Natural Disasters – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Answer: (B) By hiding beneath a solid piece of furniture.

• Explanation: The manager tells the staff to “take cover under your sturdy desks”. “Hiding beneath” means taking cover, and a “solid piece of furniture” is a paraphrase for a sturdy desk.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is the trap. Sarah asks if they should run to the emergency exits, but the manager says “No, absolutely not”. Option (C) is a plausible earthquake survival myth, but it is never mentioned in the audio.

2 Answer: (A) Because walking while the ground is moving is extremely unsafe.

• Explanation: The manager says, “Attempting to move around during the quake is highly dangerous”. “Walking while the ground is moving” is a paraphrase of moving around during the quake, and “extremely unsafe” means highly dangerous.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (B) is a trap because the manager explicitly says “Do not use the elevators”. Option (C) mixes two different parts of the audio; he mentions “falling objects” (when hiding under the desk) and the “back stairwell” (for evacuation), but he doesn’t say the stairs are blocked.

3 Answer: (C) The car park on the other side of the road.

• Explanation: The manager states that the assembly point is “the parking lot across the street”. “Car park” is a synonym for parking lot, and “on the other side of the road” means across the street.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is a trap. They will walk down the back stairwell (rear stairs), but they will not stop at the bottom; they must go to the parking lot. Option (B) is a plausible location for an assembly point, but it is not mentioned.

Mr. Davis: Alright everyone, could I have your attention, please? Um, we are going to run through our annual earthquake drill. As you know, we live in a seismic zone. So, if the building starts shaking, remember the golden rule. First, drop to the floor. Then, take cover under your sturdy desks to protect your head from falling objects. Finally, hold on to the desk legs until the trembling completely stops.

Sarah: Excuse me, Mr. Davis. Should we immediately run to the emergency exits when it happens?

Mr. Davis: Ah, good question, Sarah. No, absolutely not. Attempting to move around during the quake is highly dangerous. You must stay put. Once the shaking ceases, we will evacuate calmly. Do not use the elevators. We will proceed down the back stairwell and gather at the designated assembly point, which is the parking lot across the street. Okay, let’s practice this now.

1 Answer: (A) Food at the supermarket becomes much more expensive.

• Explanation: The speaker says that crops dying leads to “a significant increase in grocery prices”. “Food at the supermarket” is a paraphrase of groceries, and “more expensive” means an increase in prices.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (B) is a trap. The audio mentions that farmers “abandon their fields”, but it doesn’t say they move to different cities. Option (C) is plausible in a drought context but is never mentioned in the speech.

2 Answer: (B) Because the public water storage has gone down significantly.

• Explanation: Alex explains that “the water levels in our main reservoirs have dropped drastically”. “Public water storage” is a synonym for main reservoirs, and “gone down significantly” means dropped drastically.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is a trap. The audio mentions “weekdays” regarding the new rules, but it doesn’t say the rules were made because people wasted water on weekends. Option (C) is a trap using words from the audio; Alex advises people to fix “leaky pipes”, but this is a personal advice, not the government’s reason for the rules.

3 Answer: (C) Cleaning their personal vehicles.

• Explanation: The speaker states that people are “no longer allowed to wash our cars… on weekdays”. “Cleaning their personal vehicles” is a direct paraphrase of washing cars.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is a trap. Alex suggests “taking shorter showers” as a good idea to save water, but it is not a strict rule or prohibition by the city council. Option (B) is not mentioned in the audio at all.

Alex: Good morning, everyone. Um, today I’d like to talk about a silent but deadly natural disaster… drought. As you know, a drought happens when a region experiences an extreme lack of rainfall for a long period.

Well, the most obvious impact is on our food supply. Without enough moisture in the soil, crops simply wither and die. This forces many local farmers to abandon their fields, which eventually leads to a significant increase in grocery prices for all of us.

But it’s not just about farming. Our daily lives are heavily affected too. For instance, the water levels in our main reservoirs have dropped drastically. Ah, because of this, the city council has recently introduced strict water rationing rules. This means we are no longer allowed to wash our cars or water our lawns on weekdays. It’s crucial that we all start taking shorter showers and fixing leaky pipes immediately. Um, if we don’t conserve our precious liquid resources now, we might face a severe shortage by next month. Thank you for listening.

1 Answer: (A) To invite her to participate in a disaster relief effort.

• Explanation: Mark tells Chloe about the charity’s “donation drive” to send aid to the flooded region and asks if she wants to “chip in” (contribute/participate). “Disaster relief effort” is a paraphrase of this activity.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (B) is a trap. Chloe mentions “heavy boxes” later, but Mark didn’t ask her to move them. Option (C) is a trap; Mark asks if she has “seen the news”, but he doesn’t show her a video.

2 Answer: (B) Monetary contributions.

• Explanation: Mark says that the charity desperately needs “financial support”. “Monetary contributions” is a formal synonym for financial support or money.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is the trap. Chloe offers her winter coats, but Mark rejects this by saying they already have “plenty of garments” (clothes). Option (C) is a very tricky trap; the charity needs money to buy medical supplies and water, but they are asking the staff for money, not the actual medicine.

3 Answer: (C) She will send the money electronically.

• Explanation: Chloe decides to do it “online” because she rarely carries physical money. “Send the money electronically” is a paraphrase of transferring it online.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is a trap. Mark suggests the collection box as an option, but Chloe rejects it because she doesn’t carry cash (“physical money”). Option (B) is a trap based on her initial, rejected idea of donating winter coats.

