Microplastics - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Listening Test 3 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Microplastics
Where microplastics come from
fibres from some 31 during washing
the breakdown of large pieces of plastic
waste from industry
the action of vehicle tyres on roads
Effects of microplastics
They cause injuries to the 32 of wildlife and affect their digestive systems.
They enter the food chain, e.g., in bottled and tap water, 33 and seafood.
They may not affect human health, but they are already banned in skin cleaning products and 34 in some countries.
Microplastics enter the soil through the air, rain and 35.
Microplastics in the soil – a study by Anglia Ruskin University
Earthworms are important because they add 36 to the soil.
The study aimed to find whether microplastics in earthworms affect the 37 of plants.
The study found that microplastics caused:
38 loss in earthworms
fewer seeds to germinate
a rise in the level of 39 in the soil.
The study concluded:
soil should be seen as an important natural process.
changes to soil damage both ecosystems and 40
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | clothing | Threads and microfibres detach from synthetic clothing every time they’re put in a washing machine | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that tiny pieces of plastic can come off from synthetic clothing when it is washed in a washing machine. Answer Explanation: The answer 'clothing' means that the microplastics come from clothes that are made of synthetic materials. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'clothing' because the transcript specifically mentions that threads and microfibres, which are types of microplastics, come off from synthetic clothing every time they are washed. This connects directly to where microplastics come from. |
| Q32 | mouths | There is evidence that microplastics harm small creatures in a variety of ways, such as by damaging their mouths, or by impairing their ability to feed, for example when microplastics get lodged in their digestive system. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that small animals can be hurt by microplastics in different ways. They can damage the way these animals eat by getting stuck in their mouths or stopping them from digesting food properly. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'mouths', which refers to the part of animals where they take in food. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'mouths' because the transcript specifically mentions that microplastics can damage the mouths of small creatures, affecting how they feed. |
| Q33 | salt | Surprisingly perhaps, it is likely that humans consume microplastics, as these have been detected in a wide range of food and drink products, including bottled water, as well as in water that comes direct from the tap. What’s more, salt and many kinds of seafood have also been found to contain microplastics. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that people probably eat tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics. These tiny plastics can be found in many foods and drinks, such as bottled water and water from our taps. It also mentions that microplastics are found in salt and seafood. Answer Explanation: The answer 'salt' means that microplastics are present in salt, which is something we use in cooking and food. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'salt' because the transcript specifically states that salt has been found to contain microplastics, along with seafood, showing that salt is one of the foods in which these tiny plastics can be found. |
| Q34 | toothpaste | In many countries, including here in the UK, there is legislation which prevents manufacturers from adding plastic microbeads to shower gels, facial cleansers and toothpaste. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in many countries, like the UK, there are laws that stop companies from putting tiny plastic beads in products like shower gels, facial cleansers, and toothpaste. Answer Explanation: The answer 'toothpaste' refers to one of the products where tiny plastic beads should not be included because of the laws. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'toothpaste' because the transcript specifically mentions that there are laws against adding plastic microbeads to toothpaste, which means it is a product where microplastics are already banned. |
| Q35 | fertilizers / fertilisers | but we do know they are carried in the air and deposited in the soil by rain. What’s more, many of the fertilisers used by both farmers and gardeners contain microplastics. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that microplastics can be found in the air and can fall into the soil when it rains. It also mentions that many fertilizers used by farmers and gardeners have microplastics in them. Answer Explanation: The answer 'fertilizers' means that these products, which help plants grow, sometimes contain tiny pieces of plastic. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'fertilizers' because the transcript states that fertilizers used in gardening and farming can have microplastics. This matches the information that microplastics can enter the soil. |
| Q36 | nutrients | A team from the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge has carried out a study of the effects of microplastics on the digestive tracts of earthworms. These worms, which live in topsoil, are an essential component of our agricultural system. By feeding on soil, they mix nutrients into it, thereby making it more fertile. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about a study done by a team in Cambridge. They studied how tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics, affect earthworms that live in the top layer of soil. These earthworms are important because they eat the soil and help mix nutrients into it, making the soil healthier for plants. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'nutrients'. This means the important substances in the soil that help plants grow. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'nutrients' because the study shows that earthworms help add nutrients to the soil, which is essential for plant health. If microplastics are in the soil, they could harm earthworms, affecting how well they can mix these nutrients. |
