The Klondike Gold Rush Of Canada - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 Academic Listening Test 5 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
The Klondike Gold Rush of Canada
The Gold-seekers’ journey to the Klondike river
- Many gold-seekers set off from Skagway in Alaska.
- The White Pass Trail was difficult because of rocks and 31 along the way.
- The Chilkoot Trail was very 32 so it could take three months.
- On both trails, gold-seekers gave up because of starvation, disease and the fear of 33
- At Lake Bennet, gold-seekers stayed in a 34 until spring arrived.
- At Miles Canyon, it was necessary to hire an experienced 35 to continue the journey.
- Gold-seekers finally reached Dawson and the Klondike river.
The Equipment gold-seekers had to take
- The 36 provided gold-seekers with a list.
- The list included
clothes, e.g. boots, thick coats
tea and food such as 37
tools, e.g. rope and several 38
People who became successful because of the gold rush
- Some business-minded people sold supplies or set up hotels.
- Jack London created sense of 39 in his stories.
- Annie Hall Strong and Emma Kelly contributed to various 40 in Canada and the US.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | mud | On top of this, the men and their horses got stuck in the thick mud that covered long sections of the trail | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that travelers and their animals were trapped by deep, wet soil that was spread across large parts of the path. Answer Explanation: The answer "mud" refers to the wet, sticky dirt on the ground that made traveling very difficult. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "mud" because the lecturer describes it as one of the main obstacles on the White Pass trail. Along with rocks, this thick, wet earth caused men and their horses to get stuck, making it hard to move forward. The phrase 'difficult to make progress' in the notes matches the description of people getting 'stuck' in the transcript. |
| Q32 | steep | The other option was the Chilkoot Trail. Now, although this trail was only about thirty-five miles long, it took about three months for the gold-seekers to cover this distance. This is because the trail was incredibly steep, and people had to make the same trip multiple times in order to transport their equipment | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the Chilkoot Trail took three months to travel. The reason it took so long for a short distance is that the trail was very steep, and people had to go back and forth often to carry their tools. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the ground or path rises or falls very sharply. It is not flat, so it is very hard to walk up or down. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'steep' because the lecturer explains the difficulty of the Chilkoot Trail. Even though it was short (thirty-five miles), it took three months to finish because it went up at a very sharp angle. The lecturer uses the word 'incredibly' to emphasize how steep the trail was, forcing people to take a lot of time to move their gear. |
| Q33 | failure | Often they were suffering from starvation or disease. They also came to the terrible realisation that their journey was likely to end in failure, and so they turned around | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that many people stopped traveling. They were either hungry, sick, or they felt they would not reach their goal (failure), so they decided to go home. Answer Explanation: The answer is failure, which means not succeeding or not reaching your goal. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is failure because the lecturer explains that many gold-seekers stopped their journey before reaching the end. He lists three specific reasons: they didn't have enough food (starvation), they were sick (disease), or they realized they would not be successful. In the notes, 'starvation' and 'disease' are already provided, so 'failure' completes the set of reasons given in the text for why people 'gave up.' |
| Q34 | tent | In the meantime, a tent was the only protection they had from the cold | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that while the people waited for the ice to melt so they could continue their trip, they lived in tents to stay safe from the cold air. Answer Explanation: The answer is a portable cloth shelter used for sleeping outside and staying safe from the weather. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'tent' because the lecturer describes the difficulties faced by gold-seekers at Lake Bennet. Since the lake was frozen, people could not move forward and had to wait several months until spring arrived. During this long waiting period in the freezing weather, the only shelter they had for protection was a tent. |
| Q35 | sailor | In order to proceed down the Yukon river, the gold-seekers needed to employ a real sailor, someone who could steer their boats and get through the canyon safely | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that to keep moving down the river, people needed to hire a professional boat worker to guide them through the dangerous canyon safely. Answer Explanation: The answer is a person who is skilled at working on or controlling a boat. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'sailor' because the transcript explains that Miles Canyon was a very dangerous part of the river where boats were often destroyed by fast-moving water (rapids). To safely continue their journey, the gold-seekers had to 'employ' (which means hire) someone who knew how to handle a boat. The specific word used in the text for this professional is 'sailor'. |
| Q36 | police | It was actually the police who gave gold-seekers the list – since they knew how unprepared many people were for the journey | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the police were the ones who handed out the list of items to the people looking for gold because they were worried that people were not prepared. Answer Explanation: The answer "police" refers to the group of people or the official organization that made sure everyone had the things they needed for the trip. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the speaker's statement that the police gave the gold-seekers a list of required equipment. This was done because the authorities realized that many travelers were not ready for the difficult journey. The keyword "list" helps identify who provided the items needed for the trip. |
| Q37 | flour | There was also the food the gold-seekers required. Perhaps items like tea weren’t too hard to carry, but 400lbs of flour would have been very heavy indeed | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the travelers needed to carry food. It gives examples like tea and a very large amount of flour. Answer Explanation: The answer is a type of food made from crushed grains used for baking. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is flour because the transcript mentions it as a specific food item that gold-seekers had to bring. In the section about the list of supplies, the speaker talks about food requirements, mentioning tea and then specifically highlighting that 400lbs of flour was a very heavy part of their food supply. |
