IELTS Reading Summary Completion Topic 8

Roller Coaster

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”). 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. 

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 by 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 rumoured to reach 100 miles per hour! The reason that it was called a switchback railroad, a switch backtrack was located at the top – where the steam engine would let the riders coast back down.

Questions 1-4

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 the blank spaces from 1 – 4 on your answer sheet.

The tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world is …………The first roller coaster was perhaps originated from Russia which is wrapped up by……., which was introduced into France. In America, the first roller coaster was said to appear in……… Josiah White turned it into a thrill ride, it was also called switch backtrack and a ……… there allowed riders to slide down back again.

Answers

1. Kingda Ka
2. Ice
3. Pennsylvania
4. Steam engine 

Explanation

Now, could you guess the reason behind the answers?