Please note that you are viewing an unstyled or partially styled page of this website. This is either your web browser doesn't support Cascading Stylesheets or you have them turned off. You can download a browser that uses Cascading StyleSheets from the Mozilla orginisation.
Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test is a lecture, talk or training
session given by one speaker on an academic or more specialised topic. The speaker is usually a university
lecturer or expert on a particular topic.
Common topic areas for Section 4 lectures or talks include:
industry and development
health and medicine
business and work
government and the law
science, technology and the environment
education
art, entertainment and media
psychology and social issues
The following are different question types common in Section 4:
Matching
Labelling a Diagram
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Paragraph Completion
TIP
Although the topics and vocabulary are more specific and less familiar, they
can be understood by a general audience. In other words, you are not expected
to have specialist knowledge to understand topics in this section. However,
this section is the most challenging; therefore it is important to use the 30-second
break before the listening passage to look at the questions and become aware of:
the topic of the lecture or talk.
the type of information you are listening for.
This will prepare you to hear the answers.
In this section of the course, you will learn and practise answering Matching questions, Labelling a Diagram questions and Flow Chart Completion questions.
Let's start by looking
at the first part of Section 4, which introduces Matching questions.
In Matching questions, there are more answer choices than questions. You need
to choose which information in the answer choices matches each question. The questions
come in the order you will hear them in the listening passage.
Before listening to Part 1, click on Listening Strategy 4.1 to read the listening
strategies that will help you answer Matching questions.
A university lecturer is giving a talk to students about global warming
and its effect on coral reefs.
Questions 1–3
Match the type of reef to the information of where they may be found.
Write the correct letters, a–e next to
Questions 1–3.
a circling submerged land
b near to land which has reduced
in size
c joined to the coast
d part of an old volcano
e divided from the coast by a deep lagoon
1 fringing reef
The correct answer is c - joined to the coast
Feedback: When you hear ' ...I'm only going to mention the three major types. The first kind is a fringing reef'', you need to listen carefully to the description of the fringing reef that follows. The key words you hear in the passage 'parts of it still being directly attached to a shore' indicate that the answer is c: joined to the coast.
b is a distracter because even though it mentions 'near to land', it is 'near to land which has reduced in size' which is not mentioned in the description of a fringing reef.
e is a distracter because even though it mentions lagoon, it refers to a deep lagoon not a 'shallow' lagoon' which is what you hear in the passage.
Transcript: There are many kinds of coral reefs but today I’m only going to mention the
three major types. The first kind is a fringing reef. Now this is the type of reef that is found close to shore with a shallow channel or lagoon between it and the land with parts of it still being directly attached to a shore. The second is a barrier reef, like the Great Barrier Reef along the eastern coast of Australia. Now when you look on the map you can see that the Barrier Reef has formed quite a distance from shore and a lagoon which is very deep has separated it from the mainland. ….This generally indicates that for some reason the land has shrunk away from the original reef. That is, a barrier reef was once a fringing reef. The third type is an atoll. Now atolls are particularly interesting because they usually form in the deep ocean far away from shore, forming a ring around an island which has disappeared, that is, has sunk. In most cases the island had been a volcano that went under due to changes in sea level or subsidence of the land… Unfortunately, it is all such reefs that are being affected by rising temperatures.
2 barrier reef
The correct answer is e - divided from the coast by a deep lagoon
Feedback: When you hear 'The second is a barrier reef', you need to listen carefully to the description of the barrier reef that follows. The key words you hear in the passage 'a lagoon which is very deep separates it from the mainland.' indicate that the answer is e: divided from the coast by a deep lagoon.
b is a distracter because even though the question mentions land which has reduced, in the passage the reference is to land that has shrunk, but it is quite a distance from shore, not near to land as you see in the question.
Transcript: There are many kinds of coral reefs but today I’m only going to mention the
three major types. The first kind is a fringing reef. Now this is the type of reef that is found close to shore with a shallow channel or lagoon between it and the land with parts of it still being directly attached to a shore. The second is a barrier reef, like the Great Barrier Reef along the eastern coast of Australia. Now when you look on the map you can see that the Barrier Reef has formed quite a distance from shore and a lagoon which is very deepseparatest it from the mainland. This generally indicates that for some reason the land has shrunk away from the original reef. That is, a barrier reef was once a fringing reef. The third type is an atoll. Now atolls are particularly interesting because they usually form in the deep ocean far away from shore, forming a ring around an island which has disappeared, that is, has sunk. In most cases the island had been a volcano that went under due to changes in sea level or subsidence of the land… Unfortunately, it is all such reefs that are being affected by rising temperatures.
