Tea Tree Oil - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 4 Academic Listening Test 5 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions
Questions 31–35 Matching
What incident is related to each of the following people?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G.
A. brought tea tree oil into Australia in 1770
B. challenged the benefit of tea tree oil
C. reported the special eating habit in Australia
D. listed plant species
E. studied the tea tree oil
F. saw Australian Aborigines drink
G. used tea tree for medical treatment
Questions 36–40 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
- Tea tree will store oil during 36 and accumulate the useful substance.
- Put leaves and 37 in for distillation.
- The oil vapor rises up to the 38 of the container.
- According to the principle of 39 , the condensed steam goes downside.
- The water will go through the tubes onto the 40 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | G | Traditionally, Melaleuca alternifolia leaves were crushed and the oil was inhaled by the Aborigines of Australia for the treatment of coughs, colds and also for the treatment of wounds. For instance, they chewed the young leaves to alleviate headaches, and took them to treat sore throats or skin ailments | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the Aborigines of Australia used tea tree oil and leaves to help heal things like colds, wounds, and headaches. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Aborigines used the tea tree plant as a way to fix health problems and feel better. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because the text clearly mentions that the Aborigines used crushed leaves and oil as a 'treatment' for various illnesses. They used it for coughs, colds, wounds, headaches, and sore throats. In English, 'medical treatment' describes using something as medicine to heal a person, which is exactly what the Aborigines were doing with the tea tree leaves. |
| Q32 | C | The Dutch found it a paradise on earth for man's well-being, with timber, stone, and lime for building. There was also plenty of salt and the coast was full of fish. Besides, they found the characteristics of the diet there because they happened to meet ten naked, black Aborigines having a meal in the open air | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the Dutch explorers arrived in Australia and observed local people during a meal. This observation allowed them to understand what the local people ate and their eating habits. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the explorer from the Netherlands (the Dutch explorer) described or took notes on the food and the way people ate in Australia. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the transcript mentions that a Dutch explorer and his team discovered information about the 'characteristics of the diet' in Australia. They learned this by witnessing a group of Aborigines eating a 'meal' outdoors. In this context, 'diet' and 'meal' are synonyms for 'eating habit.' |
| Q33 | B | For more than the last fifteen or sixteen years of his life, he seldom laid down on a bed because of the constant pain in his leg. Then he tried tea tree oil, as it was said that tea tree oil could operate as a very powerful immuno-stimulant for pre and post surgical care | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Palliser had a lot of pain for many years and decided to use tea tree oil because of its reputation for helping people heal from medical problems. Answer Explanation: The answer B means Sir Hugh Palliser used tea tree oil as a medical treatment to see if it could help his long-term pain. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer B is correct because the transcript describes Sir Hugh Palliser as an officer who suffered from severe, long-term leg pain due to war injuries. For about 16 years, his pain was so bad he could barely lie in a bed. He eventually 'tried' tea tree oil because it was known as a medical 'immuno-stimulant' used for healing before and after surgery. In this context, 'tried' corresponds to using the oil as a treatment to test its benefits. |
| Q34 | F | The use of the name Tea Tree, also called paper bark trees, probably originated from Captain James Cook's description he made soon after he had arrived at the coast of New South Wales in 1770. At the time, he witnessed some Aborigines of Australia using one of the shrubs' leaves to make an infused drink in place of tea | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when Captain Cook arrived in Australia, he saw the local people using plant leaves to make a drink that was similar to tea. This observation is why the plant is called the Tea Tree. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Captain James Cook watched the native people of Australia make and consume a beverage from the plant's leaves. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the transcript mentions that Captain James Cook observed the Aborigines (the local people) using shrub leaves to create a drink that they used instead of tea. To 'witness' someone 'making an infused drink' is the same as seeing them drink it. |
| Q35 | E | In the 1920s, some human clinical research and the documentation of many benefits associated with tea tree oil were credited, which were made by Dr. Arthur Penfold, an Australian government chemist. He investigated the business potential of a number of native extracted oils, then reported that tea tree oil was promising, as it exhibited powerful antiseptic properties | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Dr. Penfold looked into the benefits of tea tree oil through scientific studies and reported that it had strong cleaning (antiseptic) powers. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Dr. Arthur Penfold did research and scientific work to learn about tea tree oil. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because the transcript mentions that Dr. Arthur Penfold performed "human clinical research" and "investigated" various oils. Doing research and investigating are ways of saying he studied the oil to understand its benefits and business value. Keywords to notice are "research" and "investigated," which are synonyms for "studied." |
| Q36 | winter | Once harvested in winter, when the amount of required essence in oil meet the needs for production, the finely cut trees are transported to a steam distillation facility | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that workers collect the trees during the winter. They do this because, at that time, the trees have the specific amount of oil (essence) needed to make the product. Answer Explanation: The answer is winter, which is the coldest season of the year. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is winter because the text mentions that the trees are harvested during this season. At this time, the tree has reached the right "amount of required essence in oil," which means it has finished storing or accumulating the useful substances needed for production. The word "essence" here is a synonym for the "useful substance" mentioned in the question. |
