Section 2. You will hear a radio broadcast about a new museum which specializes in vacuum cleaners. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
A new museum has just opened dedicated to vacuum cleaners. Yes, that's right, vacuum cleaners. The machines powered by electricity that suck up the dust and dirt from the floor.
The museums opened in a town called Eastwood in central England. Until now, Eastwood used to be an industrial town where people used to be employed as coal miners. But then, a local resident called James Brown became frustrated with the nation's failure to recognize the importance of vacuum cleaners and he decided to set up his own museum.
James first fell in love with vacuum cleaners when he was only four years old. At the time, his mother was unwell, so he used to help her out by vacuuming the house. And it was to be the start of the lifelong love affair with this humble household appliance.
However, it wasn't until James was eight years old that he first acquired his own vacuum cleaner. After it had been thrown away on the streets, he took it home, cleaned it up, and plugged it in. Amazingly, it still worked.
And that was the beginning of his collections. By the time he was in his teens, his collections had grown to 30. The collection continued to grow until it reached the final count of 126, which it stands at today.
James is delighted to share his enthusiasm of vacuum cleaners with visitors. One of his favorite party tricks is to blindfold his eyes so he can't see and ask someone to switch on one of the machines. When I tested him out on five different machines, switching them on and pushing them across the floor, he had no problem telling me the manufacturer of each one and he could even tell its age.
Loading on now a common household appliance, it wasn't until 1950s that most people could afford to buy a vacuum cleaner, as before that, they were very expensive. In today's money, you would have had to pay around a third of the price for an average car, which is around three months' wages for most people. Like most modern appliances, the invention of a production line halved the price almost immediately.
But James is not the only vacuum cleaner aficionado out there, and a few years ago, he made a special trip to the USA to the factory of his favorite, the Kirby vacuum cleaner. There is also an American website called Vacuumland that's dedicated to vacuum cleaner collectors. This year, they're even holding a convention in Texas with competition, awards and lectures on the subject.
So James might want to pop back to the United States to meet some vacuum lovers. So, if you've been inspired and want to visit James' Vacuum Cleaner Museum, what days could you go to visit? Well, they're open all year round from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. from Tuesdays to Saturdays, except Thursdays when they're open until 7 p.m. and Mondays when the museum is closed. Before you hear the rest of the broadcast, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 16 to 20. The history of the vacuum cleaner is an interesting one. The first commercially available powered vacuum cleaner was invented in 1901 and was called the Puffing Billy.
It was so large it had to be pulled by horses and parked outside the house where the cleaning was being done. It was initially driven by an oil engine, although it was later adapted to be powered by electricity and it was used to clean the carpets and the palace of King Edward VII in London. One of the most famous electric vacuum cleaners is known as the Hoover.
This was developed in the U.S.A. in 1908. It's often thought that it was created by a Mr. Hoover, but in fact it was created by a James Spangler who worked as a cleaner in a department store. Mr. Hoover was a businessman who bought the idea and then developed and marketed it in the U.S.A. and other countries.
The Electrolyte's Model 5 was developed in 1925. Up until that time, vacuum cleaners had been heavy devices which were not easily bought from. This was a lighter model which laid on the floor and can be pulled along on two strips of metal and this was an idea that was copied by many other manufacturers.
Then there's the Electrolyte's 30 or Triple X which was developed in 1937 in the U.S.A. and is perhaps the most visually elegant vacuum cleaner of all with its sleek lines inspired by the Art Deco architecture popular in the 1930s. The most prized model in James' museum is the Kirby model which is actually gold-plated. Kirby made pieces trophy, but they also manufacture vacuum cleaners for everyday use as sold only by salesmen who demonstrated them only in the customer's home.
But even the everyday model might eventually become collector's items. Now, if you want to visit the museum... That is the end of Section 2. You now have half a minute to check your answers.