Steam across the water
Read Steam across the water and check the IELTS Reading answers. During the 1600s, very early in the development of steam engines, inventive spirits like the Frenchman Denis Papin dreamed of – and experimented with – boats driven by steam, rather than by the wind or human effort, but many decades p…
Passage preview
During the 1600s, very early in the development of steam engines, inventive spirits like the Frenchman Denis Papin dreamed of – and experimented with – boats driven by steam, rather than by the wind or human effort, but many decades passed before those visions became reality.
Vocabulary from this passage
11 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- breakthrough noun
A sudden and important discovery or development that overcomes a major obstacle and allows further progress
Scientists achieved a major breakthrough in the treatment of the disease.
- dwarf verb
To make something appear very small or unimportant by comparison, because it is far larger or more impressive
The new stadium dwarfs every other building in the district and dominates the skyline.
- endurance noun
The ability to keep going through a demanding or difficult activity or situation without giving way over a long period
Long-distance sailors need remarkable endurance to survive weeks of storms and isolation at sea.
- inefficient adjective
Failing to use time, energy, or resources well, so that the result is lower than it could be
The old heating system was inefficient and costly to run.
- lease verb
To grant or obtain the use of property, equipment, or a vehicle for a fixed period in exchange for payment
The council leased the abandoned warehouse to a start-up company for ten years.
- sceptic noun
A person who doubts claims or ideas and needs convincing evidence before accepting that something will work or is true
The sceptic demanded proof before believing the extraordinary claim.
- screw propeller noun
A rotating device with angled blades that drives a ship or aircraft by pushing water or air backwards
Replacing paddle wheels with a screw propeller made the vessel faster and far more stable in rough seas.
- set the pace verb
To establish the standard or speed that others try to match, often by leading in innovation or achievement
Japanese manufacturers set the pace in car design during the late twentieth century.
- take out patents verb
To obtain official legal protection giving an inventor the sole right to make or sell an invention for a set period
The engineer took out patents on three designs before presenting her prototype to investors.
- venue noun
A place where an event or activity takes place, especially one known for hosting that kind of activity
The historic harbour became a popular venue for international sailing competitions every summer.
- versatile adjective
Able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities
He is a versatile actor who can play both comic and tragic roles.
Answers with explanations
- 1. inefficient
The gap follows "was" and needs an **adjective** describing the engine. Scan the paragraph on early attempts for **Jonathan Hulls**, whose patent dates from 1736. The question's **weight** is paraphrased by **heavy**, and the linking word "therefore" gives the consequence: the engine was **inefficient**. The adjective is copied from the text and fits the one-word limit. "Heavy" cannot be the answer because the sentence already says "due to its weight". Answer: inefficient.
- 2. endurance
The gap follows "the" and precedes "to keep going", so it needs a **noun**. The question's **French paddle steamer** and **a quarter of an hour** match the passage's **paddle-wheeler** on a French river that lasted **fifteen minutes**. The text adds that it "lacked the endurance for longer trips", and that noun completes the sentence. It is copied exactly and fits the one-word limit. Answer: endurance.
- 2-3: D
2: The gap follows "the" and precedes "to keep going", so it needs a **noun**. The question's **French paddle steamer** and **a quarter of an hour** match the passage's **paddle-wheeler** on a French river that lasted **fifteen minutes**. The text adds that it "lacked the endurance for longer trips", and that noun completes the sentence. It is copied exactly and fits the one-word limit. Answer: endurance.
3: The gap comes before "problems", so it needs an **adjective**. The question's **overcame a number of ... problems** paraphrases the passage's **solved many ... challenges**, said of **John Fitch** in 1787. The word placed before "challenges" is **technical**, which fits the gap and the one-word limit. "Many" and "number" are not options: the question already supplies "a number of", and only "technical" describes the kind of problem. Answer: technical.
- 3. technical
The gap comes before "problems", so it needs an **adjective**. The question's **overcame a number of ... problems** paraphrases the passage's **solved many ... challenges**, said of **John Fitch** in 1787. The word placed before "challenges" is **technical**, which fits the gap and the one-word limit. "Many" and "number" are not options: the question already supplies "a number of", and only "technical" describes the kind of problem. Answer: technical.
