Geography & Field Exploration – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 birthday gift 10 flat-bottomed boat 11 safety jackets 12 sound waves

13 ultrasound detector 14 tearing paper 15 tall hedgerows

16 river flies 17 sleeping swan 18 volunteer work

Sarah: Hi everyone. My name’s Sarah, and I’m going to talk to you about a brilliant bat-watching river tour I went on last Saturday evening. Most of my classmates do these kinds of nature trips for our biology projects, but this particular excursion was actually a birthday gift from my older sister, who knows how much I love wildlife.

When we arrived at the river, I was incredibly curious about the vessel we’d be taking. I initially assumed we would just be paddling down the water in a standard canoe, but the guide actually ushered us onto a rather wide, flat-bottomed boat. It was extremely stable, which meant we could move around to look at the wildlife without worrying about tipping over in the dark.

Before we set off, I fully expected the guide to hand out binoculars to everyone, as you usually need them for bird watching. Instead, he insisted that we all put on our safety jackets first. The water wasn’t particularly deep, but it’s a strict rule for all evening river tours just in case of an emergency.

As it got dark, the guide gave us a fascinating introductory talk. People often think that bats rely on excellent night vision to get around. However, they actually navigate by emitting high-frequency sound waves that bounce off obstacles and prey. It’s a completely different biological way of perceiving the world, known as echolocation.

Because these calls are far too high-pitched for human ears to pick up, we couldn’t just use a smartphone app to hear them, even though some people asked if that was possible. Instead, the guide passed around a piece of professional equipment called an ultrasound detector for each of us to use. We had to plug headphones into them to pick up the frequencies.

When I first switched my device on, I was expecting to hear a fast clicking noise, a bit like a metronome. But to my complete surprise, the noise that came through the headphones sounded exactly like tearing paper. It was a continuous, sharp sound that grew louder as the bats flew past our boat.

For the first part of the trip, the wind was blowing quite strongly across the open water, and we didn’t spot any bats at all. We floated under a massive stone bridge, hoping they might be sheltering in the old brickwork there, but it was completely empty. However, when we eventually drifted into a much more sheltered stretch of the river bordered by tall hedgerows, suddenly there were dozens of bats swooping right over our heads!

It was amazing to watch them preying on the insects hovering above the water in that enclosed space. I thought they might be diving down to catch tiny fish, as some species do, but they were entirely focused on hunting the river flies that gather near the muddy banks at dusk. They were incredibly agile and fast.

We didn’t just see bats, either. My sister pointed her flashlight towards the bank, thinking she had spotted a water vole swimming among the reeds. When we looked closer, it turned out to be a sleeping swan tucked away securely in the shadows. We were very careful to keep the boat’s engine quiet so we didn’t startle it.

The whole trip was incredibly inspiring and really opened my eyes. I had originally planned to write a magazine article about the importance of protecting these animals for my school paper. Instead, I’ve decided to sign up for some volunteer work with a local wildlife trust to help actively monitor the bat populations. I’m really looking forward to getting more involved!

9 sports magazine 10 open countryside 11 safety whistle 12 long trousers

13 contour lines 14 red course 15 stone wall

16 radio mast 17 steep bank 18 hot soup

Jake: Hi everyone! My name is Jake, and I’m here to talk to you about a thrilling outdoor activity I’ve recently become obsessed with: orienteering. If you don’t know, it involves navigating between checkpoints across rough terrain using only a detailed map and a compass.

A lot of my friends got into the sport by joining a university club or by stumbling across an internet blog. However, my own introduction happened completely by chance when I read a fascinating article in a sports magazine I’d bought for a long train journey. It sounded like the perfect physical challenge, so I decided to give it a go.

Events are held in a massive variety of locations. Beginners often start out navigating through local parks, and many elite competitions take place deep inside thick woodlands. I’ve tried those environments, but my absolute favourite places to navigate are tracks set across the open countryside. The sweeping views you get from the hillsides are just incredibly rewarding.

When it comes to gear, you really don’t need to spend a fortune. Novices often assume they need to purchase an expensive GPS device, or at least rely heavily on a mobile phone. Actually, smartphones are usually strictly banned during races! The organizers will lend you a compass, but one item you are strictly required to bring yourself is a safety whistle, just in case you suffer an injury far from the main path and need to signal for help.

Clothing is another crucial factor. Because you’re running, you might be tempted to wear basic running shorts, or perhaps a heavy waterproof jacket if the weather looks threatening. Instead, the most vital piece of clothing you can wear is long trousers, purely because you’ll frequently be pushing through sharp brambles and tall grass that can severely scratch your bare legs.

Understanding the highly specialized map is the core of orienteering. It’s totally different from a standard road map. You might think memorizing the specific symbols for paths or fences is the hardest part. In reality, mastering the contour lines is the most difficult skill, as these overlapping orange marks indicate the exact shape of the hills and the steepness of the terrain you’ll be facing.

Last weekend, I attended a major regional event. When registering, competitors are asked to select their difficulty level, which is indicated by colors. I initially considered pushing myself by trying the elite black course, but my coach advised against it. Instead, I opted for the red course, which offered a solid physical challenge without the extremely complex navigation required at the highest levels.

The race started well. The checkpoints you have to find are marked by distinctive orange and white flags. I thought the first one would be located near a fallen tree that was clearly marked on the map, or perhaps by a nearby wooden bridge. It turned out it was actually concealed right behind a stone wall. It took me a good ten minutes of frantic searching to finally punch my electronic timing card there!

Midway through the race, I completely lost my bearings. I was trapped in a dense patch of forest and couldn’t see the mountain peak I was hoping to use to guide myself. I desperately scanned the horizon for a tall chimney to act as a landmark. Eventually, I caught sight of a massive radio mast in the distance, which finally allowed me to figure out exactly where I was on the map.

Orienteering requires a lot of stamina and agility. Towards the end of the race, my legs were feeling incredibly heavy. I managed to successfully leap over a shallow stream, but immediately after, I lost my footing while scrambling up a steep bank. I slipped backwards and got covered in mud, but I still managed to keep going!

Crossing the finish line is always a phenomenal feeling. You’re completely exhausted, so recovering your energy is vital. I was fully expecting to be handed an energy bar or perhaps a piece of fresh fruit by the volunteers. But to my absolute delight, they were serving bowls of hot soup to all the competitors. It was exactly what I needed to warm up after a tough run.