Lions - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 06 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–34 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 35–40 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- The sanctuary has an area of approximately 35 square kilometres.
- One threat to the lions in the sanctuary is 36 .
- The ancestors of the Gir Sanctuary lions were protected by a 37 .
- A large part of the lions' 38 consists of animals belonging to local farmers.
- The lions sometimes 39 , especially when water is short.
- In ancient India a man would fight a lion as a test of 40 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | B | It's almost a hundred thousand years since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a sub-species | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that it has been nearly 100,000 years since these lions separated from other lions to become their own unique type. Answer Explanation: The answer is about 100,000 years ago. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text clearly states the time when this type of lion became a separate group. In the transcript, the speaker mentions that almost one hundred thousand years have passed since the Asiatic lions 'split off' (became separate) and grew into their own 'sub-species' (a specific category of lion). |
| Q32 | A | In museums, you can now see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that today, museums have coins from the country of Greece. These coins have clear pictures of the Asiatic lion on them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that you can find pictures of Asiatic lions on old money from Greece. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Greece because the speaker mentions that 'Greek coins' in museums show drawings of the Asiatic lion. The text explains that these lions used to live in many places, such as the Middle East and India, but it only mentions coins from the country of Greece specifically. In this context, 'Greek' refers to the people or things from Greece. |
| Q33 | B | However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lion roaming free two thousand years ago | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that two thousand years in the past, the final Asiatic lion allowed to walk free in Europe was seen. Answer Explanation: The answer is 2,000 years ago, which is the time when these lions were last seen in the wild in Europe. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text specifies that the very last Asiatic lion seen wandering in the wild in Europe was two thousand years ago. While the numbers of lions in other areas kept going down after that, the time they stopped being in Europe is clearly given as 2,000 years ago. |
| Q34 | C | Asiatic lions also have a long fold of skin on their undersides, whereas not many African lions have this | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that having a fold of skin on the belly is a feature of Asiatic lions, while pointing out that it is unusual for African lions to have it. Answer Explanation: The answer means that most African lions do not have a piece of skin that folds on their belly area. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the speaker compares the bodies of the two types of lions. According to the text, Asiatic lions have a long fold of skin on their 'undersides' (the stomach or belly area), but 'not many' African lions have it. In this context, 'not many' means 'very few'. |
| Q35 | 1 450 / 1,450 / 1450 | It's 1,450 square kilometres in area and most of it is forest | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the sanctuary has a total size or area of 1,450 square kilometres. Answer Explanation: The answer "1,450" is the number that shows how large the Gir Sanctuary is in square kilometres. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1,450 because the speaker gives this exact number when describing the size of the Gir Sanctuary in India. Keywords like "sanctuary," "area," and "square kilometres" in the task help identify the specific part of the transcript where this measurement is mentioned. |
| Q36 | disease | One of these is the ever-present danger of disease | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that even though the lions are in a sanctuary, one of the main things that could hurt them is the risk of getting sick. Answer Explanation: The answer "disease" means a sickness or illness that makes living things very unhealthy. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "disease" because the text mentions that lions in the Gir Sanctuary still face several problems that could kill them. One major problem or "threat" described by the speaker is the risk of a sickness spreading among the lions. The speaker uses the word "danger" to describe this threat. |
| Q37 | wealthy prince / prince | The reason for this is interesting - it's because all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them. He was very wealthy, and he managed to protect them - otherwise they'd probably have died out completely | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that all the lions today come from a small group of lions from the past. These lions were kept safe by a rich prince who wanted to help them survive. Answer Explanation: The answer is a prince, who is a male member of a royal family. The word 'wealthy' means he had a lot of money. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "(wealthy) prince" because the text explains that the current lions are the children and grandchildren (descendants) of a small number of lions that were kept safe by a prince. The transcript uses the word 'saved' and 'protect' to describe what the prince did for the lions' ancestors. Because the prince took an interest in them, these animals did not disappear. |
