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LanguageCert Practice Listening: Part 3 (Monologue) ID: #60332 Medium Yellow 1

Instructions ›

You will hear a student giving a presentation about presentation to her tutor group. Complete the information on the notepad. Write short answers of one to three words. You will hear the presentation twice. You have thirty seconds to look at the notepad.

Transcript:

Part 3 You hear a lecturer in environmental science giving a presentation to her tutor group. Complete the information on the notepad. Write short answers of one to three words. You will hear the person twice. You have 30 seconds to look at the notepad. The natural world has been a source of fascination throughout recorded history, and scholars have long attempted to find patterns and explanations for natural phenomenon. But being able to find documented information is very hard, as most records that have managed to survive center around moon and star patterns. Recently though, researchers studying data gathered from European and Middle Eastern chronicles have found a relationship between volcanic eruptions and global cooling. While most of us are aware of global warming, the phenomenon of global cooling is less familiar. What are known as little ice ages have been noted as occurring in 100,000 year cycles. During these cycles, the Earth's temperature has fluctuated anywhere from 3 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius. Researchers' efforts to comprehend these periods led to the conclusion that it was the change in sulfur dioxide levels in the Earth's climate that triggered these changes. How, though, did the levels change? Well, when a volcano erupts, sulfur dioxide is released into the atmosphere. As sulfur dioxide enters the stratosphere, it clings to water to form sulfuric acid. The stratosphere is covered in a haze of microscopic droplets of sulfuric acid, which reflects incoming solar radiation and cools the Earth's surface. The droplets, which are carried by winds and can remain in the stratosphere for up to three years, significantly cool the entire planet. Finding past volcanic activity through analysis of tree rings and ice sheets or glaciers has been one field of research to date that has yielded vital information about climate change. Tree rings that reflect a tree's annual growth show chemical imbalances and scarring at the time of volcanic eruptions, while glaciers store greenhouse gases from such activity. Drilling into glaciers to extract what we call core samples can reveal when an eruption took place based on where gases have accumulated within the icy glacier. Needless to say, these methods of determining historic periods of volcanic activity are laborious and costly and generate somewhat imprecise data. So what to do? Well, back in the past, Christian holy men, known as monks, chronicled virtually anything and everything from the trivial to the truly portentous, including lunar eclipses. In fact, the moon held a special fascination for them, as accurate lunar observations were crucial for identifying when Easter would be held, along with other movable feasts in the church calendar. This is why the medieval chronicles had such an attraction for researchers at the University of Geneva. In particular, they focused their attention on the 12th and 13th century monastic chronicles, where monks had unwittingly documented some of history's largest volcanic eruptions. Unusual changes in the color of the moon were especially noteworthy for the monks. For example, a blood red moon was, at the time, believed to predict the end of the world. In the monks' journals, there were 51 lunar eclipses recorded. five of which were noted as being especially dark. These last entries were of particular interest to the researchers, since these observations coincided with volcanic eruptions that had already been linked to climatic disruption. The reason why the moon becomes especially dark at such times is because volcanic dust enters the atmosphere. This prevents sunlight shining onto the moon, making it seem to disappear completely. The work of the Geneva scientists is an example of a multidisciplinary approach, as it brings together information from sources as diverse as medieval history, paleoclimatology, and atmospheric physics. It's A painstaking process, a bit like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. What remains to be seen, though, is if the final piece of the puzzle has finally been put into place. The natural world has been a source of fascination throughout recorded history, and scholars have long attempted to find patterns and explanations for natural phenomenon. But being able to find documented information is very hard, as most records that have managed to survive center around moon and star patterns. Recently though, researchers studying data gathered from European and Middle Eastern chronicles have found a relationship between volcanic eruptions and global cooling. While most of us are aware of global warming, the phenomenon of global cooling is less familiar. What are known as little ice ages have been noted as occurring in 100,000 year cycles. During these cycles, the Earth's temperature has fluctuated anywhere from 3 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius. Researchers' efforts to comprehend these periods led to the conclusion that it was the change in sulfur dioxide levels in the Earth's climate that triggered these changes. How, though, did the levels change? Well, when a volcano erupts, sulfur dioxide is released into the atmosphere. As sulfur dioxide enters the stratosphere, it clings to water to form sulfuric acid. The stratosphere is covered in a haze of microscopic droplets of sulfuric acid, which reflects incoming solar radiation and cools the Earth's surface. The droplets, which are carried by winds and can remain in the stratosphere for up to three years, significantly cool the entire planet. Finding past volcanic activity through analysis of tree rings and ice sheets or glaciers has been one field of research to date that has yielded vital information about climate change. Tree rings that reflect a tree's annual growth show chemical imbalances and scarring at the time of volcanic eruptions, while glaciers store greenhouse gases from such activity. Drilling into glaciers to extract what we call core samples can reveal when an eruption took place based on where gases have accumulated within the icy glacier. Needless to say, these methods of determining historic periods of volcanic activity are laborious and costly and generate somewhat imprecise data. So what to do? Well, back in the past, Christian holy men, known as monks, chronicled virtually anything and everything from the trivial to the truly portentous, including lunar eclipses. In fact, the moon held a special fascination for them, as accurate lunar observations were crucial for identifying when Easter would be held, along with other movable feasts in the church calendar. This is why the medieval chronicles had such an attraction for researchers at the University of Geneva. In particular, they focused their attention on the 12th and 13th century monastic chronicles, where monks had unwittingly documented some of history's largest volcanic eruptions. Unusual changes in the color of the moon were especially noteworthy for the monks. For example, a blood-red moon was, at the time, believed to predict the end of the world. In the Monk's journals, there were 51 lunar eclipses recorded, five of which were noted as being especially dark. These last entries were of particular interest to the researchers, since these observations coincided with volcanic eruptions that had already been linked to climatic disruption. The reason why the moon becomes especially dark at such times is because volcanic dust enters the atmosphere. This prevents sunlight shining onto the moon, making it seem to disappear completely. The work of the Geneva scientists is an example of a multidisciplinary approach, as it brings together information from sources as diverse as medieval history, paleoclimatology, and atmospheric physics. It's a painstaking process, a bit like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. What remains to be seen though, is if the final piece of the puzzle has finally been put into place. That is the end of part 3.

