LISTENING 4 B1+

A question of science
Radio phone-in
You are going to listen to a radio phone-in programme where callers can ask an expert questions
about science.

1 Match the verbs (1–8) to the definitions (a–h).

1 to hibernate a to move to a different place at a particular time of year
2 to hunt b to produce tears in your eyes
3 to migrate c to make a liquid weaker by adding water
4 to store d to draw air into the lungs and blow it out again
5 to melt e to change from a solid to liquid due to heat
6 to cry f to chase and catch an animal in order to eat it
7 to dilute g to spend the winter in a state like deep sleep
8 to breathe h to keep a supply of something for future use

2 Listen to the radio programme. Are these sentences true or false?

1 Some animals hibernate because there isn’t enough food. TRUE/FALSE
2 Squirrels sleep for several months. TRUE/FALSE
3 Polar bears give birth after the winter. TRUE/FALSE
4 Water vapour freezes to form snow. TRUE/FALSE
5 All snowflakes are the same shape. TRUE/FALSE
6 Dirty snow takes longer to melt than clean snow. TRUE/FALSE
7 Tears dilute the acid forming in your eyes as you peel onions. TRUE/FALSE
8 Wearing contact lenses stops you crying as you peel onions. TRUE/FALSE

3 Complete the text about hibernation with the words in the box.
birth break develop fat little lower main slows store wake

The 1 reason that animals

Hibernat ion hibernate is because it is cold. In winter there
is very 2 food for all the animals
to eat and animals that live on fish find it
hard to 3 the ice on the water.

Before hibernating, animals eat a lot which

gives them extra layers of 4 .
When winter comes, they 5
the
temperature of their body and enter a deep
sleep like state. Their heart rate also
6
, which means their bodies
need less energy.

Some animals like squirrels 7

food nearby. They then 8 up
every few days, eat and go back to sleep.
Pregnant polar bears hibernate while their
babies 9 inside them. After the
winter they give 10 .

Skills Boost B1+ LISTENING 4 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable