Science, Nature & Agriculture – B2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
You will hear a young man called Leo giving a presentation about a Career Discovery Day he attended at a local zoo. For questions 9-18, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
Zoo Career Discovery Day
Leo attended the Career Discovery Day because of his growing interest in (9)……………………… .
Leo was surprised that the first presentation was given by a (10)……………………… .
Leo was amazed to learn that the zoo grows its own (11)……………………… for some of the animals.
The landscape architect’s primary responsibility is to create a realistic (12)……………………… for the animals.
According to the zoo educator, possessing good (13)……………………… is the most vital skill for their role.
The veterinary assistant highlighted the importance of inspecting the animals’ (14)……………………… during regular check-ups.
Applicants for the zoo’s summer internship must provide a (15)……………………… as part of their application.
Leo was particularly impressed by the zoo’s (16)……………………… for endangered frogs.
A field researcher explained that her primary task involves gathering (17)……………………… about animal populations.
After visiting the aquatic facilities, Leo has decided he wants to be a (18)……………………… in the future.
ANSWER KEY
9 wildlife conservation 10 nutritionist 11 bamboo 12 habitat
13 storytelling 14 teeth 15 video
16 breeding programme 17 data 18 marine biologist
AUDIO SCRIPT
Leo: Hi everyone. My name’s Leo, and I’m here to tell you about a fantastic event I attended last weekend. It was a Career Discovery Day hosted by our city zoo, aimed at teenagers interested in science and nature. I always knew I wanted to work with animals, and for a long time, I seriously thought about studying veterinary medicine. However, over the past year, my focus has shifted to wildlife conservation, so that’s why I decided to sign up for the event. I wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes.
The day started in the main auditorium. I was expecting the first speaker to be a zookeeper—someone who feeds and cleans out the enclosures—but instead, we were introduced to the zoo’s head nutritionist. She gave a fascinating talk explaining how every single species, and sometimes even individual animals, needs a highly specific diet carefully calculated for their exact needs.
One thing that really amazed me was where the food actually comes from. I just assumed they bought everything from commercial farms or supermarkets. But actually, for certain specialist eaters like the red pandas and gorillas, the zoo cultivates its own bamboo right there on the grounds. They have huge greenhouses dedicated just to that!
Next, a landscape architect spoke to us. Now, you might think they just plant flowers and trees to make the zoo look pretty for the public. Rather, she explained that their main job is to design a natural-looking habitat that encourages animals to behave exactly as they would in the wild, which is crucial for their mental and physical wellbeing.
We also heard from the education department. The speaker said that having a biology degree is certainly useful, but she stressed that the absolute most important skill for a zoo educator isn’t encyclopedic scientific knowledge, it’s storytelling. That’s what captures the public’s imagination and keeps the school groups engaged during a tour.
Then, a veterinary assistant gave a really engaging presentation. She brought out some medical equipment to show us how they perform health assessments. She mentioned they regularly check the animals’ fur and claws, but she emphasized that examining their teeth is actually the most crucial part of an annual health check, as dental problems can lead to serious health issues in wild animals.
For anyone hoping to get some hands-on work experience, the zoo offers a highly competitive summer internship. The application process is quite unique. You don’t just send in a traditional CV or write a long essay; applicants are actually required to submit a short video explaining why they want the position and what they hope to achieve.
Throughout the afternoon, we toured different departments. I saw the state-of-the-art animal hospital and the research labs, but what completely blew my mind was the breeding programme. Seeing how they are successfully helping endangered tropical frogs recover their population numbers in a specialized facility was absolutely incredible.
Later, a field researcher talked about her job. She spends months away from home in remote locations. People often think her job is all about rescuing injured animals or tracking poachers, but she explained that she spends the vast majority of her time just collecting data on population movements. It requires a lot of patience.
Attending this Discovery Day really opened my eyes to the huge variety of careers in nature. I had been seriously considering becoming a park ranger after I finish my studies. But after seeing the aquarium facilities and talking to the aquatic staff at the end of the day, I’ve set my heart on working as a marine biologist. It was a truly inspiring experience and I can’t wait to start applying for university courses.