Kiwi Fact Sheet - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 1 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–15 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Pictures of kiwis are found on 11 .
The name 'kiwi' comes from its 12 .
The kiwi has poor sight but a good 13 .
Kiwis cannot 14 .
Kiwis are endangered by 15 .
Questions 16–17 Table Completion
Complete the notes below.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
| Stage of program | Program involves |
|---|---|
| 16 | Looking at kiwi survival needs |
| Action | Putting science into practice |
| 17 | Schools and the website |
Questions 18–20 Flow Chart Completion
Complete the flow chart below.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for each answer.
RESULT
Survival rate increased from
5% to 20%
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | stamps and coins | Apart from being in toy stores and airport shops all over the world, you'll find them on our stamps and coins | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that besides being sold as toys or in shops for travelers, images of the kiwi bird are used on the official postage stamps and the metal money of New Zealand. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to postage stamps and metal money where images of the kiwi bird are printed. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'stamps and coins' because the speaker lists these as specific places where the kiwi symbol is very common appearing alongside commercial items like toys and airport souvenirs. The speaker uses the phrase 'you'll find them on' to indicate where these images are located. |
| Q12 | shrill call / call | It gets its name from its shrill call which sounds very much like this - kee-wee kee-wee | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the bird is named after the loud, high sound it makes, which is described as a "call." Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the high-pitched sound the bird makes as the origin of its name. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "(shrill) call" because the speaker explicitly states that the bird's name is derived from this specific sound. In the transcript, the speaker says the name comes from its "shrill call," which actually sounds like the word "kiwi." The word "shrill" is an adjective describing a high-pitched noise, and "call" refers to the sound animals make to communicate. |
| Q13 | sense of smell | It's a nocturnal bird with limited sight and therefore it has to rely on its very keen sense of smell to find food and to sense danger | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that since the bird has limited sight, it depends on its strong ability to smell to locate food and stay away from danger. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the kiwi bird has a very strong ability to smell things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'sense of smell' because the speaker describes the kiwi as having 'limited sight,' which is another way of saying 'poor sight.' Because it cannot see well, the bird must use its 'very keen sense of smell' to live. In English, 'keen' means very sharp or good. |
| Q14 | fly | Although kiwis have wings, they serve little purpose because the kiwi is a flightless bird | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that because the kiwi is a "flightless bird," its wings are not useful for traveling through the air. Answer Explanation: The answer "fly" means that despite being birds, kiwis cannot move through the air using wings. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "fly" because the speaker identifies the kiwi as a "flightless" bird. Even though it has wings, they are not used for flying. In English, a "flightless bird" is a bird that cannot fly. |
| Q15 | introduced animals | Since white settlement of the islands, kiwi numbers have dropped from 12 million to less than 70,000 and our national bird is rapidly becoming an endangered species. This is because they're being threatened by what we call introduced animals animals which were brought to New Zealand such as cats and ferrets which eat kiwi eggs and their chicks | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the kiwi bird is in danger of disappearing because of animals brought from other countries. These animals, like cats, hunt them and eat their eggs. Answer Explanation: The answer means animals that were not originally from New Zealand but were brought there by people, such as cats or ferrets. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'introduced animals' because the speaker explicitly states that the kiwi is becoming an endangered species for this reason. The transcript notes that these animals are a threat because they eat the eggs and babies (chicks) of the kiwi, causing their numbers to drop significantly. |
| Q16 | scientific research / research | Firstly, we have the scientific research stage - this involves research to find out more about what kiwis need to survive in the wild | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript identifies the first step of the program as the scientific research stage. In this step, people do research to learn about the things kiwis need to survive in nature. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the name of the first part of the project, which focuses on studying and collecting information about what the birds need to live. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the speaker's description of the 'Kiwi Recovery Programme'. She explicitly lists three stages. The first stage is named the 'scientific research stage', and she explains that this part of the program involves looking for information on what kiwis need to survive. This matches the description in the notes 'Looking at kiwi survival needs'. Key terms used are 'stages' and 'research'. |
