Cambridge IELTS 6 Listening Test 2
4 parts · 40 questions · 30 minutes
Enquiry about children's art and craft workshops
Questions 1–5
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Children's Art and Craft Workshops
Workshops organized every: Saturday
Adults must accompany children under (1) …………………………
Cost: £2.50
Workshops held in: Winter House, (2) ………………………… Street
Security device: must push the (3) ………………………… to open door
Should leave car behind the (4) …………………………
Book workshops by phoning the (5) ………………………… (on 200765)
Questions 6–10
Complete the table below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Next two workshops
| Date | Workshop title | Children advised to wear | Please bring (if possible) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16/11 | building (6) ………………………… | (7) ………………………… | (8) ………………………… |
| 23/11 | (9) ………………………… | (Nothing special) | (10) ………………………… |
Information about local train services
Questions 11–14
Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
11. • Local services depart from ………………………… railway station.
12. • National services depart from the ………………………… railway station.
13. • Trains for London depart every ………………………… each day during the week.
14. • The price of a first class ticket includes ………………………… .
Questions 15–17
Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
| Type of ticket | Details |
|---|---|
| Standard open | no restrictions |
| Super save | travel after 8.45 |
| Special | travel after (15) ………………………… and at weekends |
| _____ | buy at least six days ahead limited numbers (17) ………………………… essential |
Questions 18–20
Choose THREE letters, A–G.
18. Which THREE attractions can you visit at present by train from Trebirch?
A a science museum
B a theme park
C a climbing wall
D a mining museum
E an aquarium
F a castle
G a zoo
19. Which THREE attractions can you visit at present by train from Trebirch?
A a science museum
B a theme park
C a climbing wall
D a mining museum
E an aquarium
F a castle
G a zoo
20. Which THREE attractions can you visit at present by train from Trebirch?
A a science museum
B a theme park
C a climbing wall
D a mining museum
E an aquarium
F a castle
G a zoo
A tutorial about a dissertation
Questions 21–25
Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Dissertation Tutorial Record (Education) Name: Sandy Gibbons
| Target previously agreed | Work completed | Further action suggested |
|---|---|---|
| Investigate suitable data analysis software | Read IT (21) ………………………… Spoken to Jane Prince, Head of the (21) ………………………… | Sign up for some software practice sessions |
| Prepare a _____ for survey | Completed and sent for review | Add questions in section three on (24) ………………………… |
| Further reading about discipline | Read Banerjee N.B. could not find Ericsson's essays on managing the (25) ………………………… | Obtain from library through special loans service |
Questions 26–30
Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
| New target | Work completed | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Do further work on Chapter 1 (give the title: Context _____ ) | Add statistics on the (27) ………………………… in various zones include more references to works dated after (27) ………………………… | By the (29) ………………………… |
| Prepare list of main sections for Chapter 2 | Use index cards to help in organization | Before starting the (30) ………………………… |
A lecture on the history of moving pictures
Questions 31–37
The history of moving pictures. Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
31. Some photographs of a horse running showed
A all feet off the ground
B at least one foot on the ground
C two feet off the ground
32. The Scotsman employed by Edison
A designed a system to use the technology Edison had invented
B used available technology to make a new system
C was already an expert in motion picture technology
33. One major problem with the first system was that
A only one person could be filmed
B people could only see very short films
C the camera was very heavy
34. Rival systems started to appear in Europe after people had
A been told about the American system
B seen the American system
C used the American system
35. In 1895, a famous new system was developed by
A a French team working alone
B a French and German team working together
C a German team who invented the word 'cinema'
36. Longer films were not made at the time because of problems involving
A the subject matters
B the camera
C the film projector
37. The 'Lantham Loop' invention relied on
A removing tension between the film reels
B adding three more film reels to the system
C making one of the film reels more effective
Questions 38–40
Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
38. • The first motion picture was called The ………………………… .
39. • ………………………… were used for the first time on film in 1926.
40. • Subtitles were added to The Lights of New York because of its ………………………… .