| Q38 | diet | A significant proportion of the lions' diet is made up of the livestock of these farmers - goats, chickens and so on - as much as a third, in fact | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that about one-third of the food the lions eat comes from the animals that belong to the local farmers. Answer Explanation: The answer "diet" refers to the specific types of food that an animal or person eats regularly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "diet" because the speaker mentions that a large portion (a "significant proportion") of what the lions eat is actually the farm animals owned by people living in the forest. These animals, like goats and chickens, are called "livestock." |
| Q39 | attack humans | And they've even been known to attack humans, especially in times of drought | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that lions have been found trying to hurt people, and this usually happens when the weather is very dry and there is little water. Answer Explanation: The answer 'attack humans' means that the lions might try to hurt or kill people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer explains a dangerous behavior of the lions during dry periods. The transcript mentions that lions have been seen acting aggressively toward people, particularly when there is a 'drought,' which means a long time without enough water. |
| Q40 | leadership | One final piece of interesting information - in ancient India one of the greatest tests of leadership for a man was to fight a lion | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that long ago in India, a major way to check if a man could lead was to have him fight a lion. Answer Explanation: The answer 'leadership' refers to the ability or position of being the head of a group or organization. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found at the end of the transcript. The speaker says that in old times in India, people used fighting a lion as a way to prove that a man was a good leader. The text specifically calls this a 'test', which matches the question. |
Transcript
Well, most people think that lions only come from Africa. And you would be forgiven for thinking this, because in fact most lions do come from Africa. But this hasn't always been the case. If we go back ten thousand years we would find that there were lions roaming vast sections of the globe. But now, unfortunately, only very small sections of the lions' former habitat remain.
My particular interest is Asiatic lions, which are a sub-species of African lions. It's almost a hundred thousand years since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a sub-species. At one time the Asiatic lion was living as far west as Greece and they were found from there, in a band that spread east through various countries of the Middle East, all the way to India. In museums, you can now see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them. Most of them are dated at around 500 B.C. However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lion roaming free two thousand years ago. Over the next nineteen hundred years the numbers of Asiatic lions in the other areas declined steadily, but it was only in the nineteenth century that they disappeared from everywhere but India.
So, how can you tell an Asiatic lion from an African lion, with which you're probably more familiar? Well, in general, Asiatic lions are not as big as African lions. The colour is more or less the same, but the appearance of the mane is different - that's the hair around the lion's face and neck. The Asiatic lion's mane is noticeably shorter than the African lion's. Asiatic lions also have a long fold of skin on their undersides, whereas not many African lions have this.
Well, I'd like to talk to you now about the Gir Sanctuary in India. That's where I've just come back from. The sanctuary was established specifically to protect the Asiatic lion. It's 1,450 square kilometres in area and most of it is forest. There are now around three hundred Asiatic lions in India and almost all of them are in this sanctuary.
But despite living in a sanctuary, which makes them safe from hunters, they still face a number of problems that threaten their survival. One of these is the ever-present danger of disease. This is what killed more than a third of Africa's Serengeti lions in 1994, and people are fearful that something similar could happen in the Gir Sanctuary and kill off many of the Asiatic lions there.
India's lions are particularly vulnerable because they have a limited gene pool. The reason for this is interesting - it's because all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them. He was very wealthy, and he managed to protect them - otherwise they'd probably have died out completely.
When you see the Asiatic lion in India, what you sense is enormous vitality. They're very impressive beasts and you would never guess that they had this vulnerability when you look at them.
The Asiatic lions don't have the Gir Sanctuary to themselves, I should add. They actually share it with about two thousand farmers. A significant proportion of the lions' diet is made up of the livestock of these farmers - goats, chickens and so on - as much as a third, in fact. And they've even been known to attack humans, especially in times of drought.
One final piece of interesting information - in ancient India one of the greatest tests of leadership for a man was to fight a lion. Now it seems, in modern India it will be a great test to see if the lion can be saved. I'm sure this is something that all of you will share concern for too.