Chembe Bird Sanctuary: listening answers and explanations
A lecturer describes research around the Chembe Bird Sanctuary in Zambia on conflict between wildlife and people. The talk covers why birds of prey matter to local farmers, why their numbers are falling, and how farmers try to protect their chickens from them.
Ten gaps in order under three headings. Q31-33 cover the benefits of the birds, 'However, although these birds of prey are protected' starts Q34-36 on falling numbers, and 'So how else can farmers protect their chickens' leads into Q37-40.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the part yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: The notes follow the lecture closely, but the wording changes ('revenue' becomes 'support the economy', 'electrocuted' becomes 'electrocution'). In the last section the notes give a verdict for each method (unhelpful, expensive), which helps you match each one. Check the grammar: Q36 needs a verb, Q40 a singular noun.
Question 31
Answer: ratsWhen the lecturer says most local people are small-scale farmers
Which rodents do birds of prey destroy?
a lot of damage can be caused to farmers crops by rodents such as rats, which would consume the crops as they grow
Question says → You hear
and other rodentsrodents such as rats
Why: 'Rodents such as rats' becomes 'rats and other rodents'. Plural, because the notes add 'other rodents'.
The trap: 'Crops' is in the same sentence, but the birds destroy the pests, not the crops.
Question 32
Answer: snakesWhen the lecturer says the birds also protect farmers in other ways
What do birds of prey help stop from biting farmers?
a major danger to rural workers is snakes whose bite may be dangerous or even fatal
Question says → You hear
prevent farmers from being bitten bysnakes whose bite may be dangerous or even fatal
Why: Snakes are the danger whose bite can be fatal, and the birds keep their numbers under control. Plural: snakes.
The trap: 'Rural workers' are the farmers who get bitten, not what bites them.
Question 33
Answer: tourismWhen the lecturer says the sanctuary has become important in economic terms
What do the birds now encourage in the area that helps the economy?
at present, after a relatively slow start, tourism has become an important source of revenue for them
Question says → You hear
support the economyimportant to the community in economic terms
Why: Tourism has become an important source of revenue, which is how the birds support the economy.
The trap: 1973, when the sanctuary opened, and the local culture both come just before, but culture is already printed in the notes.
Question 34
Answer: trafficWhen the lecturer says some of the deaths are accidental
What accidentally kills birds when they are hunting or sleeping?
Fatalities occur when birds are … hit by fast-moving traffic. Drivers in Zambia have to take special care at night as many regard the quiet roads as safe places to sleep.
Question says → You hear
accidentally killedSome of these deaths are accidental
Why: The birds are hit by fast-moving traffic while catching prey on roads, and at night they sleep on quiet roads. One word: traffic.
The trap: 'Drivers' is close in meaning, but the lecturer says the birds 'are hit by fast-moving traffic'. 'Roads' is where it happens, not what kills them.
Question 35
Answer: rainWhen the lecturer talks about high voltage power lines
When are power lines especially dangerous to the birds?
This is a particular danger in the heavy rain which can occur in the region in the months from December to April.
Question says → You hear
especially at times when there is a lot ofa particular danger in the heavy rain
Why: 'A particular danger in the heavy rain' becomes 'especially when there is a lot of rain'. One word: rain.
The trap: December to April is the time of year, but the notes need the weather, not the months.
Question 36
Answer: poisonWhen the lecturer says local farmers also pose a threat
What else do farmers illegally do to the birds besides shooting them?
farmers may shoot these birds, which is illegal but understandable. Or they may poison the birds, which again is illegal
Question says → You hear
illegally shoot them orshoot these birds, which is illegal … Or they may poison the birds
Why: Shooting is printed; the second illegal act is that farmers 'may poison the birds'. The gap is the verb: poison.
The trap: Chickens come up just before as the reason, but 'shoot them or chickens them' makes no sense. Check the gap needs a verb.
Question 37
Answer: buildingAfter the lecturer explains that clearing vegetation is counterproductive
What could be provided for chickens, although it's expensive?
Another possibility would be to prevent the chickens from going outside at all and to keep them safe from predators inside a building, but this would cost far too much
Question says → You hear
expensivethis would cost far too much
Why: Keeping chickens inside a building would 'cost far too much', which matches 'expensive' in the notes. The gap is building.
The trap: 'Cover to hide' comes just before, but that's the problem with clearing vegetation, the method the notes call unhelpful.
Question 38
Answer: dogWhen the lecturer says nearly all farmers tried to frighten off the birds
What do farmers keep to frighten birds of prey?
Most of the farmers had at least one dog and said this was a big help at scaring away the predators.
Question says → You hear
frightening birds of prey by keeping ahad at least one dog … scaring away the predators
Why: Having a dog helped with 'scaring away the predators'. Singular after 'a': dog.
The trap: Children watching the chickens come next, but that's the noise method in Q39.
Question 39
Answer: noiseWhen the lecturer talks about the breeding season
What do farmers make to drive the birds away?
hit pans with a metal spoon so that the resulting noise would succeed in driving away birds
Question says → You hear
making a ..., e.g. with metal objectshit pans with a metal spoon so that the resulting noise
Why: Hitting pans with a metal spoon makes a noise that drives the birds away. The metal objects are the example; noise is what's made.
The trap: Pans and spoon are the metal objects in the 'e.g.' part. 'Making a pan' changes the meaning.
Question 40
Answer: combinationWhen the lecturer says none of the methods was 100% effective
What is usually the most effective way to use these methods?
rather than just using one method, they were forced to use a combination for them to have any effect
Question says → You hear
A ... of methods is usually most effectiverather than just using one method, they were forced to use a combination
Why: Using a combination of methods is the only way they have any effect. Singular after 'A': combination.
The trap: 'Longer-term solution' comes right after, but that's what the researchers looked at next, not what works now.
The notes combine two ideas: the birds are hit while hunting on roads, and drivers must watch for birds sleeping there at night. The single word that kills them is traffic.
The children hit pans with a metal spoon, so 'pans' or 'spoon' are tempting. The notes say 'making a ...', and what they make is the noise.
Words from this recording worth keeping
sanctuary(Introduction)
a protected place for wildlife
birds of prey(Introduction)
birds that hunt and kill other animals
fatal(Importance of birds of prey)
causing death
revenue(Importance of birds of prey)
income
electrocuted(Falling numbers)
killed by an electric shock
rear(Falling numbers)
raise animals
counterproductive(Protecting chickens)
having the opposite of the intended effect
vulnerable(Protecting chickens)
easily harmed
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Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 4, Listening Part 4. The recording, transcript and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts of the transcript only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full material, or sit the test on Langujet.
