Geography, Climate & Astronomy – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 catamaran 10 calm seas 11 underwater microphones 12 acrobatics

13 grey whales 14 breathing 15 100 metres

16 plastic pollution 17 waterproof jacket 18 sense of peace

Mark: Hi everyone, my name is Mark, and I’m a marine biologist and tour guide. I want to tell you about my job, taking tourists out on specialized boat excursions to marvel at dolphins and whales thriving in their natural habitats.

When taking tourists out to observe these magnificent creatures, people often assume we use traditional wooden fishing boats, or perhaps rapid speedboats for getting around quickly. However, we actually operate a catamaran, which provides a much more stable viewing platform on the water. This ensures everyone has a steady view and doesn’t get seasick.

Obviously, our excursions are entirely dependent on the weather. Passengers usually hope for bright sunshine, and while a clear sky is lovely, it’s not the most crucial factor for a good trip. Instead, what we really require are calm seas, otherwise spotting the animals beneath the waves becomes almost impossible.

Finding the marine life in the vast ocean is quite a challenge. Many guides rely heavily on binoculars to scan the horizon for a splash. Though we do use those, our primary method of locating the pods is by dropping underwater microphones into the water to listen for their unique clicks and whistles. It’s an incredibly effective technique.

When we finally encounter dolphins, they are incredibly playful. You might expect them to just swim quietly alongside the vessel, or perhaps focus purely on feeding on small fish near the surface. Actually, they love to show off by performing spectacular acrobatics right beside us, leaping high into the air, which always thrills the tourists.

As for whales, we are lucky to have a few different species traversing these local waters. Sometimes we catch a rare glimpse of the enormous blue whales, or even the famous humpbacks. But by far our most frequent visitors are grey whales, which migrate through this area every single year in large numbers.

People often wonder why whales come to the surface at all. It’s a common misconception among tourists that they do it to look at us, or simply to rest after swimming. In reality, they are mammals, so surfacing is strictly for breathing, before they take a deep breath and dive back down to the depths.

We have strict environmental regulations to protect the wildlife. Passengers often urge me to get within ten metres of the whales, and some less responsible operators might push it to fifty metres to get a better photo. However, the legal and safe distance we must maintain is 100 metres, so as not to disturb or stress them.

During the trip, I always make sure to give a short talk about conservation. People tend to think that commercial fishing or climate change are the only major threats to these creatures. While those are undeniably serious, I try to emphasize that plastic pollution is currently one of the most devastating hazards they face on a daily basis.

I also always advise passengers on what to bring before we set off. Many turn up loaded with heavy backpacks or extremely expensive camera equipment. But what I strongly recommend everyone brings is a waterproof jacket, because it can get surprisingly wet and windy out on the open ocean, even on a sunny day.

At the end of the excursion, people are usually lost for words. You’d think they’d feel overwhelming excitement or a massive adrenaline rush after such a wild encounter. Yet, what most people tell me they experience is a profound sense of peace, just from being in the quiet presence of these gentle giants. It really is a life-changing trip.

9 scenery 10 map 11 gold mines 12 postcards

13 pancakes 14 red rock 15 eagles

16 storm 17 hiking 18 bear

Chloe: Hi everyone. My name’s Chloe, and I’m a geography student. I’m here today to share some experiences from an amazing road trip I took with my university friends last month. We travelled by car around the state of Colorado, in America. As geography geeks, we specifically wanted a route that offered a spectacular topographical transition, and let me tell you, Colorado definitely delivers on that front.

Before we arrived, I’d expected to see endless flat plains dominating the landscape, but instead I was completely amazed by the constant shifts in the scenery. There’s absolutely everything there, from a range of high mountains to deserts.

When we were initially organizing the journey, my friends suggested using a GPS app on my phone to navigate. However, I actually relied on a traditional map to plot our coordinates, which felt much more authentic for a proper road trip, and it never ran out of battery!

Our first major stop was a historic settlement tucked away in the hills. It was fascinating to learn that the town had originally grown up around the gold mines that had been established there decades ago. I’d initially thought it was built as a hub for the railway, but a quick visit to the local museum set me straight. The whole place had a real nineteenth-century vibe to it.

Naturally, I wanted to bring back a souvenir from such an atmospheric place. I searched everywhere in the local shops for some vintage posters to put on my bedroom wall, but in the end, I bought some postcards showing what the town would have looked like then. They were much easier to pack, anyway!

Being on the road meant we ate at various places along the route. We had steak and potatoes a few times, and some fairly decent fried chicken. But the meal that really stuck in my mind was a massive plate of pancakes we ate at a roadside diner. They were absolutely out of this world, covered in maple syrup.

The most spectacular part of the drive, and the main reason for our trip, was the changing geography. For some time we were looking at bleak grey mountains, but as we drove on, those gradually transformed into striking red rock. It was breathtaking, and we were certainly a long way from the green fields that we see on our journeys at home.

Of course, we kept our eyes peeled for local wildlife as we drove through these dramatic landscapes. We saw plenty of wild rabbits all over the place, and herds of magnificent deer. We’d been assured that we’d see eagles too, although none appeared, sadly. I suppose they were hiding from the wind.

Speaking of the weather, as we were heading for the town of Aspen, the conditions took a turn for the worse. I thought it might just be a light shower, considering how clear the morning had been, but we’d heard on the radio that a storm was on its way. Driving through that heavy rain was definitely a nerve-wracking experience.

Once we finally reached Aspen and the weather cleared up, we wanted to get outdoors. Aspen is popular for all kinds of outdoor activities such as skiing, but that wasn’t for us, as we didn’t have any kit. Instead, we decided we’d have a go at hiking, and the views along the trail were fantastic. It was the perfect way to stretch our legs after so much driving.

On our final night, we were relaxing outside our hotel, enjoying the crisp mountain air. Suddenly, my friend pointed towards the trees in a panic. I thought maybe a large dog had wandered in from a neighbouring farm, but we suddenly spotted a bear heading straight for us before it headed for the rubbish bin! It certainly made for a memorable end to our Colorado adventure!