Answers
1. 8
2. Tamer
3. green button
4. library
5. education department
6. castles
7. old clothes
8. bottle tops
9. undersea worlds
10. silver paper
11. King Street
12. Central
13. half hour
14. refreshments
15. 10.15
16. Advance
17. seat reservations
18. a climbing wall
19. a mining museum
20. a zoo
21. catalogues
22. computer centre
23. checklist
24. teaching experience
25. classroom
26. Review
27. schools
28. 2000
29. end of term
30. research
31. all feet off the ground
32. used available technology to make a new system
33. the camera was very heavy
34. been told about the American system
35. a French team working alone
36. the film projector
37. removing tension between the film reels
38. Great Train Robbery
39. sound effects
40. poor sound quality
Explanations
- 1. 8
- '...all ages from five upwards are welcome, though we do ask that children below eight years of age are accompanied by an adult.' Under 8 must be accompanied.Common trap: 'five' is said first in the same sentence, but that is the minimum age for attending at all, not the age needing an adult.
- 2. Tamer
- 'And that's in Tamer Street.' The name is then spelled out: 'T-A-M-E-R Street.'Common trap: 'Winter House' is already printed — the gap needs the street name, which is only confirmed by the spelling.
- 3. green button
- '...there's a security entrance, so you need to press the green button for someone to let you in.' Press = push the green button.Common trap: The red button is named immediately afterwards, but explicitly as the one NOT to press.
- 4. library
- 'Your best bet is to leave your car at the back of the library...' At the back of = behind the library.Common trap: 'the museum' ends the same turn, but that is what the library is next door to, not where the car goes.
- 5. education department
- '...you really should book by calling the education department here.' Booking goes through the education department, whose direct number is 200765.Common trap: 'the main museum number' is mentioned in the next turn — that is the number the caller used by mistake.
- 6. castles
- 'On Saturday the 16th there's Building Castles.' The 16/11 workshop is Building Castles.Common trap: 'building' is already printed in the cell, so only the second half of the title is needed.
- 7. old clothes
- 'This involves quite a bit of glue, so just make sure the kids are in old clothes.' Old clothes are what children should wear to the castle-building session.Common trap: The other workshop needs 'no special clothes' — the two rows must not be swapped.
- 8. bottle tops
- 'And if possible, could you bring along bottle tops which the children might be able to use in the models...' Bottle tops are what to bring on 16/11.Common trap: 'glue' and 'models' are both in the same exchange, but the museum supplies those — only the bottle tops are brought by parents.
- 9. undersea worlds
- 'On that day, it's what we call Undersea Worlds.' The 23/11 workshop title is Undersea Worlds.Common trap: 'fishes' and 'underground caverns' describe the content, not the workshop's title.
- 10. silver paper
- 'But if you could search out some silver paper to bring along to use in the sessions... it's shiny - it looks like water, that'd be great.' Silver paper is what to bring on 23/11.Common trap: 'no special clothes' opens the same turn and belongs in the neighbouring column, which is already filled in.
- 11. King Street
- 'We've got two main train stations in the town. King Street is for local commuter lines and regional services.' Local services leave from King Street.Common trap: Central Station is named in the very next turn — the two stations must not be swapped.
- 12. Central
- 'Then you need to go to Central Station - that's for all the national services.' National services leave from Central.Common trap: 'London' is what prompts the question, but it is a destination, not the station's name.
- 13. half hour
- 'They leave Trebircher every half hour on weekdays and every hour at weekends.' On weekdays the interval is half an hour.Common trap: 'every hour' (weekends) and 'about two hours' (journey time) are both in the same breath; the sentence asks about weekdays.
- 14. refreshments
- '...there's a buffet car - though refreshments are included in the cost of a first class ticket.' Refreshments come with first class.Common trap: 'a buffet car' is on the train for everyone; what the first class price covers is the refreshments themselves.
- 15. 10.15
- 'Then there is the Special ticket, which is valid for travel after 10.15.' The Special ticket's restriction is travel after 10.15.Common trap: 8.45 is given one sentence earlier and is already printed in the table — it belongs to the Supersave, not the Special.
- 16. Advance
- 'The cheapest tickets are called Advance and you have to buy them at least six days ahead.' The ticket type bought six days ahead is Advance.Common trap: 'Supersave' and 'Special' are named just before; the gap needs the one tied to the six-day rule already printed beside it.
- 17. seat reservations
- 'Only a certain number are available and you have to make seat reservations for these.' Seat reservations are essential for Advance tickets.Common trap: 'Only a certain number are available' is already printed as 'limited numbers' in the cell above the gap.
- 18. a climbing wall
- '...you can be in Birmingham in only an hour and a half, where there's lots to see and do including the new and internationally-acclaimed climbing wall built on the site of the old aquarium.' The climbing wall is reachable now.Common trap: Every wrong option is a real word from the recording — but each is either in the past (aquarium, castle), in the future (science museum), or only a comparison (theme park).
- 19. a mining museum
- '...there's the Merthyr Mining Museum, which is only half an hour from Trebircher by train.' It is open now and reachable by train.Common trap: The theme park is named in the very next sentence, but only as something the mining museum is as fascinating as.
- 20. a zoo
- 'Mainline trains also offer direct services to Bristol, where you can visit the docks or spend a great day out with the children in the zoo...' The zoo is reachable now.Common trap: 'the old castle' closes the same sentence, but it 'used to' surround the parkland — it is not an attraction you visit.
- 21. catalogues
- 'And what I decided to do was to look through catalogues specialising in IT.' Sandy read IT catalogues.Common trap: 'IT' is already printed in the cell — the gap needs what was read, not the subject area.
- 22. computer centre
- 'Jane Prince. Do you know her? She's in the Computer Centre.' — 'Yes, of course, she's the new Head.' She heads the Computer Centre.Common trap: The word 'Head' comes from the tutor's reply, one turn later than the department name — the two halves of the answer are split across speakers.
- 23. checklist
- 'And, of course, the second target was to draw up a survey checklist...' The second target was to prepare a checklist for the survey.Common trap: 'survey' is already printed in the row label, so only 'checklist' fills the gap.
- 24. teaching experience
- '...but in section three you really do need to have questions on teaching experience.' Section three needs questions on teaching experience.Common trap: 'your first two sections are spot on' invites the wrong section number — the change is wanted in section three, which is already printed.
- 25. classroom
- 'But I'm afraid I didn't manage to get hold of the essays about classroom management - you know, the ones by Simon Ericsson.' The missing essays are on managing the classroom.Common trap: 'Banerjee' opens the same turn but is the book Sandy DID get; 'discipline' is the printed topic of the whole row.
- 26. Review
- 'Well, I'd go for something like Context Review. What do you think?' The suggested chapter title is Context Review.Common trap: 'Context' is already printed in the cell, so only the second word of the title is wanted.
- 27. schools
- '...I'd be quite interested to have a few more statistics about the schools in the different zones.' The extra statistics are about the schools.Common trap: 'zones' is already printed in the cell; 'the Internet' in the next turn is where Sandy will find the figures, not what they are about.
- 28. 2000
- '...I think you should aim to cite more works written later than 2000.' References should be to works dated after 2000.Common trap: 'later than' has to be matched to the printed 'after' — no other year is given, so the risk is mishearing rather than choosing wrongly.
- 29. end of term
- 'Oh, it's not urgent. Um I should aim for the end of term.' The Chapter 1 work is due by the end of term.Common trap: 'it's not urgent' can make students stop listening before the actual deadline is given in the next breath.
- 30. research
- 'My advice would be to get it done before you embark upon the research.' The Chapter 2 section list is due before starting the research.Common trap: 'embark upon' has to be matched to the printed 'starting'; 'index cards' from the previous turn belongs in the neighbouring column.
- 31. all feet off the ground
- '...the bet was settled because you could see that all the hooves were off the ground in some of the photos.' All four feet were off the ground.Common trap: The wording of the original bet ('whether a horse ever had all four feet or hooves off the ground') is stated before the result, so it is easy to answer from the question rather than the finding.
- 32. used available technology to make a new system
- '...he did was study other systems - primitive as they were - of moving pictures and then put all the existing technologies together to make the first entire motion picture system.' He assembled existing technology into a new system.Common trap: 'the famous American inventor Thomas Edison' primes option A; in fact Edison only commissioned the work.
- 33. the camera was very heavy
- 'The camera weighed over 200 kilograms and only one person at a time could see the film.' Over 200 kilograms is the major problem asked about here.Common trap: Option A is a near-miss of the second half of the same sentence: 'one person' is right but 'filmed' is not — they could only SEE the film.
- 34. been told about the American system
- '...news of the new system in America travelled fast and a number of rival European systems started to appear once people had heard about it.' Heard about = been told about.Common trap: The New York showing ('people lined up around the block') is described just before, which tempts B.
- 35. a French team working alone
- '...three systems were all developed, more or less at the same time and independently of each other. I guess the most famous of these was by the Lumière Brothers from France...' The most famous was French and worked independently.Common trap: Both a French and a German team are named in the same short passage, and the word 'cinema' sits between them — enough to make B or C sound right.