The link between volcanic activity and global cooling

Studies have shown that there is a tight relationship between global cooling and volcanic activity.

Temperature decreases of up to 8° Celsius have occurred during several (1) Ages.

Volcanoes release sulphur dioxide into the air which mixes with water to create sulphuric acid.

Small droplets of sulphuric acid form a (2) that covers the stratosphere and reflects sunlight, so cooling the planet.

Drilling holes in glaciers to take out (3) can provide scientists with information about when a volcanic eruption occurred.

Gathering data from glaciers and trees may not offer accurate results.

Researchers from Geneva turned to the work of monks living in the (4) centuries, who recorded peculiar events observed in the sky.

The moon's remarkable (5) variations were particularly notable.

The moon got particularly dark when volcanic (6) was present in the atmosphere.

The approach taken by the Geneva scientists is what is known as (7).

Result:

Explanation

{ "questions": [ { "question": 1, "correct_answer": "little ice", "why_correct": "The speaker says 'What are known as little ice ages have been noted as occurring in 100,000 year cycles'. The notepad ends the gap with 'Ages', so the answer is little ice.", "alternative_answers": [], "common_mistakes": "Some students write 'ice' only, but the phrase is 'little ice ages', so the gap before 'Ages' needs little ice. This is a Partial Answer mistake.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the name of the cold periods early in the talk", "The notepad word 'Ages' after the gap matches the audio phrase 'little ice ages'" ], "tips": "Look at the word printed right after the gap. Here 'Ages' tells you the gap needs 'little ice'.", "transcript_reference": "...While most of us are aware of global warming, the phenomenon of global cooling is less familiar. What are known as little ice ages have been noted as occurring in 100,000 year cycles. During these cycles, the Earth's temperature has fluctuated anywhere from 3 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius...." }, { "question": 2, "correct_answer": "haze", "why_correct": "The speaker says 'The stratosphere is covered in a haze of microscopic droplets of sulfuric acid'. The notepad says droplets 'form a ___ that covers the stratosphere', so the answer is haze.", "alternative_answers": [], "common_mistakes": "Students may write 'cloud' or 'fog', but the exact word spoken is haze. This is a Spelling and Word Form mistake if you swap it for a synonym.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the thin misty layer the droplets make", "The notepad word 'covers' matches the audio phrase 'is covered in a haze'" ], "tips": "Write the exact word you hear, not a word that just means the same thing.", "transcript_reference": "...As sulfur dioxide enters the stratosphere, it clings to water to form sulfuric acid. The stratosphere is covered in a haze of microscopic droplets of sulfuric acid, which reflects incoming solar radiation and cools the Earth's surface. The droplets, which are carried by winds, can remain in the stratosphere for up to three years...." }, { "question": 3, "correct_answer": "core samples", "why_correct": "The speaker says scientists drill 'into glaciers to extract what we call core samples'. The notepad says drilling to 'take out ___', so the answer is core samples.", "alternative_answers": [ "cores" ], "common_mistakes": "Some students write only 'samples' and lose the word 'core'. The full phrase core samples is needed. This is a Partial Answer mistake.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for what is taken out of the glacier by drilling", "The notepad phrase 'take out' matches the audio word 'extract'" ], "tips": "When the speaker says 'what we call...', the exact answer name usually follows.", "transcript_reference": "...while glaciers store greenhouse gases from such activity. Drilling into glaciers to extract what we call core samples can reveal when an eruption took place based on where gases have accumulated within the icy glacier. Needless to say, these methods are laborious and costly...." }, { "question": 4, "correct_answer": "12th and 13th", "why_correct": "The speaker says researchers 'focused their attention on the 12th and 13th century monastic chronicles'. The notepad says monks living in the '___ centuries', so the answer is 12th and 13th.", "alternative_answers": [], "common_mistakes": "Some students write only '13th' and miss '12th and'. Both centuries are named, so write the full phrase. This is a Partial Answer mistake.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the two centuries the monks lived in", "The notepad word 'centuries' matches the audio phrase '12th and 13th century'" ], "tips": "When you hear two numbers joined by 'and', the gap usually needs both.", "transcript_reference": "...This is why the medieval chronicles had such an attraction for researchers at the University of Geneva. In particular, they focused their attention on the 12th and 13th century monastic chronicles, where monks had unwittingly documented some of history's largest volcanic eruptions. Unusual changes in the color of the moon were especially noteworthy for the monks...." }, { "question": 5, "correct_answer": "colour", "why_correct": "The speaker says 'Unusual changes in the color of the moon were especially noteworthy'. The notepad says the moon's '___ variations', so the answer is colour.", "alternative_answers": [ "color" ], "common_mistakes": "Students may write 'shape' or 'size', but the changes were about how the moon looked in colour. This is a Near-Miss Distractor mistake.