The Olympic Torch IELTS Reading: Vocabulary & Detailed Answer Key

In IELTS Reading tests, passages describing the chronological development of an object over time often prove challenging due to dense information and technical vocabulary. The reading passage “The Olympic Torch” is a prime example, taking readers on a journey from ancient rituals to the modern technological innovations involved in torch manufacturing.

In this article, ECE Language Center provides the full reading passage, a bilingual translation, a list of high-scoring vocabulary, and a detailed breakdown of the answers for every question. We invite you to read on.

Reading Passage & Questions

Reading Passage: The Olympic Torch

Paragraph A Since 776 B.C., when the Greek people held their first-ever Olympic Games, the Games were hosted every four years in the city of Olympia. Back then, a long journey for the Olympic torch was made before the opening ceremony of each Olympic Games. The Greek people would light a cauldron of flames on the altar, a ritual devoted to Hera, the Greek Goddess of birth and marriage.

Paragraph B The reintroduction of the flame to the Olympics occurred at the Amsterdam 1928 Games, for which a cauldron was lit, though without a torch relay. The 1936 Berlin Summer Games held the first Olympic torch relay, which was not resumed in the Winter Olympics until 1952. However, in that year, the torch was lit not in Olympia, Greece, but in Norway, which was considered the birthplace of skiing. It wasn’t until the Innsbruck 1964 Winter Olympics in Austria that the Olympic flame was reignited at Olympia.

Paragraph C The torch is originally an abstract concept from a designer or a group of designers. Several design groups submit their drafts to the Olympic Committee in the hope of winning the chance to create the torch. The winning group develops a design that possesses both aesthetic and practical value. Once completed, the torch must successfully withstand all sorts of severe weather conditions. The appearance of the modern Olympic torch is attributed to Disney artist John Hench, who designed the torch for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. His design laid a solid foundation for all future torches.

Paragraph D The long journey to the Olympic site is not completed by a single torch, but by thousands of them; therefore, the torch must be replicated many times. Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 torches are built to accommodate the thousands of runners who carry them through every section of the Olympic relay. Every runner has the option to purchase their torch as a cherished souvenir once they finish their leg of the relay.

Paragraph E The first torch in the modern Olympics (the 1936 Berlin Games) was made from a slender steel rod with a circular platform at the top and a circular hole in the middle to jet flames.

Paragraph F The name of the runner was also inscribed on the platform as a token of appreciation. In the early days, torches used everything from gunpowder to olive oil as fuel. Some torches adopted a combination of hexamine and naphthalene with a flammable fluid. However, these materials were not exactly ideal fuel sources and could sometimes be quite hazardous. In the 1956 Olympics, the torch in the final relay was ignited by magnesium and aluminum, but some flaming pieces fell off and seared the runner’s arms.

Paragraph G To improve safety, liquid fuels made their first appearance at the 1972 Munich Games. Since then, torches have used fuels pressurized into a liquid form. When the fuel is burned, it turns into gas to produce a flame. Liquid fuel is safer for the runner and can be stored in a lightweight container. The torch at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics was equipped with an aluminum base that accommodated a tiny fuel tank. As the fuel ascends through the modified handle, it is squeezed through a brass valve featuring thousands of tiny openings. As the fuel passes through these openings, it accumulates pressure. Once it makes its way through, the pressure decreases and the liquid becomes gas so it can burn.

Paragraph H The 1996 torch was fueled by propylene, a substance that produced a bright flame. However, because propylene was carbon-heavy, it produced significant smoke, which was detrimental to the environment. In 2000, the designers of the Sydney Olympic torch proposed a lighter, cheaper design that was environmentally friendly. For fuel, they opted for a combination of 35 percent propane (a gas used for cooking and heating) and 65 percent butane (a gas obtained from petroleum), creating a powerful flame without generating much smoke.

Paragraph I Both the 1996 and 2000 torches adopted a double-flame burning system, enabling the flames to stay lit even in severe weather conditions. The exterior flame burns at a slower rate and a lower temperature. It is easily visible with its large orange flame, but it is unstable. On the other hand, the interior flame burns faster and hotter, generating a small blue flame with great stability, as the internal site offers protection from the wind. Accordingly, the interior flame serves as a pilot light, which can relight the eternal flame should it go out.

Paragraph J As for the torch of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, the top section was made of glass in which the flame burned, echoing the theme of “Light the Fire Within” for those Games. This torch was of great significance for subsequent torch designs.

Questions

Questions 27-29: Summary Completion Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The Olympic torch, as requested by the Olympic Committee, is carefully designed to be capable of withstanding all kinds of 27……. Generally, the design of the modern Olympic torch has both 28….. value. The torch must be copied, and thousands of torches are constructed to accommodate the thousands of runners who carry them through each leg of the Olympic relay. Each runner has the opportunity to purchase the torch as a(n) 29……. at the end of his or her leg of the relay.

Questions 30-35: Matching Features Match each statement with the correct Olympic torch, A-H.

