Climate Change – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Answer: (B) It is unusually strong and severe.

• Explanation: The anchor states that while heavy rain is normal, “this system is exceptionally powerful” and “much worse than usual.” (Paraphrasing: unusually strong and severe = exceptionally powerful / much worse than usual).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. The anchor mentions they usually see “heavy rain,” but Storm Clara is also bringing “destructive winds,” so saying it has “no wind” is incorrect. Option (C) is a plausible guess for a storm, but its duration is never mentioned.

2 Answer: (A) The temperature of the sea water has risen.

• Explanation: The report explains that the storm is worse because “the surface of the ocean has become significantly warmer.” (Paraphrasing: temperature of the sea water has risen = surface of the ocean has become significantly warmer).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap. The “city center” is mentioned in the audio, but it is the location of the emergency shelters, not the cause of the heat. Option (C) is unmentioned.

3 Answer: (C) To leave the area and go to a shelter.

• Explanation: Authorities advise residents near the beach to “evacuate immediately” because “emergency shelters have been opened.” (Paraphrasing: leave the area = evacuate).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a very strong trap. The anchor says, “Stay tuned to this channel,” which might make people think they should stay home, but he explicitly warns: “Please do not try to stay in your homes.” Option (B) is unmentioned.

News Anchor: Good evening. This is your local news update, and we begin with an urgent weather warning. A massive storm, currently named Storm Clara, is heading directly for our coastline. Now, we usually see heavy rain around this time of year, but um, this system is exceptionally powerful. Meteorologists expect it to hit land by tomorrow morning, bringing destructive winds and severe flooding.

So, why is this storm so much worse than usual? Well, scientists confirm that it’s connected to climate change. Because the surface of the ocean has become significantly warmer over the last few years, storms like Clara absorb more heat and moisture. This extra energy makes them much more intense.

Authorities are strongly advising all residents living near the beach to evacuate immediately. Please do not try to stay in your homes. Emergency shelters have been opened in the city center. Stay tuned to this channel for more updates.

1 Answer: (A) To prevent the planet from becoming too cold.

• Explanation: The host says the blanket “traps some of the warmth so we don’t freeze.” (Paraphrasing: prevent from becoming too cold = so we don’t freeze).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap. In real life, the ozone layer blocks dangerous sunlight, but this is an outside fact not mentioned in the audio. Option (C) is a trap that mixes up the literal concept of a garden greenhouse with the audio’s explanation.

2 Answer: (C) Because humans are producing excessive amounts of carbon dioxide.

• Explanation: The host explains that because we burn coal and oil, “we release way too much CO2 into the air.” (Paraphrasing: producing excessive amounts = release way too much).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is the trap. The audio explicitly states that the blanket “gets too thick,” not that it has disappeared. Option (A) is unmentioned.

3 Answer: (B) It stops the forests from absorbing harmful gases from the air.

• Explanation: The host explains that trees act as “air purifiers” and breathe in CO2, but deforestation means “fewer trees are left to clean the air.” (Paraphrasing: stops from absorbing harmful gases = fewer trees left to clean the air).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a very strong real-world trap. Destroying animal habitats is a major consequence of deforestation, but the host only talks about the impact on the air/climate. Option (C) is a trap because “burn oil” is mentioned earlier in the audio, but not as the reason why cutting down trees is bad.

Host: Welcome back to “Science Made Simple”. I’m your host, and today we’re talking about a term you hear all the time: greenhouse gases. So, what exactly are they?

Well, imagine our planet is wrapped in a giant, invisible blanket. Gases like carbon dioxide, or CO2, make up this blanket. When the sun sends heat to Earth, this blanket traps some of the warmth so we don’t freeze. That’s actually a natural and good thing.

However, the problem starts when the blanket gets too thick. Because we burn so much coal and oil, we release way too much CO2 into the air. This traps extra heat, making the globe dangerously hot.

Now, you might be wondering, what about trees? Trees act like our natural air purifiers. They breathe in CO2 and store it. But sadly, we are cutting down millions of trees every year to clear land for farming. This deforestation means fewer trees are left to clean the air, and worse, the carbon they were holding is released right back into the atmosphere. It’s a double disaster for our climate.

1 Answer: (B) To encourage residents to participate in an environmental campaign.

• Explanation: The manager asks the residents to “join in” Earth Hour, which he describes as a “global campaign… to raise awareness about climate change.” (Paraphrasing: encourage to participate = asking every household to join in; environmental campaign = campaign about climate change).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a very common trap in this context. The lights will go out, but it is a voluntary action, not a forced “scheduled power cut.” Option (C) is a plausible topic for a building manager, but electricity bills are never mentioned.

2 Answer: (A) Power down their non-essential electronic equipment.

• Explanation: The speaker asks people to turn off devices that they “don’t really need” (like TVs and computers). (Paraphrasing: power down = turn off / unplug; non-essential = don’t really need).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is the trap. The manager explicitly states, “you don’t have to switch off your refrigerators.” Option (C) is a trap because the speaker mentions doing the action “together,” but he means doing it collectively in their own homes, not physically gathering outside.