3 atoll
The correct answer is a - circling submerged land
Feedback: When you hear 'the third type is an atoll ', you need to listen carefully to the description of the atoll which follows.The key words you hear in the passage 'forming a ring around' and 'an island which has disappeared, that is, shrunk.' indicate that the answer is a: circling submerged land. Note that you may not understand the word submerged, but if you remember that the prefix sub means under, this will help you to match the synonyms submerged and shrunk.
d is a distracter because it refers to volcano which is mentioned in the passage, but the passage does not say that an atoll is part of a volcano.
Transcript: There are many kinds of coral reefs but today I’m only going to mention the three major types. The first kind is a fringing reef. Now this is the type of reef that is found close to shore with a shallow channel or lagoon between it and the land with parts of it still being directly attached to a shore. The second is a barrier reef, like the Great Barrier Reef along the eastern coast of Australia. Now when you look on the map you can see that the Barrier Reef has formed quite a distance from shore and a lagoon which is very deep separates it from the mainland. This generally indicates that for some reason the land has shrunk away from the original reef. That is, a barrier reef was once a fringing reef. The third type is an atoll. Now atolls are particularly interesting because they usually form in the deep ocean far away from shore, forming a ring around an island which has disappeared, that is, has sunk. In most cases the island had been a volcano that went under due to changes in sea level or subsidence of the land… Unfortunately, it is all such reefs that are being affected by rising temperatures.
You will hear a lecturer talking about the effects of global warming on
the world's coral reefs.
Before you start listening you have 30 seconds to look at Questions 1 to
3.
Now listen carefully and answer Questions 1 to 3.
Good afternoon everybody. Today we'll be continuing our series on marine threats.
The focus of today’s lectures is on how global warming is killing off coral
reefs worldwide. This widespread death of coral is occuring at an unprecedented
rate and the main reason for this is coral bleaching. Now bleaching, as you probably
already know, means that something loses its colour, so coral bleaching is a process
in which the coral loses its colour.
First I’ll talk about the different kinds of coral reef, then I’ll
move on to give you some more specific information about the structure of the
coral itself. The final part of the talk is about the process of coral bleaching.
There are many kinds of coral reefs but today I’m only going to mention
the three major types. The first kind is a fringing reef. Now this is the type
of reef that is found close to shore with a shallow channel or lagoon between
it and the land with Q1parts of it still being directly attached to a shore. The
second is a barrier reef, like the Great Barrier Reef along the eastern coast
of Australia. Now when you look on the map you can see that the Barrier Reef has
formed quite a distance from shore and Q2 a lagoon, which is very deep, has separated
it from the mainland. This generally indicates that for some reason the land has
shrunk away from the original reef. That is, a barrier reef was once a fringing
reef. The third type is an atoll. Now atolls are particularly interesting because
they usually form in the deep ocean far away from shore, Q3forming a ring around
an island which has disappeared, that is, has sunk. In most cases the island has
been a volcano that went under due to changes in sea level or subsidence of the
land. Unfortunately, it is all such reefs that are being affected by rising
temperatures.
Labelling a Diagram questions without a box of possible answers
In this question type, you will see a diagram in the Question Booklet. The
diagram could show:
a man-made object such as a computer
a natural object such as a tree
a map of a building or a city
a graph or chart.
The instructions will tell you:
to label the diagram
how many words you should write.
Usually, some parts of the diagram are already labelled; these help you to
understand the whole diagram. However, other parts of the diagram are missing
a label — these parts each have a number. These are the questions you need to
complete by writing a name (a label) for each number. Let’s look at an example.
Before listening to Part 2, click on the Listening Strategy 4.2 to read the listening
strategies that will help you answer Labelling a Diagram questions.
Specific listening strategies for Labelling a Diagram questions:
Read the instructions carefully to determine the word limit for your answers, and if you need to use numbers.
Read the title of the diagram to determine the topic
of the talk.
Skim the the diagram to determine the order of the questions. Note the parts
of the diagram that have already been labelled. Note all the features of the diagram.
If there is a box of possible answers, read them carefully
and try to predict the answer to each question. Remember that
each question will probably have a distracter.
A distracter may have the appropriate
grammatical form but the meaning does not fit the context..
Try to predict which answer choice will be a distracter.
If there is not a box of possible answers, predict the possible answer for each question in the diagram. Answers will usually be single nouns or noun
groups.