- 3-4: NOT GIVEN
3: The gap comes before "problems", so it needs an **adjective**. The question's **overcame a number of ... problems** paraphrases the passage's **solved many ... challenges**, said of **John Fitch** in 1787. The word placed before "challenges" is **technical**, which fits the gap and the one-word limit. "Many" and "number" are not options: the question already supplies "a number of", and only "technical" describes the kind of problem. Answer: technical.
4: The gap follows "a", so it needs a singular **noun**. The question's In France and **raise interest** match the passage's River Seine and **attempt to attract French support**. What Fulton hoped to win support for was his **submarine** Nautilus. "Nautilus" is only the vessel's name and would not follow "a", so the noun "submarine" is the exact one-word answer. Answer: submarine.
- 4. submarine
The gap follows "a", so it needs a singular **noun**. The question's In France and **raise interest** match the passage's River Seine and **attempt to attract French support**. What Fulton hoped to win support for was his **submarine** Nautilus. "Nautilus" is only the vessel's name and would not follow "a", so the noun "submarine" is the exact one-word answer. Answer: submarine.
- 5. Clermont
The question describes passengers in the **US** being carried **regularly** by a steamboat "called the" something, so the gap needs a **name**. The passage says that in 1807 the Clermont began a **scheduled passenger** service between New York and Albany: scheduled means regularly, and the cities place it in the US. The other named boats, the Charlotte Dundas and the Comet, operated in Scotland, so they do not fit. Answer: Clermont.
- 6. cargo
The question says steamboats in **Scotland** carried "some passengers, but mostly" something else. The passage describes boats on Scottish rivers, lochs and canals **carrying cargo and occasionally passengers**, so **occasionally** corresponds to "some" and the main load was **cargo**. The contrast word "but" signals that the gap holds the thing carried most. "Cargo" is a noun copied from the text and fits the one-word limit. Answer: cargo.
- 7. TRUE
The statement says that crossing the **Atlantic** needed engines which used fuel **economically**. The paragraph on open-ocean travel says steam power alone would **require engines to use less coal** so that a ship could stay at sea for weeks. To **use less coal** paraphrases using fuel economically, and the passage presents it as a requirement, so the full claim is supported. Answer: TRUE.
- 8. FALSE
The statement claims that **paddle wheels** **guaranteed reliability** on ocean crossings. The passage says the opposite: to provide a **reliable service** it was necessary to **replace** paddle wheels with something **less affected by the rolling of the ship**. Because the text directly contradicts the claim rather than staying silent, the answer is FALSE, not NOT GIVEN. Answer: FALSE.
- 9. NOT GIVEN
The statement compares the **speed** of the **Savannah** with a regular paddle steamer. The passage mentions the ship only as the first to cross the Atlantic using a **combination of steam and sail** in 1819. It never says how fast it travelled or compares it with another vessel. The word "regular" appears later only in "a regular service", which refers to a timetable. With no information on speed, the answer is NOT GIVEN. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 10. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims that **Brunel preferred** designing railways to steamships. The passage says he had **already built the Great Western Railway** and then **created ever bigger ships**, but it never states which work he liked better or compares his feelings. Describing his achievements does not reveal a preference, and nothing contradicts the idea either. The text is silent, so the answer is NOT GIVEN. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 11. TRUE
The statement says the **Great Britain** had **more than one innovative feature**. Scan the paragraph on Brunel for the ship's name, then look for the repeated word **first**. The passage describes it as the **first ocean-going steamship made of iron** and the **first to use the underwater screw propeller** in place of paddle wheels. Two separate "firsts" are two innovations, so the whole claim is supported. Answer: TRUE.
- 12. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims the design of the riverboat **Archimedes** was **widely admired**. The passage says only that in 1838 a large steamer used the screw idea, namely the Archimedes, **built by Francis Pettit Smith**. It gives no opinion of the ship's design from anyone, so nothing supports or contradicts the claim. Mentioning a boat is not the same as reporting admiration. The text is silent, so the answer is NOT GIVEN. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 13. FALSE
The statement says modern Atlantic ships use the **same energy source** as early steamships. The early boats relied on **coal**, as the passage shows when it says engines needed to **use less coal**. For many modern ships, steam turbines burn **fuel oil instead of coal**, and diesel engines power others. The energy source has changed, which directly contradicts the claim. Answer: FALSE.