Two Travelers Arriving From Cuba Found Carrying Live Birds at Miami Airport

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did each traveler conceal on his body?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A clutch of live birds
   2. Official health documents
   3. Several pieces of luggage
   4. Airport inspection equipment
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A clutch of live birds

   The narration identifies a clutch of birds as the concealed item.

   Instead of being transported openly, the birds were hidden in clothing.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What happened before the recording discusses animal-transport rules?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Authorities issued new international regulations
   2. The article described how the birds were hidden
   3. The travelers explained their intended plans
   4. Airport staff examined every passenger medically
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The article described how the birds were hidden

   The report first describes the concealment methods and the men’s separate arrivals.

   The men arrived separately, several days apart, but the two cases involved a similar method: each traveler concealed a clutch of birds on his body.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why can live animals create extra concerns during air travel?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They can be injured by difficult travel conditions
   2. They cannot survive in any airport environment
   3. They always require separate passenger tickets
   4. They are impossible to identify during inspections
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They can be injured by difficult travel conditions

   Restricted space, poor air, heat, and movement can injure animals.

   Live animals can present additional concerns because they may be injured by tight confinement, lack of air, heat, or sudden movement.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the recording say official rules help reduce?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The cost of international flights
   2. The risk of disease crossing borders
   3. The number of airport employees
   4. The time needed to identify passengers
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The risk of disease crossing borders

   The rules protect animals and lower the danger of cross-border disease spread.

   These general rules help protect animals and reduce the risk of disease spreading across borders.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did authorities not describe the men as doing?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Arriving from Cuba
   2. Carrying live birds
   3. Traveling together
   4. Arriving several days apart
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Traveling together

   The report explicitly says authorities did not present them as traveling together.

   Authorities did not describe the men as traveling together.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What clothing-related action may airport authorities need to take?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Ignore unusual clothing during routine checks
   2. Examine unusual behavior or clothing carefully
   3. Require every traveler to remove all clothing
   4. Replace security checks with animal permits
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Examine unusual behavior or clothing carefully

   The final paragraphs connect hidden animals with closer examination of clothing.

   They also show why airport authorities may need to examine unusual behavior or clothing carefully.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What conclusion does the authorities’ account clearly support?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Two travelers carried concealed live birds
   2. The men admitted planning to sell the birds
   3. The birds were transported with official permission
   4. The cases involved one coordinated journey
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Two travelers carried concealed live birds

   The closing sentence confirms two separate travelers carried concealed live birds.

   The facts released so far are limited, but authorities’ account makes one point clear: two separate travelers arriving from Cuba were found with live birds concealed on their bodies.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.