain. Hence, the correct answer is “chain.” |
| 2 | loop | Paragraph B provides the information that “the chain is fastened in a loop, which is wound around a gear at the top of the hill.” The term ‘fastened’ means connected. Thus, it is firmly connected to a loop. Hence, the correct answer is “loop.” |
| 3 | gear | In paragraph B, there’s a line that states that the “chain is fastened in a loop, which is wound around a gear at the top of the hill.” It confirms that there are gear at the top and underneath the hill. Hence, the correct answer is “gear.” |
| 4 | motor | Paragraph B also mentions that “the gear at the bottom of the hills is turned by a simple motor.” The term turned can be interpreted as powered by a motor. Hence, the correct answer is “motor.” |
| 5 | ice | The initial lines of paragraph C state that “the direct ancestors of roller coasters were monumental ice slides – long, steep wooden-slides covered in ice.” The term covered can be interpreted as wrapped, so it was wrapped in ice. Hence the correct answer is “ice.” |
| 6 | Waxed slides | There’s a line in paragraph C that mentions, “the warm climate of France tended to melt the ice, so the French started building waxed slides instead.” So, therefore, due to the warm temperate of France, it was modified or built to waxed slides. Hence the correct answer is “waxed slides.” |
| 7 | melt | In paragraph C, the author mentions that “the warm climate of France tended to melt the ice.” Because France’s temperature was warm, it would melt the ice. Hence the correct answer is “melt.” |
| 8 | wheels | From the line “eventually adding wheels to the sleds.” in paragraph C, we can infer that this time wheels were installed in sleds (a vehicle usually on runners for transportation, especially on snow or ice) boards. Hence the correct answer is “wheels.” |
| 9 | coal | Paragraph D conveys that “located in the Lehigh valley, it was originally used to transport coal from the top of Mount Pisgah to the bottom of Mount Jefferson.” From this information, we can deduce that the railroad was designed or used to send or transport coal. Hence the correct answer is “coal.” |
| 10 | Steam engine | Paragraph D mentions that “a steam engine would haul passengers to the top of the mountain, before letting them coast back down, with speeds rumored to reach 100 miles per hour.” The earlier line confirms that a steam engine would pull or allow riders to slide downwards. Hence the correct answer is “steam engine.” |
| 11 | NOT GIVEN | Paragraph F provides the information that “most, nearly all of America’s roller coasters were shut down. To this very day, the number of roller coasters in America is just a very tiny fraction.” However, none of the paragraphs claims that most existing roller coasters in the world are in New Jersey. Hence, the correct answer is “NOT GIVEN.” |
| 12 | YES | The last line of paragraph C conveys that “the French continued to expand on this idea, coming up with more complex track layouts, with multiple cars and all sorts of twists and turns.” The French continued to expand the idea of Russians and added more innovation including cars and tracks. As the statement agrees with the information, the correct answer is “YES.” |
| 13 | YES | The first line of paragraph E mentions that “the creation of the SwitchBack Railway, by La Marcus Thompson, gave roller coasters national attention. Originally built at New York’s Coney Island.” The phrase “gave roller coasters national attention” implies that Switchback Railways got popularity after its first construction in New York. As the statement agrees with the information, the correct answer is “YES.” |
| 14 | NO | Paragraph F states that “The Great Depression gave a crushing blow to amusement parks all over America.” Also, “most recently all of America’s roller coasters were shut down.” From these lines, we can deduce that the Great Depression did shake the significant role of the US roller coaster since most of them were shut. As the statement contradicts the statement, the correct answer is “NO.” |
To conclude, practicing reading samples like this one or complete IELTS Reading practice tests helps to improve your reading speed and implement effective reading techniques, which enables you to pinpoint the areas where you struggle. Ultimately, this will provide you with the tools to respond more effectively to the different question formats designed to evaluate your reading comprehension, thus enabling you to reach your target reading band score.
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