History of Refrigeration IELTS Reading: Translation & Answer Key

Before modern refrigerators were a staple in every kitchen, how did people preserve their food? The reading passage “History of Refrigeration” is a fascinating journey from the harvesting of natural ice to the invention of synthetic refrigerants. This is a classic IELTS Reading text under the History of Technology theme, packed with technical vocabulary (such as compressor, insulation, refrigerant) and question types that require precise information location based on timelines (Matching Features). This article from ECE Language Center provides a detailed translation and thorough explanations for every answer to help you master this topic.

Reading Passage & Questions

History of Refrigeration

Paragraph A

Refrigeration is a process of removing heat, which means cooling an area or a substance below the environmental temperature. Mechanical refrigeration makes use of the evaporation of a liquid refrigerant, which goes through a cycle so that it can be reused. The main cycles include vapor-compression, absorption steam-jet or steam-ejector, and airing. The term ‘refrigerator’ was first introduced by a Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, in 1803, but it was not until the 20th century that the appliance we know today first appeared.

Paragraph B

People used various ways to preserve their food before the advent of mechanical refrigeration systems. Some preferred using cooling systems of ice or snow, which meant that diets consisted of very little fresh food, fruits, or vegetables, but mostly of bread, cheese, and salted meals. For milk and cheese, it was very difficult to keep them fresh, so such foods were usually stored in a cellar or window box. Despite these measures, they could not survive rapid spoilage. Later on, people discovered that adding chemicals such as sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate to water could lower its temperature. In 1550, when this technique was first recorded, people used it to cool wine, which is where the term ‘to refrigerate’ originated. Cooling drinks grew very popular in Europe by 1600, particularly in Spain, France, and Italy. Instead of cooling water at night, people used a new technique: rotating long-necked bottles of water containing dissolved saltpeter. The solution was intended to create very low temperatures and even to make ice. By the end of the 17th century, iced drinks, including frozen juices and liquors, had become extremely fashionable in France.

Paragraph C

The demand for ice soon became strong. Consumers’ soaring requirement for fresh food, especially green vegetables, resulted in a reform in dietary habits between 1830 and the American Civil War, accelerated by a drastic expansion of urban areas amid rapid economic improvement. With the growth of cities and towns, the distance between the consumer and the source of food increased. In 1799, as a commercial product, ice was first transported out of Canal Street in New York City to Charleston, South Carolina. Unfortunately, this transportation was not successful because when the ship reached its destination, little ice was left. Frederick Tudor and Nathaniel Wyeth, two New England businessmen, grasped the great potential opportunities for the ice business and managed to improve the storage method of ice during shipment. The acknowledged ‘Ice King’ at that time, Tudor, concentrated his efforts on bringing ice to tropical areas. To achieve his goal and ensure the ice arrived at its destination safely, he experimented with many insulating materials and successfully constructed ice containers, which reduced ice loss from 66 percent to less than 8 percent. Wyeth invented an economical and speedy method to cut ice into uniform blocks, which had a tremendous positive influence on the ice industry. He also improved the processing techniques for storing, transporting, and distributing ice with less waste.

Paragraph D

When people realized that ice transported from a distance was not as clean as previously thought and was causing health problems, there was a greater demand for clean natural sources of ice. To make matters worse, by the 1890s, water pollution and sewage dumping made clean ice even more unavailable. The adverse effect first appeared in the brewing industry and then spread seriously to sectors such as meat packing and dairy. As a result, clean, mechanical refrigeration was considered a necessity.

Paragraph E

Many inventors with creative ideas took part in the process of inventing refrigeration, and each version was built on previous discoveries. Dr. William Cullen initiated the study of liquid evaporation under vacuum conditions in 1720. He soon invented the first man-made refrigerator at the University of Glasgow in 1748, employing ethyl ether boiling into a partial vacuum. American inventor Oliver Evans designed a refrigerator in 1805 that used vapor rather than liquid. Although his concept was not put into practice, the mechanism was eventually adopted by an American physician, John Gorrie, who built a cooling machine similar to Evans’ in 1842 to reduce the temperature of a yellow fever patient in a Florida hospital. In 1851, Evans obtained the first patent for mechanical refrigeration in the USA. In 1820, Michael Faraday, a Londoner, first liquefied ammonia to cause cooling. In 1859, Ferdinand Carre from France invented the first version of the ammonia water-cooling machine. In 1873, Carl von Linde designed the first practical and portable compressor refrigerator in Munich, and in 1876, he abandoned the methyl ether system and began using the ammonia cycle. Linde later created a new method (‘Linde technique’) for liquefying large amounts of air in 1894. Nearly a decade later, this mechanical refrigerating method was adopted by the meat packing industry in Chicago.

