Lack of Rainfall in Australia - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 02 Academic Listening Test 3 · Part 4 · Questions 34–43
Audio
Questions
Questions 34–40 One Choice
Circle the correct letters A - C.
Questions 41–43 Three Choices
Circle THREE letters A - E.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q34 | C | As I have said, Australia is a dry continent, second only to Antarctica in its lack of rainfall | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that Australia does not get much rain, but Antarctica gets even less rain than Australia does. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies Antarctica as the continent with the lowest amount of rainfall. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the lecturer explains that while Australia is very dry, it is 'second only to Antarctica' regarding a lack of rain. This phrase 'second only to' means that Antarctica is the only place that is drier than Australia. Therefore, Antarctica is the number-one driest continent. |
| Q35 | B | It is estimated that approximately 87% of Australia's rainfall is lost through evaporation, compared with just over 60% in Europe and Africa and 48% in North America | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that 87% of the rain in Australia disappears into the air (evaporation), but in Africa, this number is only a bit more than 60%. Answer Explanation: The answer B means that Australia loses more surface water to the air than Africa does. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text provides specific percentages to compare the two areas. Australia loses about 87% of its rain to evaporation, while Africa loses just over 60%. Since 87 is a larger number than 60, Australia's evaporation rate is higher. The lecturer also mentions that while people think of Africa as hot and dry, it is not as extreme as Australia in this regard. |
| Q36 | C | In many parts of Australia standing water, that is dams, puddles and so forth, dry up rapidly and some rainfall barely penetrates the soil. The reason for this is that the moisture is absorbed by thirsty plants | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in many areas, water on the surface disappears quickly and rain hardly goes into the ground. This is because the water is taken in by plants that need it. Answer Explanation: The answer means that plants take and drink the rainwater before it can go deep into the ground. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the lecturer explains that rainwater often does not go deep into the dirt because plants soak it all up. The speaker uses the phrase 'barely penetrates' to describe rain not going into the soil and then clarifies that 'moisture is absorbed' (taken in) by 'thirsty plants' (plants that need water). |
| Q37 | B | Some parts of Australia are dry because rainwater seeps quickly through sandy soils and into the rock below | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in some locations, rain goes through sandy dirt rapidly and reaches the rock that is under it. Answer Explanation: The answer means that in sandy ground, water moves down into the rock underneath. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains that in certain parts of Australia, rain moves very fast through sandy ground. This water goes deep down until it reaches the rock layer below. To 'seep' means to flow or leak slowly through a substance with small holes, like sand. |
| Q38 | B | However, most inland farmers do rely on this water for watering their animals and, where possible, to a lesser extent for irrigation | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that farmers living in the dry parts of the country use the underground water to give their animals a drink. They use it for plants (irrigation) much less often. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the water taken from under the ground is used mostly to provide drinking water for farm animals. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the lecturer explains that underground water is usually too salty for people to drink or for growing food (crops). Because of this salt, farmers mainly use it to give their animals water. The transcript uses the term 'watering their animals' to describe this, which matches the idea of providing a drink for them. |
| Q39 | C | Water from these underground reservoirs bubbles to the surface as springs in some parts of the country, and these fare sources of permanent water were vital to early explorers of inland Australia, and to other pioneers last century, who used the springs for survival | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that water stored underground comes up to the ground level as springs in certain areas (parts) of Australia. These springs provided a reliable source of water for early travelers. Answer Explanation: The answer means that natural springs are found only in certain places in Australia, rather than being found everywhere. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the lecturer mentions that water from underground reservoirs comes to the surface as springs in 'some parts of the country.' In English, 'some parts' is a synonym for 'a few areas,' indicating that these springs are specific to certain locations rather than being common across the entire continent. |
| Q40 | A | Remarkably, underground water sources in Australia supply about 18% of total water consumption | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that water from under the ground provides about 18% of the total amount of water used in Australia. Answer Explanation: The answer means that about 18% of all the water people use in Australia comes from under the ground. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker gives a specific number for how much water is used from underground. The lecturer uses the words "underground water sources" and says they provide "18%" of all the water used in the country. This shows that while most water is kept above ground in dams, the water from below the ground is still very important. |
| Q41 | — | — | |
| Q42 | — | — | |
| Q43 | B / D / E | The dams store water for a variety of functions, the rural irrigation of crops, without which many productive areas of the country would not be able to be farmed; the regulation of flooding, a serious problem which will be dealt with later in the course; and last but not least, the harnessing of the force of gravity for the generation of electricity | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that dams save water for three main jobs: watering farm plants (irrigation), managing floods (regulation), and making electricity (generation of electricity). Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the three ways dam water is used: watering crops on farms, managing floods, and making power from water. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the specific list provided at the end of the text. 'Watering farmland' matches the excerpt's mention of 'irrigation of crops.' 'Controlling flood water' matches the 'regulation of flooding.' 'Producing hydro-electric power' is a more technical way of saying 'the generation of electricity.' Although the text mentions animals (livestock), it explains that they mainly use underground water, not dam water. |
Transcript
LECTURER: Good morning. This morning we are continuing our look at Australia and its natural problems. Actually dryness, or aridity, as it is generally called by geographers, is probably the most challenging of Australia's natural problems and so it is very important in this course for you to have a good understanding of the subject. For Australia, water is a precious resource and its wise management is of the greatest importance.
As I have said, Australia is a dry continent, second only to Antarctica in its lack of rainfall. Long hours of hot sunshine and searing winds give Australia an extremely high rate of evaporation, far more than in most other countries. It is estimated that approximately 87% of Australia's rainfall is lost through evaporation, compared with just over 60% in Europe and Africa and 48% in North America. You generally think of Africa as being a very hot and dry place, but it is not in comparison with Australia. In many parts of Australia standing water, that is dams, puddles and so forth, dry up rapidly and some rainfall barely penetrates the soil. The reason for this is that the moisture is absorbed by thirsty plants.
Some parts of Australia are dry because rainwater seeps quickly through sandy soils and into the rock below. In parts of Australia this water which seeps through the sandy soil collects underground to form underground lakes. Water from these subterranean lakes can be pumped to the surface and tapped and so used for various purposes above the ground. In fact, extensive underground water resources are available over more than half of Australia's land area, but most of the water is too salty to be used for human consumption or for the irrigation of crops. However, most inland farmers do rely on this water for watering their animals and, where possible, to a lesser extent for irrigation.
Underground water can flow very large distances and can be kept in underground reservoirs for a very long time. Water from these underground reservoirs bubbles to the surface as springs in some parts of the country, and these fare sources of permanent water were vital to early explorers of inland Australia, and to other pioneers last century, who used the springs for survival. But in many places levels have fallen drastically through continuous use over the years. This has necessitated the pumping of the water to the surface. Remarkably, underground water sources in Australia supply about 18% of total water consumption. So you can see it is quite an important source of water in this dry land.
So most of the consumption of water in Australia comes from water which is kept above ground. More than 300 dams regulate river flows around the country. The dams store water for a variety of functions, the rural irrigation of crops, without which many productive areas of the country would not be able to be farmed; the regulation of flooding, a serious problem which will be dealt with later in the course; and last but not least, the harnessing of the force of gravity for the generation of electricity.
That is all we have time for this morning, but you will be able to do further study on this important area in the library. I have a handout here with references on the subject, so if you are interested, please come up to the desk and take a copy.
Next week's lecture is a case study of an outback farm and...