Mark: Hey Chloe, do you have a minute? Have you seen the news about the severe flooding in the southern region?

Chloe: Hi Mark. Yes, it’s absolutely devastating. I heard hundreds of families had to evacuate their homes overnight.

Mark: Exactly. Well, our company is partnering with a local charity to send some aid. They are organizing a donation drive this Friday. I was wondering if you’d like to chip in.

Chloe: I’d love to. Um, what kind of supplies do they need? I have a lot of unused winter coats in my closet that I could give away.

Mark: Actually, the organizers mentioned that they have already received plenty of garments. Right now, what they desperately need is financial support to buy medical supplies and clean drinking water for the victims.

Chloe: Oh, that makes sense. Transporting heavy boxes of clothes might be difficult right now anyway. How do we send the funds?

Mark: You can transfer it directly to the charity’s bank account or just drop some cash in the collection box at the reception desk.

Chloe: I rarely carry physical money these days, so I’ll just do it online after my lunch break.

1 Answer: (A) A strong tropical storm.

• Explanation: Lily guesses that a “powerful hurricane” makes a massive wave. “Strong tropical storm” is a paraphrase of powerful hurricane.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (B) is a trap that mixes two ideas (earthquakes happen at the bottom of the ocean, not near the beach). Option (C) is a scientific concept, but it is never mentioned in the conversation.

2 Answer: (B) A violent shaking of the earth under the sea.

• Explanation: Ben mentions an “earthquake that happens right at the bottom of the ocean”, and Mr. Evans confirms this is correct (“Spot on”). “Violent shaking of the earth” is a synonym for earthquake, and “under the sea” means at the bottom of the ocean.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is the trap based on Lily’s incorrect guess (bad weather/hurricane), which the teacher explicitly rejects. Option (C) describes how the wave acts later, not what triggers (starts) it.

3 Answer: (C) It increases in height and danger.

• Explanation: Mr. Evans states that as the wave approaches shallow coastal areas, “it grows taller and becomes highly destructive.” “Increases in height” means grows taller, and “danger” refers to it being destructive.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is a trap. The wave travels fast in the ocean, but the audio does not say it speeds up as it gets closer to the shore. Option (B) is the exact opposite of what happens (it becomes highly destructive, not less powerful).

Mr. Evans: Good morning, class. Today we are looking at natural disasters. Can anyone tell me what creates a tsunami? Is it just a giant wave caused by bad weather?

Lily: Um, I think so, Mr. Evans. Doesn’t a powerful hurricane push the ocean water toward the beach and make a massive wave?

Mr. Evans: That’s a very common guess, Lily, but actually, that’s called a storm surge. A tsunami is entirely different. Ben, do you have any ideas?

Ben: Well, I read that it has something to do with the ground shaking. Like… an earthquake that happens right at the bottom of the ocean?

Mr. Evans: Spot on, Ben. When the tectonic plates beneath the seafloor suddenly shift or break, they release a huge amount of energy. This violent movement pushes a massive volume of water upward.

Lily: Oh, I see. So it’s the displaced water traveling across the sea that forms the tsunami?

Mr. Evans: Exactly. It travels incredibly fast, and as it approaches shallow coastal areas, it grows taller and becomes highly destructive.

1 Answer: (B) Because the snowstorm is arriving sooner than predicted.

• Explanation: The principal says a severe blizzard is approaching “much faster than initially expected.” “Snowstorm” is a synonym for blizzard, and “sooner than predicted” is a paraphrase of faster than expected.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is a plausible reason for a school to close in winter, but it is not mentioned at all. Option (C) uses words from the audio (“afternoon”, “activities”), but the audio says these activities are canceled, not finished.

2 Answer: (C) They should travel together with another person.

• Explanation: For students who walk home, the principal advises them “not to travel alone” and to “walk in pairs”. “Travel together with another person” is a paraphrase of walking in pairs.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (A) is the trap for a different group; the “main entrance” is where the bus riders need to go. Option (B) is also a trap; waiting in the gym is for students whose parents are picking them up.

3 Answer: (A) Indoors at the sports facility.

• Explanation: The principal tells students being picked up by parents to wait “inside the gymnasium”. “Indoors at the sports facility” is a direct paraphrase of inside the gymnasium.
• Why traps are wrong: Option (B) is explicitly rejected by the speaker; she says “not outside in the cold”. Option (C) is a plausible place to wait, but it is not what the principal instructed.

Principal Miller: Attention all students and staff. This is Principal Miller. Ahem. Please listen carefully to this important announcement. The national weather service has just updated their forecast, and a severe blizzard is approaching our town much faster than initially expected. Because of the heavy snowfall and freezing winds, we have decided to close the school early today. All afternoon classes and extracurricular activities are officially canceled.

Now, regarding dismissal. If you take the school bus, please gather at the main entrance immediately. The buses will depart in exactly fifteen minutes. For those of you who usually walk home, I strongly advise you not to travel alone; please find a classmate and walk in pairs. And if your parents are coming to pick you up, wait for them inside the gymnasium, not outside in the cold.

Please pack your bags quickly and stay safe on your way home. We will notify you tomorrow morning about when the facility will reopen.