List of Olympic Torches

1. Ancient Greek Olympic flames
2. Berlin Games torch (1936)
3. 1952 Winter Games flame
4. 1956 Games torch
5. Munich Games torch (1972)
6. 1996 torch (Atlanta)
7. 2000 torch (Sydney)
8. 2002 torch (Salt Lake City)
9. first liquid fuel
10. not environmentally friendly
11. beginning to record the runners’ name
12. potentially risky as it burnt the runner’s arms
13. specially designed for a theme of ‘Light’
14. not lit in Greece

Questions 36-40: Labeling Diagram Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

(Diagram shows the structure of the 1996 and 2000 torches)

• 36. ……………….. coated by an aluminum base
• 37. A brass valve with many small ………………..
• 38. Pressurised fuel rises from the improved ………………..
• 39. The liquid fuel. In 2000, it was a mixture of ………………..
• 40. Burning system produces ………………..

Summary of the Reading Passage

The passage covers the development history of the Olympic torch:

• Paragraphs A & B: Origins in ancient Greece (ritual for Hera) and modern reintroduction (1928, 1936). Notably, in 1952, the torch was lit in Norway instead of Greece.
• Paragraph C: Design process: must ensure aesthetic and practical value, and withstand severe weather. John Hench (Disney) laid the foundation for modern design (1960).
• Paragraph D: Mass production (10,000 – 15,000 units) to serve relay runners and souvenir demand.
• Paragraphs E & F: Early design (1936) and hazardous fuels (gunpowder, oil, magnesium/aluminum) that caused burns in 1956.
• Paragraph G: The 1972 milestone: transition to liquid fuel (safer). Description of the 1996 Atlanta torch mechanism (pressure, brass valve).
• Paragraph H: Environmental issues with propylene (1996) and the eco-friendly propane/butane mixture used in Sydney 2000.
• Paragraph I: “Double flame” technology: outer flame is large but unstable; inner flame is small, hot, and stable, acting as a pilot light.
• Paragraph J: The 2002 torch with a glass top section reflecting the “Light the Fire Within” theme.

Key Vocabulary

Useful Grammar Structures

• Passive Voice: Used extensively to describe manufacturing processes and history.

Example: “Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 torches are built…”

• Adverbial clauses of time/cause:

Example: “Since propylene was loaded with carbon, it would produce plenty of smoke…”

Answers & Detailed Explanations

27. severe weather conditions

• Location: Paragraph C: “After the torch is completed, it has to succeed in going through all sorts of severe weather conditions.”
• Explanation: The torch must be designed to withstand all types of harsh weather.

28. aesthetic and practical

• Location: Paragraph C: “…design for a torch that has both aesthetic and practical value.”
• Explanation: Modern designs must balance both beauty and utility.

29. (treasurable) souvenir

• Location: Paragraph D: “Every single runner can choose to buy his or her torch as a treasurable souvenir…”
• Explanation: Runners can purchase the torch as a keepsake.

30. E (Munich Games torch 1972)

• Location: Paragraph G: “To improve safety, liquid fuels made their first appearance at the 1972 Munich Games.”
• Explanation: Liquid fuel was first introduced in 1972.

31. F (1996 torch Atlanta)

• Location: Paragraph H: “The torch in 1996 was fuelled by propylene… produce plenty of smoke which was detrimental to the environment.”
• Explanation: The 1996 torch used propylene, which was not environmentally friendly.

32. B (Berlin Games torch 1936)

• Location: Paragraph F: “The name of the runner was also inscribed on the platform…” combined with Paragraph E confirming this is the 1936 design.
• Explanation: The runner’s name was recorded on the torch.

33. D (1956 Games torch)

• Location: Paragraph F: “In the 1956 Olympics… flaming pieces fell off and seared the runner’s arms.”
• Explanation: The 1956 torch was risky and caused burns.

34. H (2002 torch Salt Lake City)

• Location: Paragraph J: “…for the purpose of echoing the theme of “Light the Fire Within”…”
• Explanation: The design reflected the theme of “Light.”

35. C (1952 Winter Games flame)

• Location: Paragraph B: “Winter Olympics until 1952. However, in that year the torch was lit not in Olympia, Greece, but in Norway…”
• Explanation: In 1952, the torch was lit in Norway, not Greece.

36. (a/tiny) fuel tank

• Location: Paragraph G: “…equipped with an aluminium base that accommodates a tiny fuel tank.”
• Explanation: The 1996 torch had an aluminum base containing a small fuel tank.

37. openings

• Location: Paragraph G: “…squeezed through a brass valve that has thousands of little openings.”
• Explanation: The brass valve features many small openings.

38. handle

• Location: Paragraph G: “As the fuel ascends through the modified handle…”
• Explanation: Fuel rises through the improved handle.

39. propane and butane

• Location: Paragraph H: “For the fuel [in 2000], they decided to go with a combination of 35 per cent propane… and 65 per cent butane…”
• Explanation: The 2000 fuel was a mixture of propane and butane.

40. double flame

• Location: Paragraph I: “Both the 1996 and 2000 torches adopted a double flame burning system…”
• Explanation: The system produces a double flame.

Concluding our analysis of “The Olympic Torch”, ECE Language Center hopes you have not only found the correct answers but also gained valuable technical vocabulary regarding engineering processes and history. Chronological development passages require meticulous scanning and a diverse vocabulary to avoid semantic traps.

If you need further study materials or have specific questions, ECE is always ready to accompany you on your journey to achieving your dream band score.