Speaker A
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24. Now listen and answer questions 21 to 24.
Cambridge 17 IELTS Listening Test 4 Part 3 features a conversation about sports science studies and technology's impact on sports equipment.
Key Takeaways
- Athletes may need to adjust their goals based on realistic assessments of their abilities.
- University courses in sports science offer a broad range of topics beyond athletic performance.
- Sports equipment has evolved significantly due to technological innovations and safety concerns.
- Initial resistance to new protective gear, like cricket helmets, can give way to widespread acceptance.
- Understanding the history of sports technology helps appreciate current advancements.
Summary
- The conversation begins with Thomas discussing his experience studying sports science and his past ambitions to be a professional athlete.
- Thomas shares his training experience in Kenya and the realization that he was not as competitive as he thought.
- He reflects on the benefits of pursuing a university course with diverse sports-related topics.
- The discussion shifts to ideas for a session on technology and sport, focusing on historical and modern equipment developments.
- Examples include the evolution of table tennis bats from wood to pimpled rubber in the 1920s.
- They talk about cricket helmets introduced in 1978 and the initial negative reactions from spectators.
- The conversation covers cycling helmets and their design improvements for ventilation.
- Golf clubs have evolved from fragile wooden designs to powerful modern materials.
- Hockey sticks are still made of wood, but early players had to make their own sticks.
- The dialogue highlights how sports technology has changed protective gear and equipment over time.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Hi Thomas, how are you enjoying the course so far?
Speaker A
Yeah, I think it's good.
Speaker A
Remind me, why did you decide to study sports science? Didn't you want to be a professional athlete when you were at school?
Speaker A
Yeah, that was my goal. And all my classmates assumed I would achieve it. They thought I was brilliant.
Speaker A
That must have been a nice feeling. I thought I could win anything. There was no one who could run faster than me.
Speaker A
Exactly. So, what happened? Did your mom and dad want you to be more academic?
Speaker A
Not at all. Perhaps they should have pushed me harder, though. What do you mean?
Speaker A
I think I should have practiced more. What makes you say that? Well, I went out to Kenya for a couple of weeks to train.
Speaker A
Really? I didn't know that. I was chosen to go there out of loads of kids and run with some of the top teenage athletes in the world. And I was so calm about it. I just kept thinking how fortunate I was.
Speaker A
What a great chance this was. Everyone back home was so proud of me. But once we started competing, I very quickly realized I wasn't good enough.
Speaker A
That must have been a huge shock. I thought this can't be happening. I was used to winning.
Speaker A
I'm sorry to hear that. It's okay. I'm over it now. And I think it's much better to do a university course. And this one has such a variety of sports-related areas. It's going to be good.
Speaker A
Oh, I agree. I chose it because of that. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
Speaker A
Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30. So Gianne, have you thought of any ideas for the discussion session next week on technology and sport?
Speaker A
We have to cover more than one sport, don't we?
Speaker A
Yeah. You know, we always think technology is about the future, but we could gather some ideas about past developments in sport.
Speaker A
Look at early types of equipment perhaps. Uh, I remember reading something about table tennis bats once, how they ended up being covered with pimpled rubber because they were just wooden at first, I'd imagine.
Speaker A
Yeah. In about the 1920s, a factory was making rolls of the rubber in bulk for something like horse harnesses.
Speaker A
Really?
Speaker A
Yeah. And someone realized that it would make a perfect covering for the wooden bats.
Speaker A
So, what about cricket? That's had a few innovative changes. Maybe the pads they wear on their legs. I don't think they've changed much, but I'm just looking on the internet and it says that when the first cricket helmet came in in 1978,
Speaker A
the Australian batsman who first wore it was booed and jeered by people watching because it was so ugly.
Speaker A
Wow. Players have to protect themselves from getting hurt. I mean, everyone wears one now.
Speaker A
Unlike the cycle helmet. Well, unless you're a professional, but you're right. Many ordinary bikers don't wear a helmet.
Speaker A
Hey, look at these pictures of original helmet designs. This one looks like an upside-down bowl.
Speaker A
Yet, the woman's laughing. She's so proud to be wearing it. It says serious cyclists ended up with wet hair from all the hard exercise. I guess that's why they have large air vents in them now, so that the skin can
Speaker A
breathe more easily. Okay, so we've done helmets. What about golf balls? Or better still, golf clubs? They've changed a lot.
Speaker A
Yeah, I remember my great-grandfather telling me that because a club was made entirely of wood, it would easily break and players had to get another.
Speaker A
There's no wood at all in them now, is there?
Speaker A
No, they're much more powerful.
Speaker A
The same must be true of hockey sticks.
Speaker A
I don't think so because players still use wooden sticks today. What it does say here though is that when the game started you had to produce a stick yourself.
Topics:IELTS ListeningCambridge 17sports sciencesports technologysports equipmentcricket helmettable tennis batgolf clubscycling helmethockey sticks
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