| Q37 | growth | The researchers set out to discover whether the introduction of microplastics into the soil- and the subsequent ingestion of these by earthworms- would impact soil quality and ultimately inhibit plant growth. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the researchers wanted to find out if tiny pieces of plastic in the soil could change the quality of the soil and if this would harm how well plants grow. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'growth', which means how plants develop and become bigger. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'growth' because the study focused on whether the tiny pieces of plastic affected the plants' ability to grow well. |
| Q38 | weight | The result was that the worms lost weight rapidly. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the worms lost weight quickly. This means that the worms became lighter because they were affected by something, in this case, microplastics. Answer Explanation: The answer 'weight' means how heavy something is. In this context, it refers to how much the earthworms weigh. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'weight' because the excerpt specifically states that the worms lost weight. This shows that microplastics impacted the weight of the earthworms. |
| Q39 | acid | The team also discovered that there was an increase in the amount of acid found in the soil | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript describes a finding from a study. It says that the researchers found more acid in the soil when they looked at the effects of microplastics. This means that microplastics can change the soil in a way that makes it more acidic. Answer Explanation: The answer 'acid' refers to a substance that can make things sour and is an important part of the study. It shows that the soil can change when microplastics are present. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'acid' because the study specifically found an increase in the amount of acid in the soil due to the presence of microplastics. This matches with what is stated in the excerpt. |
| Q40 | society | That is, when soil becomes impoverished by the presence of microplastics, not only ecosystems but also the whole of society are negatively impacted. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when soil is harmed by microplastics, it affects not just nature but also all people in society. Answer Explanation: The answer 'society' means all the people and communities living together in a place. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'society' because the transcript says that microplastics in the soil can cause problems for both ecosystems (nature) and society (people). |
Transcript
In today’s lecture, I’m going to be talking about microplastics.
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than five millimetres in size. Recently there’s been a greater awareness that there are large quantities of plastic waste – big and small – in the environment. The amount of plastic waste in the oceans has received widespread attention, but far less is known about the effects of microplastics in freshwater and particularly in soil.
Microplastics can enter the environment via a number of different sources. Threads and microfibres detach from synthetic clothing every time they’re put in a washing machine, and these find their way into the water system. Other sources include big pieces of plastic waste that are already in the environment, and these break down into microscopic particles over a period of time. On a larger scale, factory waste is another route, as are tyres which wear down as cars, lorries and so on travel along road surfaces.
We already understand some of the impacts of microplastics from studies involving fish and other animals. There is evidence that microplastics harm small creatures in a variety of ways, such as by damaging their mouths, or by impairing their ability to feed, for example when microplastics get lodged in their digestive system.
Surprisingly perhaps, it is likely that humans consume microplastics, as these have been detected in a wide range of food and drink products, including bottled water, as well as in water that comes direct from the tap. What’s more, salt and many kinds of seafood have also been found to contain microplastics.
However, it’s important to underline that there is not yet conclusive proof that microplastics cause significant harm to people. In many countries, including here in the UK, there is legislation which prevents manufacturers from adding plastic microbeads to shower gels, facial cleansers and toothpaste.
It is very difficult to accurately estimate the total amount of microplastic particles in the soil as they can be hard to detect, but we do know they are carried in the air and deposited in the soil by rain. What’s more, many of the fertilisers used by both farmers and gardeners contain microplastics.
A team from the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge has carried out a study of the effects of microplastics on the digestive tracts of earthworms. These worms, which live in topsoil, are an essential component of our agricultural system. By feeding on soil, they mix nutrients into it, thereby making it more fertile.
The researchers set out to discover whether the introduction of microplastics into the soil- and the subsequent ingestion of these by earthworms- would impact soil quality and ultimately inhibit plant growth. The short answer was, yes, it did. After placing three different types of microplastic particles into the soil, they planted perennial rye grass. The particles of microplastic, which included biodegradable PLA and conventional high-density polyethylene, or HDPE, were then ingested by the earthworms in the soil. The result was that the worms lost weight rapidly. What’s more, a lower percentage than normal of the rye grass seeds germinated, and the researchers concluded that this was a direct result of the earthworms being unable to fulfil their normal role in making soil more fertile. The team also discovered that there was an increase in the amount of acid found in the soil, and this was attributed mainly to the microplastic particles from conventional HDPE plastic.
The conclusions of the study make for very interesting reading – I’ve included the reference in the notes to give you at the end of this session. To summarise, the authors proposed the idea that we need to regard soil as we would regard any other process in nature. This means we should accept the implications of soil being dependent on decaying and dead matter constantly being passed through the bodies of earthworms. That is, when soil becomes impoverished by the presence of microplastics, not only ecosystems but also the whole of society are negatively impacted.