Science roundup links shared meals, exceptionally loud birds, and asteroid Bennu to bigger questions

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

C2. 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 participants in the social group consume in the reported experiment?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Different quantities of fruit
   2. The same quantity of bread
   3. A meal selected by each participant
   4. Only measured doses of insulin
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The same quantity of bread

   The account specifies bread as the carbohydrate source.

   Researchers in Israel gave participants the same quantity of carbohydrates—in this case, bread—and then measured their blood-glucose levels.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What happened to the social group’s blood-glucose levels after eating?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They rose sharply and remained elevated.
   2. They fell immediately below baseline.
   3. They rose less sharply and returned sooner.
   4. They fluctuated unpredictably throughout the study.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They rose less sharply and returned sooner.

   Their levels rose less sharply and normalized sooner.

   Their levels did not rise as sharply, and they returned to their baseline more quickly.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does insulin do according to the narration?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It converts glucose into carbohydrates.
   2. It moves glucose from blood into cells.
   3. It prevents the brain from recognizing food.
   4. It measures the body’s baseline glucose level.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It moves glucose from blood into cells.

   The narration describes insulin’s role in moving glucose into cells.

   Glucose is a form of sugar that the body uses for energy, while insulin helps move it from the bloodstream into cells.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why might the presence of other people affect metabolism?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It may signal the body to begin processing food earlier.
   2. It may eliminate the need for insulin altogether.
   3. It may cause participants to consume fewer carbohydrates.
   4. It may prevent glucose from entering the bloodstream.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It may signal the body to begin processing food earlier.

   The proposed explanation involves a social cue triggering earlier preparation.

   That social cue could, in turn, prompt the body to begin the metabolic process earlier, possibly including the release of insulin.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What central scientific question does the bird segment raise?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Why birds migrate across particular environments
   2. How birds create sounds powerful enough to attract attention
   3. Whether birds use sound primarily for navigation
   4. Which bird species has the most complex diet
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   How birds create sounds powerful enough to attract attention

   The segment asks how birds generate exceptionally powerful calls.

   Although the supplied account gives no further details about the species or the measurements involved, the subject raises a basic question in animal communication: how do birds produce sounds powerful enough to attract attention across their environment?

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What purposes can sound serve in the natural world?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Signaling and interaction
   2. Digestion and thermoregulation
   3. Migration and reproduction exclusively
   4. Camouflage and physical protection
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Signaling and interaction

   The narration identifies communication-related functions for sound.

   Sound serves many purposes in the natural world, including signaling and interaction, making vocal intensity a useful subject for scientific study.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What was NASA’s relevant action concerning Bennu?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It redirected Bennu toward Earth.
   2. It visited Bennu to bring samples back.
   3. It measured Bennu’s effect on blood glucose.
   4. It compared Bennu’s calls with bird vocalizations.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It visited Bennu to bring samples back.

   NASA visited Bennu to obtain samples for return to Earth.

   Finally, the discussion considers Bennu, the asteroid NASA visited in order to bring samples back to Earth.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What broader conclusion does the roundup draw from the Bennu investigation?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Distant objects can provide clues about Earth’s beginnings.
   2. Asteroids are responsible for contemporary animal communication.
   3. Planetary science has replaced biological research.
   4. Earth’s origins can be reconstructed without physical samples.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Distant objects can provide clues about Earth’s beginnings.

   The asteroid’s material may illuminate the history of our planet.

   Those samples may help scientists investigate the asteroid’s origin and what its material could reveal about the early Earth.

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.