| Q17 | global education | and then we come to the third stage - the global education stage. By working with schools and groups like yourself, as well as through our award winning kiwi website we are hoping to educate people about the plight of the kiwi | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the third part of their plan is the global education stage. In this part, they help schools and use a website to teach others about the problems the kiwi birds face. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the name of the final step in the plan to save the kiwi bird, which is focused on teaching people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'global education' because the speaker describes three stages of the Kiwi Recovery Programme. The third stage specifically involves teaching people about the kiwi's danger through schools and a website. This part of the program is formally called the 'global education stage.' |
| Q18 | eggs / kiwi eggs | First of all, we go out to the kiwi's natural habitat and we collect kiwi eggs | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the first step of the project is to go to the places where kiwis live and gather their eggs. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'eggs' or 'kiwi eggs,' which are the round objects that birds lay and that baby birds grow inside. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the description of 'Operation Nest Egg.' The speaker explains that this project has three stages. The very first thing they do is go to the birds' natural home and 'collect kiwi eggs.' Since the flow chart asks what items are 'collected,' the word 'eggs' or 'kiwi eggs' fits perfectly. |
| Q19 | reared | Then, in safe surroundings, away from predators the chicks are reared |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that after the eggs are found, the baby birds (chicks) are kept in a safe place away from dangerous animals. In this safe place, the chicks are reared. Answer Explanation: The answer 'reared' means to take care of a baby bird or animal while it is growing up. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is right because the flowchart describes the steps of 'Operation Nest Egg'. The speaker explains that after catching the eggs, the next step is to protect and care for the chicks. The speaker uses the word 'reared' (which is a synonym for 'raised' or 'cared for') to describe this process of helping the chicks grow until they are nine months old. This step happens right before they are returned to the wild. |
| Q20 | 85 | So far it's proving successful and since we started the programme some 34 chicks have been successfully raised this year and their chances of survival have increased from 5 to 85% | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the program is doing a good job and that the chicks (baby birds) now have a much better chance of staying alive, moving from a 5 percent chance to an 85 percent chance. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies that the number of kiwi babies that live has gone up from a low five percent to a high eighty-five percent because of the help they receive. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found at the end of the talk when the speaker shares the results of the 'Operation Nest Egg' program. She says that the program is working and gives the specific numbers for the 'chances of survival' (which means the survival rate). She explicitly states the numbers changed from 5 to 85 percent. |
Transcript
Female: Ladies and Gentlemen - welcome to Auckland Zoo on this sunny Sunday afternoon and to our special kiwi fund raising event. My job is to tell you all about the amazing little kiwi - and your job, hopefully, is to dig deep in your pockets.
Now for the benefit of our overseas visitors here today, I should explain first of all that the kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand - and sometimes New Zealanders themselves are known as 'Kiwis'. Now, while kiwis in the wild are a rare sight, the kiwi as a symbol is far more visible. Apart from being in toy stores and airport shops all over the world, you'll find them on our stamps and coins. The kiwi is the smallest member of the genus Apteryx which also includes ostriches and emu. It gets its name from its shrill call which sounds very much like this - kee-wee kee-wee. Kiwis live in forests or swamps and feed on insects, worms, snails and berries. It's a nocturnal bird with limited sight and therefore it has to rely on its very keen sense of smell to find food and to sense danger. Its nostrils are actually right on the end of its long beak which is one third of the body length. Now here's an interesting fact. Although kiwis have wings, they serve little purpose because the kiwi is a flightless bird.
Since white settlement of the islands, kiwi numbers have dropped from 12 million to less than 70,000 and our national bird is rapidly becoming an endangered species. This is because they're being threatened by what we call introduced animals animals which were brought to New Zealand such as cats and ferrets which eat kiwi eggs and their chicks.
And so we have launched the Kiwi Recovery Programme; in an all-out effort to save our national bird from extinction. There are three stages to this Programme: Firstly, we have the scientific research stage - this involves research to find out more about what kiwis need to survive in the wild. Then secondly we have the action stage. This is where we go into the field and actually put our knowledge to work - we call this putting science into practice. and then we come to the third stage - the global education stage. By working with schools and groups like yourself, as well as through our award winning kiwi website we are hoping to educate people about the plight of the kiwi.
As part of the action stage, which I just mentioned, we have introduced 'Operation Nest Egg' and this is where your money will be going. It works like this: It's a three-stage process. First of all, we go out to the kiwi's natural habitat and we collect kiwi eggs. This is the tricky part because it can be very difficult to find the eggs. Then, in safe surroundings, away from predators ... the chicks are reared. Now this can be done on predator-free islands or in captivity - they're reared until they are about nine months old at which stage the chicks are returned to the wild. So far it's proving successful and since we started the programme some 34 chicks have been successfully raised this year and their chances of survival have increased from 5 to 85%. However, it's not time to celebrate kiwi survival just yet. About 95% of kiwi chicks still don't make it to six months of age without protection. Which is why Operation Nest Egg is so important and we ask you to give generously today.