A conservationist who has just come back from India lectures on Asiatic lions. She covers their history and how they differ from African lions, then describes the Gir Sanctuary and the threats the lions there still face.
The questions follow the lecture in order. Questions 31-34 come from the history and the comparison with African lions. 'I'd like to talk to you now about the Gir Sanctuary' is your signal to switch to the sentences for questions 35-40.
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: Three of these four are about numbers or places, and the lecture is full of them: 10,000, 100,000, 500 BC, 2,000, 1,900 years. Tie each number to what it measures before you choose.
Question 31
Answer: BWhen she introduces her interest in Asiatic lions
When did Asiatic lions become a separate sub-species?
It's almost 100,000 years since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a subspecies.
Question says → You hear
develop as a separate sub-speciessplit off and developed as a subspecies
Why: 'Almost 100,000 years' matches 'about 100,000 years ago': B.
The trap: A, 10,000 years, is said a few seconds earlier, but it's about lions roaming large parts of the globe. C is never said.
Question 32
Answer: ARight after she describes the lions' old range from Greece to India
Where do the ancient coins with Asiatic lions come from?
In museums you can now see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them.
Question says → You hear
ancient coins fromGreek coins
Why: The coins are Greek, so A.
The trap: The Middle East and India are part of the range described just before, but the coins are only described as Greek.
Question 33
Answer: BRight after the coins
When did Asiatic lions disappear from Europe?
However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lion roaming free 2,000 years ago.
Question says → You hear
disappeared from EuropeEurope saw its last Asiatic lion roaming free
Why: The last free lion in Europe was 2,000 years ago: B.
The trap: C, 1,900 years, is the next number, about decline in the other areas. A is tempting because the coins date from about 500 BC, roughly 2,500 years ago.
Question 34
Answer: CWhen she compares Asiatic and African lions
What do very few African lions have?
Asiatic lions also have a long fold of skin on their undersides whereas not many African lions have this.
Question says → You hear
Very few African lions havenot many African lions have this
their stomachtheir undersides
Why: 'Not many' matches 'very few', and 'undersides' matches 'stomach'. C.
The trap: A reverses the mane point: it's the Asiatic lion's mane that is shorter, so African lions do have long manes. B is out because the colour is 'more or less the same'.
Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Questions 35-40
How to attack this block: The sentences are paraphrased: 'when water is short' for drought, 'animals belonging to local farmers' for livestock. Listen for the idea, then write the speaker's word, keeping the grammar of the sentence.
Question 35
Answer: 1,450When she starts on the Gir Sanctuary
Also accepted: 1450
Roughly how big is the sanctuary?
It's 1,450 square kilometres an area and most of it is forest.
Question says → You hear
has an area of approximatelyIt's 1,450 square kilometres
Why: The area is 1,450 square kilometres. 'Square kilometres' is printed, so write 1,450 or 1450.
The trap: 300 (the number of lions) and 2,000 (the farmers) come later. Don't swap them in.
Question 36
Answer: diseaseWhen she says they still face problems despite the sanctuary
What is one threat to the lions?
One of these is the ever-present danger of disease.
Question says → You hear
One threat to the lionsproblems that threaten their survival. One of these
Why: 'Problems that threaten' leads straight to 'one of these', which is disease.
The trap: Hunters are mentioned first, but the sanctuary keeps the lions safe from them.
Question 37
Answer: princeWhen she explains why the lions have a limited gene pool
Also accepted: wealthy prince
Who protected the lions' ancestors?
all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them
Question says → You hear
The ancestorsdescended from a few dozen lions
were protected by awere saved by a prince
Why: 'Descended from' gives you ancestors, and 'saved' becomes 'protected'. The answer is prince; wealthy prince is also accepted.
The trap: 'A few dozen' is how many lions were saved, not who saved them.
Question 38
Answer: dietWhen she says the lions share the sanctuary with farmers
What is largely made up of farmers' animals?
A significant proportion of the lion's diet is made up of the livestock of these farmers
Question says → You hear
A large part of the lions'A significant proportion of the lion's diet
animals belonging to local farmersthe livestock of these farmers
Why: 'A significant proportion' matches 'a large part', and the livestock is in their diet.
The trap: Livestock is the paraphrase of 'animals belonging to local farmers', already in the sentence. The gap is what they make up: diet.
Question 39
Answer: attack humansRight after the livestock
What do the lions sometimes do when water is scarce?
And they've even been known to attack humans, especially in times of drought.
Question says → You hear
especially when water is shortespecially in times of drought
Why: Drought means a shortage of water. The gap needs both words: attack humans.
The trap: Goats and chickens are attacked too, but as part of their diet. The point here is that they even attack people.
Question 40
Answer: leadershipThe final piece of information in the lecture
What did fighting a lion test in ancient India?
in ancient India, one of the greatest tests of leadership for a man was to fight a lion
Question says → You hear
as a test ofone of the greatest tests of leadership
Why: Fighting a lion tested a man's leadership.
The trap: Courage or strength fit the idea but are never said. Write the word you hear: leadership.
Three time spans are close together: coins from about 500 BC (around 2,500 years ago), the last European lion 2,000 years ago, and 1,900 more years of decline elsewhere. The disappearance from Europe is 2,000.
The gap after 'sometimes' needs a verb phrase, and 'attack' alone is incomplete. They sometimes attack humans.
Words from this recording worth keeping
roaming(History)
moving freely over a large area
habitat(History)
the natural home of an animal
subspecies(History)
a group within a species with its own features
declined steadily(History)
fell slowly and continuously
sanctuary(The Gir Sanctuary)
a protected area for wild animals
gene pool(Threats)
the range of genes in a population
vitality(Threats)
energy and strength
drought(Living with farmers)
a long period without rain
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The full Cambridge 6 Test 4 listening paper with the real audio: all four parts, played once, marked the moment you finish. Already done it? Take it again and listen for the traps this page showed you.
Cambridge IELTS 6, 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.