- 36. the film projector
- 'A continuing problem at the time was that the films had a tendency to break when they were being played - a problem which was caused by the tension between the two wheels, or reels... which hold the film.' The breakage happened during playing, i.e. in the projector.Common trap: The word 'projector' is never used here — you have to infer it from 'when they were being played'.
- 37. removing tension between the film reels
- 'They developed the Lantham Loop, which was the simple addition of a third reel between the two main reels, and this took all the tension away with the result that the film stopped snapping.' Its effect was to take the tension away.Common trap: 'a third reel' is a classic number trap — it means reel number three, not three extra reels.
- 38. Great Train Robbery
- '...this led to the making of The Great Train Robbery - the very first movie made.' It ran 11 minutes and caused a sensation.Common trap: 'The' is already printed, and two other film titles (The Jazz Singer, The Lights of New York) follow later in the same talk.
- 39. sound effects
- '...the first step towards this was in 1926 when sound effects were first used on a film.' 1926 is the year of the first sound effects.Common trap: Three years come in quick succession — 1926 (sound effects), 1927 (the first 'talkie'), 1928 (the first all-talking film).
- 40. poor sound quality
- '...the sound on this early film was not very good and I believe they put subtitles on the film... to compensate for this poor sound quality.' The subtitles compensated for poor sound quality.Common trap: 'they printed the dialogue along the bottom of the film' is a definition of subtitles, which are already named in the sentence.
Audio transcripts
Part 1 — Enquiry about children's art and craft workshops
MAN: Good morning, Synmouth Museum. Can I help you? WOMAN: Oh yes. Good morning. I'm interested in the children's workshops and I'd like a little more information, please. MAN: Do you mean the Art and Craft workshops? WOMAN: Yes. A friend of a friend mentioned them - the children do painting and make models and so forth. MAN: Yes, of course. Um, where to begin? First of all, as you probably know, they run every Saturday. WOMAN: Fine. And what about ages? MAN: Well, all ages from five upwards are welcome, though we do ask that children below eight years of age are accompanied by an adult. WOMAN: Fine. That wouldn't be a problem. What about cost? MAN: Well, I think you'll find them very reasonable. It's £2.50 a child, with 80 pence off for two or more children from the same family. WOMAN: Oh yes, very reasonable. And are they held in the main museum? MAN: Not exactly. They're nearby. WOMAN: Could you give me the full address? I don't know the area very well. MAN: Yes, it's Winter House. WOMAN: Right. MAN: And that's in Tamer Street. WOMAN: Could you spell that please? MAN: Yes, T-A-M-E-R Street. WOMAN: Lovely. MAN: And I do need to tell you that there's a security entrance, so you need to press the green button for someone to let you in. Don't press the red button please, but don't worry, it's all clearly labelled. WOMAN: OK. And one more question - is parking available nearby? We're driving in from out of town. MAN: Your best bet is to leave your car at the back of the library - on a Saturday morning there are plenty of spaces there. It's right next door to the museum. WOMAN: And can I ask about booking places? MAN: Yes, and I must tell you, you really should book by calling the education department here. WOMAN: Oh, I'm sorry, should I have rung them instead of the main museum number? MAN: No, that's fine this time, please don't worry. But for future reference, I'll give you the direct number. It's two hundred-seven-six-five. WOMAN: Great, I've got that. MAN: But I'm very happy to give you information about the next two workshops. On Saturday the 16th there's Building Castles. WOMAN: Oh, sounds great! MAN: This involves quite a bit of glue, so just make sure the kids are in old clothes. WOMAN: I know, ones I don't mind getting mucky. MAN: Exactly. And if possible, could you bring along bottle tops which the children might be able to use in the models, you know, as decoration? WOMAN: We'll certainly try to find some for you. MAN: Then the following week ... WOMAN: That'll be the 23rd, won't it? MAN: Yes, that's right. On that day, it's what we call Undersea Worlds. This is where they make scenes with fishes, underground caverns and so on. WOMAN: Is that likely to get very dirty? Lots of paint splashes? MAN: Not really, so we don't recommend any special clothes for that one. But if you could search out some silver paper to bring along to use in the sessions, you know, it's shiny - it looks like water, that'd be great. WOMAN: Yes, of course. We'll see what we can come up with. Well, thank you ever so much for all your help. The sessions sound really good and I'll certainly book up for the next two. MAN: Lovely. Thanks very much for ringing. WOMAN: Bye. MAN: Bye-bye.