| Q38 | buckets | Things like rope were essential and could be packed away without too much difficulty. But imagine having to carry two or three buckets with you. All these things were compulsory | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that rope was an important tool and that carrying two or three buckets was required (compulsory) for the journey. Answer Explanation: The answer is buckets, which are containers used for carrying things like water or dirt. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is identified because the lecturer mentions tools that people searching for gold had to bring. They mention rope as an example of an essential item and then talk about having to carry two or three buckets. In this context, 'two or three' is a synonym for 'several'. |
| Q39 | adventure | Still, he was inspired to write. Through his vivid description, his readers could share the feeling of adventure, even from the comfort of their armchair | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that although Jack London did not get rich from finding gold, he became a writer. His books described his journey so well that readers felt the excitement of the trip while sitting safely at home. Answer Explanation: The answer 'adventure' refers to an exciting experience that can also be difficult or dangerous. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'adventure' because the lecturer notes that Jack London became a writer after his journey to the Klondike. He used his writing to let his readers feel the excitement of his journey. The phrase 'feeling of adventure' in the text matches the phrase 'sense of adventure' used in the notes. |
| Q40 | newspapers | Working for different newspapers, Hall and Kelly often described their first-hand experience of danger and hardship | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that Hall and Kelly wrote about their dangerous experiences for several news publications. Answer Explanation: The answer is newspapers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is newspapers because the talk says these two women worked for different news companies. Their job was to write and tell people in Canada and the United States about the difficult things they saw and did. In this context, "working for" or "described their experience" for a company means they contributed their writing to those newspapers. |
Transcript
You will hear a lecturer giving a presentation about the Klondike Gold Rush.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Lecturer: Today I’m going to talk about an incredible event in the history of Canada – the Klondike Gold Rush. Between 1896 and 1899 over 100,000 people set out to seek gold in the Klondike region – a remote area in north-western Canada. Only 4000 people were actually successful. Let’s start by considering the journey people had to take in order to reach the Klondike river and start looking for gold.
For most gold-seekers, their journey began in Alaska, in a town on the coast called Skagway. From Skagway, one option was to take the White Pass trail through the mountains. It probably looked easy enough at the beginning of the trail, but rocks made it difficult to make progress. On top of this, the men and their horses got stuck in the thick mud that covered long sections of the trail. The other option was the Chilkoot Trail. Now, although this trail was only about thirty-five miles long, it took about three months for the gold-seekers to cover this distance. This is because the trail was incredibly steep, and people had to make the same trip multiple times in order to transport their equipment.
Most people really had very little idea about how difficult the journey was going to be. So, although 100,000 may have set out on those two trails, only about 30,000 got to the end. So yes, the majority gave up. Often they were suffering from starvation or disease. They also came to the terrible realisation that their journey was likely to end in failure, and so they turned around. Anyway, for those gold-seekers who did continue, they eventually reached Lake Bennet. They might have expected that their journey was going to become easier at this point, but no. Because the lake was frozen over, many people had to wait until spring before they could continue their journey. In the meantime, a tent was the only protection they had from the cold. While they were waiting, people cut down trees and made boats. Once the ice melted, they could sail across the lake, and start down the Yukon river. Again – this wasn’t the end of their troubles. Once they reached a point of the river called Miles Canyon, things became very dangerous indeed. Many boats were destroyed in the rapids. In order to proceed down the Yukon river, the gold-seekers needed to employ a real sailor, someone who could steer their boats and get through the canyon safely. From here on, the worst was over, and the gold-seekers could sail to a place called Dawson – at the mouth of the Klondike river.
Now listen and answer questions 36 to 40.
Lecturer: So earlier on I mentioned that gold-seekers needed to make multiple trips up and down the two trails. This is because they had to transport an enormous amount of equipment. This equipment was set out on a very long list. It was actually the police who gave gold-seekers the list – since they knew how unprepared many people were for the journey. People were obliged to take enough supplies to last them a year. So the list included clothing like boots and warm winter coats. There was also the food the gold-seekers required. Perhaps items like tea weren’t too hard to carry, but 400lbs of flour would have been very heavy indeed. The gold-seekers had to take a lot of tools, as well – everything they needed for digging, for building and so on. Things like rope were essential and could be packed away without too much difficulty. But imagine having to carry two or three buckets with you. All these things were compulsory.
So, some people became very successful because of the gold rush – and not because they’d actually found gold themselves. Those who were business-minded saw many opportunities; they sold the supplies that the gold-seekers needed, they established hotels, and so on. And then there were people like Jack London. London was one of the gold- seekers that actually survived the terrible journey, but he didn’t find much gold. Still, he was inspired to write. Through his vivid description, his readers could share the feeling of adventure, even from the comfort of their armchair. Finally, it wasn’t just men that tried to seek their fame and fortune. Many women also headed up the trails. Among them were Annie Hall Strong and Emma Kelly. In the US and in other parts of Canada, ordinary citizens were keen to read about life in the Klondike. Working for different newspapers, Hall and Kelly often described their first-hand experience of danger and hardship. Another thing that…