While you listen be prepared to hear signposts that may help
you understand the organisation of the talk.
Be two steps ahead.
Take your answer directly from the passage.
Write your answers while you listen.
Activity
You can now listen to Part 2 and answer the Labelling a Diagram questions below.
Complete the diagram using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for
each answer.
4
The correct answer is limestone cover
Feedback: When you hear the words 'Now, let's look at the structure of coral' you need to listen carefully to the description that follows. When you hear the key word 'cover' you can use this word to help you locate the place in the diagram that refers to cover. The information that follows indicates that the correct answer is limestone. Note that the word limestone is repeated to help you with the spelling of a word that may not be familiar to you.
Transcript: Now let’s look at the structure of coral. Well, coral is made by millions of tiny, invertebrates called polyps. Each polyp builds a cover around itself, that is, a cover of limestone. This limestone is made by a reaction with the calcium which has been drawn from the water around it.
5
The correct answer is tentacles
Feedback: When you hear the word 'mouth' and locate it on the diagram, you need to listen carefully to the location words 'surrounded by' to help you hear the answer 'tentacles'. You can also listen to the description 'resemble fingers' and also locate the key words 'tiny stinging cells' on the diagram.
Note that the word 'tentacles' is repeated word to help you lwith the spelling.
Transcript: The mouth is surrounded by a number of tentacles which resemble fingers and which are covered with
tiny stinging cells.
When a small creature brushes against the tentacles it is killed, brought into the stomach and digested.
6
The correct answer is algae
within the tissues
Feedback: When you hear the location word 'inside' and the key word 'tissues' , you should be ready to hear the answer. In this case the answer comes before the key word and the location word, however, it is also repeated and spelt for you.
Transcript: And what you find is that great numbers of small algae grow inside the tissues of the coral polyps. Now in your assignments please make sure you spell algae correctly - that's a-l-g-a-e.
Now let’s look at the structure of coral. Well, coral is made by millions of tiny, invertebrates called polyps. Each polyp builds a cover around itself, that is, a cover of limestone. This limestone is made by a reaction with the calcium which has been drawn from the water around it.
The correct answer is limestone cover.
Feedback: When you hear the words 'Now, let's look at the structure of coral' you need to listen carefully to the description that follows. When you hear the key word 'cover' you can use this word to help you locate the place in the diagram that refers to cover. The information that follows indicates that the correct answer is limestone. Note that the word limestone is repeated to help you with the spelling of a word that may not be familiar to you.
Question 5
5 __________________
The mouth is surrounded by a number of tentacles which resemble fingers and which are covered with tiny stinging cells. When a small creature brushes against the tentacles it is killed, brought into the stomach and digested.
The correct answer is tentacles.
Feedback: When you hear the word 'mouth' and locate it on the diagram, you need to listen carefully to the location words 'surrounded by' to help you hear the answer 'tentacles'. You can also listen to the description 'resemble fingers' and also locate the key words 'tiny stinging cells' on the diagram. Note that the word 'tentacles' is repeated word to help you lwith the spelling.
Question 6
6 ______________ within the tissues
And what you find is that great numbers of small algae grow inside the tissues of the coral polyps. Now in your assignments please make sure you spell algae correctly - that's a-l-g-a-e.
The correct answer is algae.
Feedback: When you hear the location word 'inside' and the key word 'tissues' , you should be ready to hear the answer. In this case the answer comes before the key word and the location word, however, it is also repeated and spelt for you.
You now have 30 seconds to look at Questions 4 to 6.
Now listen carefully and answer Questions 4 to 6.
Now let’s look at the structure of coral. Well coral is made by millions
of tiny, invertebrates called polyps. Each polyp builds a cover around itself,
that is, Q4a cover of limestone. This limestone is made by a reaction with the calcium
which has been drawn from the water around it. Each polyp consists of a stomach
with a mouth at one end. The mouth is surrounded by a number of Q5tentacles which
resemble feet and which are covered with tiny stinging cells.
When a small creature brushes against the tentacles it is killed, brought into
the stomach and digested. But what is very interesting about these coral polyps
is the relationship that these polyps have with algae, a minute plant which lives
in the sea. And what you find is that great numbers of small Q6algae grow inside
the tissues of the coral polyps. Now in your assignments please make sure you
spell algae correctly — that's a-l-g-a-e...And what’s really interesting
is that the polyps and the algae form a relationship whereby one cannot live without
the other. The algae use sunlight to make oxygen and food for the polyp, thus
giving energy to the polyp, while the coral polyps provide a safe place for the
algae to live. Oh yes, and most importantly, it is the algae living in the polyp
that make all those brilliant colours that you see in the coral when you go snorkeling.