Part 2 — Information about local train services
CUSTOMER: Hello. Um my family and I are staying here in Trebirc for a week or two and we wanted to know about the train services. We're hoping to do a few local trips. RAILPERSON: OK. Well, I can give you lots of details about all the trains going from Trebirc in the South West. This leaflet will be very helpful but I can tell you some of the main things. We've got two main train stations in the town. King Street is for local commuter lines and regional services. CUSTOMER: What about trains to London? I'll need to go there on business for one day. RAILPERSON: Then you need to go to Central Station - that's for all the national services. There are regular trains to London. They leave Trebircher every half hour on weekdays and every hour at weekends. It takes about two hours, a bit longer on Sundays. You've got a choice of first and second class and there's a buffet car - though refreshments are included in the cost of a first class ticket. CUSTOMER: Ah right. Um, and have you got any information on different ticket types? RAILPERSON: Yes. There's a range of ticket prices depending on when you travel and when you buy your ticket. There's a standard open ticket which doesn't have any restrictions. This can be bought in advance or on the day. You can also get various discounted tickets. A popular one is called the Supersave and, er, this is OK for travel after 8.45. Then there is the Special ticket, which is valid for travel after 10.15. The Special tickets are also valid for travel at weekends. The cheapest tickets are called Advance and you have to buy them at least six days ahead. Only a certain number are available and you have to make seat reservations for these. CUSTOMER: Thanks. And are there lots of places to go to around here? RAILPERSON: Oh yes. You can enjoy many days out. Um there's the Merthyr Mining Museum, which is only half an hour from Trebircher by train. Your children will find it just as fascinating as any theme park and they can ride in the original miners' lifts and on the coal trains. There are special excursion tickets which include entrance fees. Mainline trains also offer direct services to Bristol, where you can visit the docks or spend a great day out with the children in the zoo, which is set in the parkland that used to surround the old castle. Er, special family awaydays fares are available for this service now during the school holidays. Er, alternatively, you can be in Birmingham in only an hour and a half, where there's lots to see and do including the new and internationally-acclaimed climbing wall built on the site of the old aquarium. We will also be running a special service to Newport when the new science museum opens next year, as we anticipate a lot of visitors in the opening weeks. I'd advise you to call early to book your tickets. Is that OK? CUSTOMER: Yes, thanks.
Part 3 — A tutorial about a dissertation
TUTOR: Hello, Sandy. How have you been getting on with your dissertation? SANDY: Fine, and I've been working hard on the various action points we agreed on our last tutorial. TUTOR: Do you want to talk me through what you've done? SANDY: Yeah, sure. Well, we agreed on three main targets for me to aim for. The first one was to find out about suitable data analysis software. TUTOR: Yes. SANDY: And what I decided to do was to look through catalogues specialising in IT. TUTOR: That's a good idea. What did you come up with? SANDY: I found the names of two promising ones. TUTOR: Right. SANDY: But I also thought it'd be worthwhile talking to a lecturer. TUTOR: Oh right. Who did you see? SANDY: Jane Prince. Do you know her? She's in the Computer Centre. TUTOR: Yes, of course, she's the new Head. SANDY: Yes. Well, she was very helpful. TUTOR: Oh, that's good. Did she suggest anything in particular? SANDY: Yeah. She recommended software called Vivat and said I should book up for a couple of practice sessions using Vivat. TUTOR: Great. I'm sure you'll find them useful. SANDY: And, of course, the second target was to draw up a survey checklist which I ... TUTOR: Yes, you emailed me it last week. SANDY: Have you had a chance to look ...? TUTOR: Of course, um I think it's good. Very much on the right lines. I'd say your first two sections are spot on. I wouldn't suggest that you change anything there, but in section three you really do need to have questions on teaching experience. SANDY: Yeah. I was thinking that section looked a bit short. TUTOR: Right. SANDY: And my third target was, do further reading on discipline. TUTOR: Oh yes. I mentioned a couple of writers, didn't I? SANDY: Yes, well I got hold of the Banerjee and I thought that was excellent. But I'm afraid I didn't manage to get hold of the essays about classroom management - you know, the ones by Simon Ericsson. The bookshop said it was out of print and the library doesn't have a copy. TUTOR: Oh right, and I'm afraid I've lent my copy to another student. What I suggest you do is try the library again - this time apply for it through the service called special loans. Have you done that before? You're entitled to six books a year. SANDY: Yes. No problem. That's what I'll do. TUTOR: So, lots of useful work done. TUTOR: So, let's look at some new targets. We'll start by having a chat about your Chapter One. I very much enjoyed reading it. Your written style is very clear and you've included lots of interesting descriptions of education in your target area. I've just got a couple of suggestions for some additional work. SANDY: Of course. Could I just ask - what do you think I should call it? TUTOR: Well, I'd go for something like Context Review. What do you think? SANDY: Well, short and to the point. TUTOR: Exactly. Now, as regards specific areas to work on, I'd be quite interested to have a few more statistics about the schools in the different zones. SANDY: Oh, that wouldn't be a problem. I can get them from the Internet. TUTOR: Great, and although you did make a reference to quite a few different writers, I think you should aim to cite more works written later than 2000. SANDY: OK. That's more difficult, but I can try. When do you want that done by? TUTOR: Oh, it's not urgent. Um I should aim for the end of term. But in the meantime, I think you should also be thinking about Chapter Two. SANDY: Should I be drafting it already? TUTOR: No, but I think you should note down its main sections. SANDY: Yes. You know, I always find that the hardest part. TUTOR: I always find it helpful to put some ideas on index cards. SANDY: Yeah. TUTOR: Um ... and then you can sort them, and even lay them out on the floor. It's a real help. SANDY: Well, I'll certainly try it! When would the deadline be for that? TUTOR: My advice would be to get it done before you embark upon the research. You can always change it later if you need to. SANDY: OK. I'll get going on that then.
Part 4 — A lecture on the history of moving pictures
Many believe that the story first began in America in 1877, when two friends were arguing over whether a horse ever had all four feet or hooves off the ground when it galloped. To settle the bet, a photographer was asked to photograph a horse galloping and the bet was settled because you could see that all the hooves were off the ground in some of the photos. What was even more interesting was that if the photos were shown in quick succession the horse looked like it was running - in other words 'moving pictures'. The person who became interested in taking the moving pictures to its next step was the famous American inventor Thomas Edison. Actually, he didn't do the work himself but rather asked a young Scotsman in his employ to design a system, which he did. Now this young fellow was clever because the first thing he did was study other systems - primitive as they were - of moving pictures and then put all the existing technologies together to make the first entire motion picture system. He designed a camera, a projection device and the film. The system was first shown in New York in 1894 and was really very popular. Apparently people lined up around the block to see the wonderful new invention. There were, however, a couple of problems with the system. The camera weighed over 200 kilograms and only one person at a time could see the film. Well now, news of the new system in America travelled fast and a number of rival European systems started to appear once people had heard about it. The single problem with all the systems was they couldn't really project the film onto a screen - you know, so more than one person could see it. Then in 1895, three systems were all developed, more or less at the same time and independently of each other. I guess the most famous of these was by the Lumière Brothers from France, and they called their system the cinematographe which of course is where the word cinema comes from. There were also two brothers in Germany who developed a successful system and they called it a bioskop. Well now, once the problem of projection had been solved, the next challenge for the inventors was to make the films longer and more interesting. A continuing problem at the time was that the films had a tendency to break when they were being played - a problem which was caused by the tension between the two wheels, or 'reels' as they are called, which hold the film. Now this problem was solved by two American brothers. They developed the 'Lantham Loop', which was the simple addition of a third reel between the two main reels, and this took all the tension away with the result that the film stopped snapping. So now there was a real possibility of having films of more than two or three minutes, and this led to the making of The Great Train Robbery - the very first movie made. It only lasted 11 minutes but was an absolute sensation, and there were cases of people watching the movie and actually fainting when the character fired a gun at the camera! Almost overnight movies became a craze, and by 1905 people in America were lining up to see movies in 'store theatres', as they were called then. I guess the next big step in terms of development of technology was to have people actually talking on the film, and the first step towards this was in 1926 when sound effects were first used on a film. It wasn't until the following year however that the first 'talkie', as they were called then, was made. This film featured actors speaking only during parts of the film and was called The Jazz Singer, and it wasn't until 1928 that the first all-talking film was produced, and this was called The Lights of New York. Unfortunately, the sound on this early film was not very good and I believe they put subtitles on the film - that is, they printed the dialogue along the bottom of the film to compensate for this poor sound quality. Now, with the addition of sound, moving pictures became far more difficult to make ...
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