Below you will find the answers and transcript to the Multiple Choice Listening Practice about Moles.
If you haven’t completed this lesson yet, please do so before you look at the answers. Click here for the lesson: MOLES Listening Practice
Transcript and Audio
Listen again to the audio and read the transcript at the same time. It will help you to check your answers and also improve your pronunciation. The actual answers are listed below.
Transcript: Moles and Mole Hills. The earliest species of mole was found more or less 55 million years ago. Since then, they have developed into 42 species all of which are categorised as insectivores. Nowadays, most people in the UK come across moles when they discover mole hills on their lawns. It is from these mole hills that the idiom “making a mountain out of a mole hill” was formed. This is a very common idiom used by most native English speakers and means exaggerating something that is in fact quite small and trivial. Mole hills are created by the mole digging out earth to create tunnels and throwing the earth outwards into the garden which creates little mounds of earth on the surface. These mole hills do not cause the garden much damage but many people think they are unsightly. Moles can carry rabies which can cause serious illness if someone is bitten, but as most people rarely come into contact with a living mole, they are hardly considered a health risk. As people, particularly in the UK, are very proud of their gardens, the unsightly mole hills result in them laying down traps which kill the moles. Some people think moles are blind which is why they live underground in the dark. However, this is a myth. Although, it’s true that their eyes are very small and play little role in their life underground. They rely mostly on their sense of smell and hearing which they use to find food, such as worms. They are particularly sensitive to vibrations in the soil. A mole is capable of digging upward of 200 yards in a day, which considering that a mole only grows to about 15cm is a great achievement. They often use their tunnels as highways to travel from one place to another. They can run down their tunnels, go backwards and even do little somersaults all inside their tunnels. Their tunnel systems are also used to connect subterranean living chambers such as bedrooms and birthing chambers. The birthing chamber is about the size of a football and the female mole lines it with dry grass and leaves for the young. It’s easy to spot the breeding chamber because the mole hill above it is the biggest. She is the only adult mole who is responsible for taking care of the young. Moles are sweet looking creatures with massive hands, short limbs and strong claws all designed as excellent digging tools. Unfortunately, for moles, their skins used to be prized highly by British High Society for clothing which meant that many moles died for the vanity of people.
Audio
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Answers
- The mole hill idiom means …
- Answer: A
- To exaggerate mean to make something small appear bigger than it is. Such as acting like a small spot on your face, it is huge tumour.
- Also note, IELTS listening never tests your understanding of idioms. But in this question the meaning as given so it tested only your listening.
- This isn’t a realistic question for IELTS listening because many of you could guess the answer. This isn’t normal for IELTS listening questions. But I thought you’d all enjoy the question anyway 🙂Â
- Most people are worried that mole hills ….
- Answer: B
- The recording says “mole hills don’t cause much damage”. This means option A is wrong. Just because you hear the word “damage” which is also found in the question doesn’t mean it is the answer. Don’t try to match words.
- The recording says “many people think they are unsightly”. The word “unsightly” means ugly.Â
- The recording says “Moles can carry rabies which can cause serious illness if someone is bitten, but as most people rarely come into contact with a living mole, they are hardly considered a health risk” This means that while moles can carry disease, they aren’t actually a risk.
- Moles …
- Answer: C
- The recording says that blind moles “are a myth”. This means it is not true.
- The recording says they eat worms. But it does not say they eat “ONLY” worms. Pay attention to the word “only”. It means they eat worms and nothing else.Â
- The answer is found here “They are particularly sensitive to vibrations in the soil. ” This means they can feel movement in the earth.
- Moles can dig …
- Answer: A
- The recording says “A mole is capable of digging upward of 200 yards in a day”. The word “upward of” means “over”.
- Moles give birth ….
- Answer: B
- The recording says “Their tunnel systems are also used to connect subterranean living chambers such as bedrooms and birthing chambers. “.Â
- This was a difficult question. The birthing chamber is where moles give birth and the recording shows it is also one of the “subterranean living chamber”. This means “underground”.
- You could also arrive at this answer by process of elimination. This means to delete the wrong answers. They don’t give birth in a bedroom, but in a birthing chamber and definitely not in a tunnel.
- The birthing chamber is …
- Answer: A
- the recording says “The birthing chamber is about the size of a football and the female mole lines it with dry grass and leaves for the young. It’s easy to spot the breeding chamber because the mole hill above it is the biggest. She is the only adult mole who is responsible for taking care of the young.”. This shows it is not specifically larger than a football and the “she mole” (not the males) cares for the young. This provides the only answer which is 100% accurate: “the mole hill above is the biggest” which means the chamber is below the biggest mole hill.
- Moles are equipped with …
- Answer: C
- The recording showed that moles have “massive hands, short limbs and strong claws all designed as excellent digging tools. “
- Limbs are said to be short, no mention about strength. So, answer A is wrong.
- Claws (nails) are strong, but no mention of being curved. So, answer B is wrong.
- The word “immense” is the same as: huge, very big, massive.
I hope you’ve all enjoyed this listening test and have learned some new aspects of how to spot correct answers. For more free listening lessons, click here: LISTENING – Tips & Lessons
All the best
LizÂ
PS: I’ve been asked when I will make videos again. I’m still sick, but I hope to start again this year if I can gain more strength. Wish me luck 🙂