| Q37 | stems | The extraction is made by distilling the leaves in specially designed stainless steel stills along with the stems, to yield pure oil | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that to get the pure tea tree oil, they put the leaves and the stems together into a special machine. Answer Explanation: The answer "stems" refers to the long, thin parts of the tea tree plant that hold the leaves. They are used along with the leaves to produce the oil. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "stems" because the text explains the process of making tea tree oil. It says that for the oil extraction to happen, both the leaves and the stems are put into a special metal container called a still. In this context, "distilling" refers to the process of boiling these plant parts to get the essence or oil. |
| Q38 | lid | Both the steam and oil evaporate and then condense as they run through a pipe into the collecting container where the oil floats to the lid, while the water, because of gravity, goes steadily out the lower exit pipe | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when the oil and steam turn back into liquid in a container, the oil rises or floats to the very top part (the lid). Answer Explanation: The answer is the top cover or top part of a container. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'lid' because the transcript explains the process of gathering the tea tree oil after it has turned into steam and then back into liquid. It specifically mentions that inside the collecting container, the oil stays at the very top, which is called the lid, while the water moves toward the bottom. |
| Q39 | gravity | Both the steam and oil evaporate and then condense as they run through a pipe into the collecting container where the oil floats to the lid, while the water, because of gravity, goes steadily out the lower exit pipe | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in the container, the oil moves to the top, but the water goes down and leaves through a pipe at the bottom because gravity pulls it down. Answer Explanation: The answer "gravity" refers to the natural force that pulls objects toward the ground. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "gravity" because the transcript explains the process of separating tea tree oil from water. It states that after the steam cools and turns back into liquid (condenses), the force of gravity is what makes the water move down and out through the lower pipe. |
| Q40 | ground | At the end of the hour, the oil is siphoned off through the upper pipe, while the condensed steam floats through the lower pipe towards the ground | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when the process is done, the oil is taken out from a top tube, but the water (which comes from steam) goes through a bottom tube down to the floor. Answer Explanation: The answer 'ground' means the earth or the floor under our feet. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ground' because the text describes what happens to the water after the oil is separated. It explains that the 'condensed steam' (which is water) travels through a 'lower pipe' (a tube) and moves toward the earth. The text uses the word 'ground' to show where the water ends up. |
Transcript
So what I'm going to talk about to you today is something called Tea Tree Oil, which was first extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia in Australia. This species remains the most important, commercially. Several other species are cultivated for their oil extraction.
There is a very long history of tea tree oil's use in aromatherapy. Traditionally, Melaleuca alternifolia leaves were crushed and the oil was inhaled by the Aborigines of Australia for the treatment of coughs, colds and also for the treatment of wounds. For instance, they chewed the young leaves to alleviate headaches, and took them to treat sore throats or skin ailments.
The Aborigines' world was discovered by Willem Jantszoon, a Dutch explorer, who was the first European to sail to Australia. In 1606, he reached the northern coast of Australia in his ship. Then several voyages of exploration followed in the first half of the seventeenth century. The Dutch found it a paradise on earth for man's well-being, with timber, stone, and lime for building. There was also plenty of salt and the coast was full of fish. Besides, they found the characteristics of the diet there because they happened to meet ten naked, black Aborigines having a meal in the open air.
While the value of tea tree oil originated from Australia, it was gradually known and tested by the outsiders. In the middle of the eighteenth century, Sir Hugh Palliser, an officer of the British Royal Navy, who had been to Australia several times during that period, got serious injuries all over due to his experiences in several wars. For more than the last fifteen or sixteen years of his life, he seldom laid down on a bed because of the constant pain in his leg. Then he tried tea tree oil, as it was said that tea tree oil could operate as a very powerful immuno-stimulant for pre and post surgical care.
The use of the name Tea Tree, also called paper bark trees, probably originated from Captain James Cook's description he made soon after he had arrived at the coast of New South Wales in 1770. At the time, he witnessed some Aborigines of Australia using one of the shrubs' leaves to make an infused drink in place of tea.
In the 1920s, some human clinical research and the documentation of many benefits associated with tea tree oil were credited, which were made by Dr. Arthur Penfold, an Australian government chemist. He investigated the business potential of a number of native extracted oils, then reported that tea tree oil was promising, as it exhibited powerful antiseptic properties. But after World War II, the entry of antibiotics declined the use of natural products in medicine, which had a negative effect on the production of tea tree oil.
As such an important and valuable material in the world, how is tea tree oil produced? I think most of you are curious about this.
Tea tree oil can be extracted in some different ways, but the most traditional way is steam distillation.
Once harvested in winter, when the amount of required essence in oil meet the needs for production, the finely cut trees are transported to a steam distillation facility. The extraction is made by distilling the leaves in specially designed stainless steel stills along with the stems, to yield pure oil. The water-filled boiler is heated and constantly monitored to maintain the correct temperature. Both the steam and oil evaporate and then condense as they run through a pipe into the collecting container where the oil floats to the lid, while the water, because of gravity, goes steadily out the lower exit pipe. At the end of the hour, the oil is siphoned off through the upper pipe, while the condensed steam floats through the lower pipe towards the ground.
At the end of each distillation all the spent plant material is hauled out of the still pot by hand with a short rake, piled onto a trailer and spread where required as a thick woody mulch...