Paragraph F

Since 1840, vehicles with refrigerating systems had been utilized to deliver and distribute milk and butter. By 1860, most seafood and dairy products were transported using cold-chain logistics. In 1867, refrigerated railroad cars were patented to J.B. Sutherland from Detroit, Michigan, who invented insulated cars by installing ice bunkers at the ends of the cars: air came in from the top, passed through the bunkers, circulated through the cars by gravity, and was controlled by different quantities of hanging flaps that regulated air temperatures. Depending on the cargo (such as meat, fruits, etc.) transported, different car designs came into existence. In 1867, the first refrigerated car to carry fresh fruit was manufactured by Parker Earle of Illinois, who shipped strawberries on the Illinois Central Railroad. Each chest was freighted with 100 pounds of ice and 200 quarts of strawberries. By 1949, the trucking industry began to be equipped with refrigeration systems featuring roof-mounted cooling devices, invented by Fred Jones.

Paragraph G

From the late 1800s to 1929, refrigerators employed toxic gases – methyl chloride, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide – as refrigerants. But in the 1920s, a great number of lethal accidents occurred due to the leakage of methyl chloride from refrigerators. Therefore, some American companies started to seek safer methods of refrigeration. Frigidaire discovered a new class of synthetic refrigerants called halocarbons or CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in 1928. This research led to the discovery of chlorofluorocarbons (Freon), which quickly became the prevailing material in compressor refrigerators. Freon was safer for people in the vicinity, but in 1973, it was discovered to have detrimental effects on the ozone layer. After that, new improvements were made, and Hydrofluorocarbons, with no known harmful effects, were used in cooling systems. Simultaneously, nowadays, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are no longer used; they have been declared illegal in several places, making refrigeration far safer than before.

Questions

Questions 1-5

Look at the following events (Questions 1-5) and the list of dates below. Match each event with the correct date, A-F.

List of Dates:

A. 1550

B. 1799

C. 1803

D. 1840

E. 1949

F. 1973

1. Vehicles with refrigerators were used to transport on the road.

2. Ice was sold around the United States for the first time.

3. Some kind of chemical refrigerant was found harmful to the atmosphere.

4. The term ‘refrigerator’ was first introduced.

5. Some chemicals were added to refrigerate wine.

Questions 6-10

Look at the following opinions or deeds (Questions 6-10) and the list of people below. Match each opinion or deed with the correct person, A-G.

List of People:

A. Thomas Moore

B. Frederick Tudor

C. Carl Von Linde

D. Nathaniel Wyeth

E. J.B. Sutherland

F. Fred Jones

G. Parker Earle

6. patented the idea that refrigerating system can be installed on tramcars

7. invented an ice-cutting technical method that could save money and time

8. enabled the cold storage technology to be applied in fruit

9. invented a cooling device applied into the trucking industry

10. created a new technique to liquefy the air

Questions 11 – 14

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.

A. new developments, such as the application of Hydrofluorocarbons.

B. consumers’ demand for fresh food, especially for vegetables.

C. the discovery of chlorofluorocarbons (Freon).

D. regional transportation system for refrigeration for a long distance.

E. extensive spread of the refrigeration method.

11. A healthy dietary change between 1830 and the American Civil War was greatly associated with…

12. The development of urbanization was likely to cause…

13. Problems due to water treatment contributed to…

14. The risk of the environmental devastation from the refrigeration…

Detailed Translation

Paragraph A: Refrigeration is the process of removing heat, meaning cooling an area or substance below environmental temperature. Mechanical refrigeration uses the evaporation of a liquid refrigerant, which cycles to be reused… The term ‘refrigerator’ was first introduced by a Maryland farmer named Thomas Moore in 1803, but it was not until the 20th century that the appliance we know today first appeared.

Paragraph B: People used various methods to preserve food before mechanical refrigeration… For milk and cheese, it was difficult to keep them fresh, so they were usually stored in cellars or window boxes. Despite these measures, they could not avoid rapid spoilage. Later, people discovered that adding chemicals like sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate to water could lower the temperature. In 1550, when this technique was first recorded, it was used to cool wine… Instead of cooling water at night, people used a new technique: rotating long-necked bottles containing dissolved saltpeter. This solution was intended to create very low temperatures and even make ice…

Paragraph C: The demand for ice became strong. Consumers’ soaring requirement for fresh food, especially green vegetables, led to a reform in dietary habits between 1830 and the American Civil War… In 1799, as a commercial product, ice was first transported from Canal Street in New York City to Charleston, South Carolina… Frederick Tudor and Nathaniel Wyeth… grasped the potential opportunities for the ice business… Tudor focused his efforts on bringing ice to tropical areas. To achieve his goal and ensure the ice arrived safely, he experimented with many insulating materials and successfully built ice containers, reducing ice loss from 66% to under 8%. Wyeth invented an economical and fast method to cut ice into uniform blocks…

Paragraph D: When people realized that ice transported from afar was not as clean as previously thought and caused health problems… Worse, by the 1890s, water pollution and sewage dumping made clean ice scarce. The adverse effect first appeared in the brewing industry, then spread to sectors like meat packing and dairy. As a result, clean, mechanical refrigeration was considered necessary.