3 Answer: (C) For one hour.

• Explanation: The event runs from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, and the speaker asks residents to turn off devices for “just 60 minutes.” (Paraphrasing: one hour = 60 minutes / 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap. The manager says the event is happening “this weekend,” but the action itself only lasts for 60 minutes, not the whole weekend. Option (B) is a trap using the time mentioned in the audio; 8:30 PM is when the event starts, not when it finishes.

Mr. Henderson: Attention all residents of Greenview Apartments. This is your building manager speaking. I have an important announcement regarding a special event happening this weekend.

As you may know, this Saturday is “Earth Hour.” It is a global campaign designed to raise awareness about climate change, and millions of people around the world will be participating. We are kindly asking every household in our complex to join in.

From 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM this Saturday evening, please turn off all your lights and unplug any electrical devices that you don’t really need. Now, you don’t have to switch off your refrigerators, of course. But we do ask you to turn off your televisions, computers, and air conditioners for just 60 minutes.

It’s a simple action, but if we all do it together, it sends a powerful message about saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases. Let’s do our part to protect the planet. Thank you for your cooperation!

1 Answer: (A) They cannot catch enough food because the frozen water is disappearing.

• Explanation: Emily says that the “sea ice in the Arctic is melting” and without it, polar bears are “not getting enough food.” (Paraphrasing: frozen water is disappearing = sea ice is melting; cannot catch enough food = not getting enough food / starving).
• Why the trap is wrong: Options (B) and (C) are unmentioned. The audio mentions “hunt,” but it’s the bears hunting for food, not being hunted by others.

2 Answer: (B) That only top political leaders had the power to stop it.

• Explanation: Emily states, “At first, I thought only big governments could fix this massive problem… wait for politicians.” (Paraphrasing: top political leaders = big governments / politicians; power to stop it = fix this massive problem).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. She now believes that students need to “take action ourselves,” but the question asks what she initially (at first) believed.

3 Answer: (C) Switch off electrical items in rooms that are not being used.

• Explanation: Emily suggests “turning off the lights when we leave an empty classroom.” (Paraphrasing: Switch off electrical items = turning off the lights; rooms not being used = empty classroom).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. She mentions different modes of transport, but she suggests “walking to school instead of taking a car,” not riding bicycles instead of walking. Option (B) is a plausible action to help bears, but it is never mentioned in the speech.

Emily: Hi everyone. Um, today I want to talk to you about how climate change is affecting animals, especially polar bears.

We all know the planet is getting warmer. But did you know this is destroying the polar bears’ natural habitat? Because global temperatures are rising, the sea ice in the Arctic is melting much faster than before. Polar bears actually need this solid ice to hunt for seals. Without it, many of them are simply not getting enough food and are starving.

At first, I thought only big governments could fix this massive problem. I used to believe we just had to wait for politicians to pass new laws. But I realized that’s not true. We can’t just wait around. We need to take action ourselves, right here at our school.

Simple things, like turning off the lights when we leave an empty classroom, or walking to school instead of taking a car, can really lower greenhouse gas emissions. Please, let’s start making these changes today.

1 Answer: (B) She asked the shop assistant to use her personal glass boxes.

• Explanation: The vlogger says she “brought my own glass containers” and asked them to “put the food straight into my boxes.” (Paraphrasing: personal glass boxes = my own glass containers).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. She mentions that meat normally comes wrapped in “plastic and styrofoam,” but this is her old habit that she is trying to avoid, not what she did differently this time. Option (C) is a plausible eco-friendly action, but it is not mentioned.

2 Answer: (C) She created a natural mixture using fruit waste and vinegar.

• Explanation: She made her own cleaning solution by soaking “leftover lemon peels in white vinegar.” (Paraphrasing: fruit waste = leftover lemon peels; created a natural mixture = made my own cleaning solution).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a strong trap. She mentions “commercial sprays” and “plastic bottles,” but she explicitly says “Instead of buying” them (she stopped buying them). Option (B) is unmentioned.

3 Answer: (B) It prevents dangerous substances from entering the water supply.

• Explanation: She points out that her homemade cleaner “stops toxic liquids from polluting our water system.” (Paraphrasing: prevents = stops; dangerous substances = toxic liquids; water supply = water system).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap. She does say that her cleaner “smells amazing,” but a nice smell is a personal benefit, not an environmental benefit. Option (C) is a trap; while using lemon peels reduces food waste, she does not mention the landfill as the main environmental reason for doing this.

Vlogger: Hey guys, welcome back to my channel! So, I just finished my 7-day Zero Waste Challenge, and I want to share a few things I learned.

The hardest part was definitely grocery shopping. Normally, when you buy meat or fish, it comes wrapped in layers of plastic and styrofoam. This time, I brought my own glass containers to the butcher. I felt a little nervous asking them to put the food straight into my boxes, but they were actually super happy to do it!

Another big change was how I clean my house. Instead of buying commercial sprays that come in plastic bottles and contain harsh chemicals, I made my own cleaning solution. I just soaked leftover lemon peels in white vinegar for a few days. It smells amazing, and most importantly, it stops toxic liquids from polluting our water system.

It’s a small step, but if we all make these little changes, it really helps the planet. Let me know in the comments what eco-friendly habits you’ve tried!