An interesting relationship isn’t it?
A flow chart is a simple diagram which shows the stages or steps of a process,
such as:
how something happens (e.g., the process of how new employees are recruited
to a company)
how something is grown (e.g., seeds in a greenhouse)
how something is made (e.g., cheese in a cheese factory).
In the Listening test, Flow Chart Completion questions:
have a series of boxes with arrows showing the order of the process
instruct you to complete the flow chart with the missing words or numbers
tell you to write a single word or a word group as your answer
always have questions in the same order as you hear them
in the listening passage
include signposts, such as ‘and then’, ‘after
that’, ‘lastly’, to help you follow the order.
Before listening to Part 3, click on Listening Strategy 4.3 to read the listening
strategies that will help you answer Flow Chart Completion questions.
Complete the flow chart below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for
each answer.
Algae become 7 due to the heating of the oceans.
The correct answer is stressed
Feedback: When you hear the words 'So how does all of this relate to the process of coral bleaching?' you know to turn to the next set of questions.Then, the key words 'oceans heat up' and 'rising temperature of the oceans' indicate that the answer follows. Note that it is important to predict what part of speech is needed for the answer. This will help you hear the answer BUT the answer must come direct from the passage.
Transcript: So how does all of this relate to the process of coral bleaching?
Well as you can probably tell
from the name, global warming means that the earth is heating up and when this happens, the oceans heat up
as well.
Well, the first thing that happens is that the rising temperature of the ocean makes the algae stressed – just like you and I are on a very hot day. When it is stressed the algae then start to collect in the hollow columns of the coral polyps. Algae actually leave the coral polyp if the heating of the oceans continues. Once the algae have gone, all that is left visible is the skeleton of the polyp and eventually all the colour is lost because remember it was the algae that provided the colour. As a result, what happens is that massive areas of reefs whiten and thus the process is called coral bleaching. But of course the worst part of all of this is that once the algae have left the polyp there is nothing to give the coral its oxygen and the coral not only loses its colour, but it eventually dies.
Algae collect in the hollow column
of the coral polyp.
If heat8
,
algae leave the coral polyp.
The correct answer is continues
Feedback: When you hear the words 'hollow column of the coral polyp', you need to listen carefully to the step that follows. The key words 'leave the coral polyp' and 'heating' indicate that the answer follows. Note that you need to be familiar with all the key words in each step of the process to help you hear the correct answer..
Transcript: When it is stressed the algae then start to collect in the hollow columns of the coral polyps. Algae actually leave the coral polyp if the heating of the oceans continues.
Coral polyps lose their colour;
consequently, huge areas of reefs 9
.
The correct answer is whiten
Feedback: The key words 'all the colour is lost' indicate that the answer will follow. The signpost 'as a result' also helps you hear the answer 'whiten'. Note an adjective such as white can be made into a verb - 'whiten'. Note that the answers come quickly in the process, so you need to be two steps ahead. Also, predicting the answers will help you hear the answer.
Transcript: Once the algae have gone, all that is left visible is the skeleton of the polyp and eventually all the colour is lost because remember it was the algae that provided the colour. As a result, what happens is that massive sections of reefs whiten and thus the process is called coral bleaching. But of course the worst part of all of this is that once the algae have left the polyp there is nothing to give the coral its oxygen and the coral not only loses its colour, but it eventually dies.
Without algae, the polyp can no
longer get oxygen so it dies.
You now have 30 seconds to look at Questions 7 to 9.
Now listen carefully and answer Questions 7 to 9.
So how does all of this relate to the process of coral bleaching?
Well, as you can probably tell from the name, global warming means that the
earth is heating up and when this happens, the oceans heat up as well. Well, the
first thing that happens is that the rising temperature of the ocean makes the
algae Q7stressed — just like you and I are on a very hot day. When it is stressed
the algae then start to collect in the hollow columns of the coral polyps. Algae
actually leave the coral polyp if the heating of the oceans Q8continues. Once the
algae have gone, all that is left visible is the skeleton of the polyp and eventually
all the colour is lost because remember it was the algae that provided the colour.
As a result, what happens is that massive sections of reefs Q9whiten...and thus
the process is called coral bleaching. But of course the worst part of all of
this is that once the algae have left the polyp there is nothing to give the coral
its oxygen and the coral not only loses its colour, but it eventually dies.
Now let's look at the Summary of the Guided Practice section.