Paragraph E: Many inventors… participated in the process of inventing the refrigerator… Dr. William Cullen began studying liquid evaporation under vacuum conditions in 1720… American inventor Oliver Evans designed the first refrigerator using vapor instead of liquid in 1805… John Gorrie… built a cooling machine similar to Evans’ in 1842… By 1851, Evans had obtained the first patent for mechanical refrigeration in the USA… In 1873, Carl von Linde designed the first practical and portable compressor refrigerator in Munich… Linde later created a new method (‘Linde technique’) to liquefy large amounts of air in 1894.

Paragraph F: Since 1840, vehicles with refrigeration systems were used to deliver and distribute milk and butter… In 1867, refrigerated railroad cars were patented to J.B. Sutherland… In 1867, the first refrigerated car to carry fresh fruit was manufactured by Parker Earle in Illinois, who shipped strawberries… By 1949, the trucking industry began to be equipped with refrigeration systems featuring roof-mounted cooling devices, invented by Fred Jones.

Paragraph G: From the late 1800s to 1929, refrigerators used toxic gases… But in the 1920s, a large number of lethal accidents occurred due to methyl chloride leakage… Frigidaire discovered a new class of synthetic refrigerants called halocarbons or CFCs… Freon was safer for people nearby, but in 1973, it was discovered to have detrimental effects on the ozone layer. After that, new improvements were made, and Hydrofluorocarbons… were used…

Key Vocabulary

Answers & Explanations

1. D (1840)

Question: Vehicles with refrigerators were used to transport on the road.

Location: Paragraph F: “Since 1840, cars with refrigerating systems had been utilised to deliver and distribute milk and butter.”

Explanation: Although the “trucking industry” appeared in 1949, the text mentions “cars” carrying milk from 1840. In the context of this exam, D is accepted for early road transport.

2. B (1799)

Question: Ice was sold around the United States for the first time.

Location: Paragraph C: “In 1799 as a commercial product, ice was first transported out of Canal Street in New York City…”

Explanation: The first time ice was transported as a commercial product.

3. F (1973)

Question: Some kind of chemical refrigerant was found harmful to the atmosphere.

Location: Paragraph G: “…but in 1973 it was discovered to have detrimental effects on the ozone layer.”

Explanation: Freon was discovered to harm the ozone layer (atmosphere).

4. C (1803)

Question: The term ‘refrigerator’ was first introduced.

Location: Paragraph A: “The term ‘refrigerator’ was first introduced by… Thomas Moore in 1803…”

Explanation: The term “refrigerator” was coined in 1803.

5. A (1550)

Question: Some chemicals were added to refrigerate wine.

Location: Paragraph B: “In 1550… people discovered that adding such chemicals… people used it to cool wine…”

Explanation: Adding chemicals to water to cool wine.

6. E (J.B. Sutherland)

Question: patented the idea that refrigerating system can be installed on tramcars.

Location: Paragraph F: “In 1867, refrigerated, railroad cars are patented to J.B, Sutherland…”

Explanation: Sutherland received a patent for refrigerated railroad cars.

7. D (Nathaniel Wyeth)

Question: invented an ice-cutting technical method that could save money and time.

Location: Paragraph C: “Wyeth invented an economical and speedy method to cut the ice into uniform blocks…”

Explanation: “Economical and speedy” is equivalent to “save money and time”.

8. G (Parker Earle)

Question: enabled the cold storage technology to be applied in fruit.

Location: Paragraph F: “…refrigerated car to carry fresh fruit was manufactured by Parker Earle…”

Explanation: Parker Earle created a refrigerated car for fruit.

9. F (Fred Jones)

Question: invented a cooling device applied into the trucking industry.

Location: Paragraph F: “…trucking industry… equipped with the refrigeration system… invented by Fred Jones.”

Explanation: Fred Jones invented a cooling device for the trucking industry.

10. C (Carl Von Linde)

Question: created a new technique to liquefy the air.

Location: Paragraph E: “Linde later created a new method… for liquefying large amounts of air…”

Explanation: Linde created a technique to liquefy air.

11. B

Question: A healthy dietary change between 1830 and the American Civil War was greatly associated with…

Explanation: Linked to consumers’ demand for fresh food, especially vegetables.

12. D

Question: The development of urbanization was likely to cause…

Explanation: Urbanization increased the distance between consumers and food sources, leading to a need for long-distance refrigerated transport.

13. E

Question: Problems due to water treatment contributed to…

Explanation: Water pollution made natural ice unusable, leading to the widespread adoption of mechanical refrigeration.

14. A

Question: The risk of the environmental devastation from the refrigeration…

Explanation: The risk of environmental damage (ozone layer) from Freon led to new developments like Hydrofluorocarbons.

The reading passage “History of Refrigeration” is a testament to human ingenuity in improving