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for what changed about the moon that the monks noticed", "The notepad word 'variations' matches the audio word 'changes'" ], "tips": "Both 'colour' and 'color' are accepted, so do not worry about the British or American spelling here.", "transcript_reference": "...Unusual changes in the color of the moon were especially noteworthy for the monks. For example, a blood-red moon was, at the time, believed to predict the end of the world...." }, { "question": 6, "correct_answer": "dust", "why_correct": "The speaker explains the moon 'becomes especially dark at such times' because 'volcanic dust enters the atmosphere'. The notepad says 'when volcanic ___ was present', so the answer is dust.", "alternative_answers": [], "common_mistakes": "Some students write 'acid' or 'gas', which appear earlier, but the darkness came from dust. This is a Near-Miss Distractor mistake.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for what enters the air and makes the moon dark", "The notepad word 'dark' matches the audio phrase 'the moon becomes especially dark'" ], "tips": "Match the exact cause the speaker gives, not another word that just sounds scientific.", "transcript_reference": "...The reason why the moon becomes especially dark at such times is because volcanic dust enters the atmosphere. This prevents sunlight shining onto the moon, making it seem to disappear completely...." }, { "question": 7, "correct_answer": "multidisciplinary", "why_correct": "At the end the speaker says 'The work of the Geneva scientists is an example of a multidisciplinary approach'. The notepad asks what the approach is 'known as', so the answer is multidisciplinary.", "alternative_answers": [], "common_mistakes": "This is a long word, so students often misspell it. Write it carefully as multidisciplinary. This is a Spelling and Word Form mistake.", "key_listening_points": [ "Listen near the end for the name of the approach", "The notepad phrase 'known as' matches the audio phrase 'is an example of'" ], "tips": "The final idea of a talk often answers the last gap, so stay focused right to the end.", "transcript_reference": "...The work of the Geneva scientists is an example of a multidisciplinary approach, as it brings together information from sources as diverse as medieval history, paleoclimatology, and atmospheric physics. It's a painstaking process, a bit like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle...." } ] }

A.I. Explanation:

Correct Answer: little ice
Why this is correct: The speaker says 'What are known as little ice ages have been noted as occurring in 100,000 year cycles'. The notepad ends the gap with 'Ages', so the answer is little ice.
Tips: Look at the word printed right after the gap. Here 'Ages' tells you the gap needs 'little ice'.
Correct Answer: haze
Why this is correct: The speaker says 'The stratosphere is covered in a haze of microscopic droplets of sulfuric acid'. The notepad says droplets 'form a ___ that covers the stratosphere', so the answer is haze.
Tips: Write the exact word you hear, not a word that just means the same thing.
Correct Answer: core samples
Why this is correct: The speaker says scientists drill 'into glaciers to extract what we call core samples'. The notepad says drilling to 'take out ___', so the answer is core samples.
Tips: When the speaker says 'what we call...', the exact answer name usually follows.
Correct Answer: 12th and 13th
Why this is correct: The speaker says researchers 'focused their attention on the 12th and 13th century monastic chronicles'. The notepad says monks living in the '___ centuries', so the answer is 12th and 13th.
Tips: When you hear two numbers joined by 'and', the gap usually needs both.
Correct Answer: colour
Why this is correct: The speaker says 'Unusual changes in the color of the moon were especially noteworthy'. The notepad says the moon's '___ variations', so the answer is colour.
Tips: Both 'colour' and 'color' are accepted, so do not worry about the British or American spelling here.
Correct Answer: dust
Why this is correct: The speaker explains the moon 'becomes especially dark at such times' because 'volcanic dust enters the atmosphere'. The notepad says 'when volcanic ___ was present', so the answer is dust.
Tips: Match the exact cause the speaker gives, not another word that just sounds scientific.
Correct Answer: multidisciplinary
Why this is correct: At the end the speaker says 'The work of the Geneva scientists is an example of a multidisciplinary approach'. The notepad asks what the approach is 'known as', so the answer is multidisciplinary.
Tips: The final idea of a talk often answers the last gap, so stay focused right to the end.

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