A Conversation about Astronomy - IELTS Listening Sample Answer

IELTS Listening section consists of four sections that examine a candidate’s listening proficiency. Candidates are required to listen to the audio, then answer the IELTS listening questions. This topic - A Conversation about Astronomy is part 4. The following IELTS listening question types need to be answered:

• No more than 2 words/ a number

Check:​ Get IELTS Prep Guide

Topic: A Conversation about Astronomy
Audio Transcript
Section 4

You will hear a conversation about astronomy.

Woman: This is “Magic Time” from the BBC. I am Faith. In today’s programme we invite a professor of astronomy. Welcome Lewis.

Man: Thanks a lot, Faith.

Woman: What magic information will you introduce to us?

Man: We all know the Leonids in August are coming, so today let’s talk about meteors.

Woman: Good topic. At one time or another, almost everyone has glimpsed a swift little streak of light dashing across the night sky. Nearly everyone makes wishes when they see them and blame both good and bad luck on their presents.

Man: Yes. These sudden celestial visitors are meteors. We often call it “shooting star”. The glowing trails are caused by the incineration of a piece of celestial debris entering our atmosphere.

Woman: Many meteors are quick flashes, but some last long enough for us to track their brief course across the sky.

Man: Right. Now and then, a meteor truly will light up the night, blazing brighter than Venus – although rarely, even brighter than the Moon – leaving in its wake a dimly glowing trail that may persist for minutes.

Woman: Lewis, can we see some meteors every night in one year?

Man: Yes. Under a dark sky, any observer can expect to see between two and seven meteors each hour any night of the year. These are sporadic meteors.

Woman: Sporadic meteors?

Man: Yes. Their source bodies – meteoroids – are part of the dusty background of the inner solar system. Several times during the year, Earth encountered swarms of small particles that greatly increase the number of meteors. The result is a meteor shower, during which observers may see dozens of meteors every hour. Concentrations of material within the swarms may produce better-than-average displays in some years, with rates of hundreds per hour. And we’re treated to a truly amazing display in which thousands of visible meteors can be seen for a brief period. The phenomenon is called meteor storms which are more magnificent than meteor showers.

Woman: Ah ha! That’s wonderful!

Man: Definitely. The meteors that appear during a meteor shower seem to come from one point in, the sky. This illusion is an effect of perspective, just as a roadway seems to converge in the distance. Usually, meteor showers get the name of the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate. Such as during the Perseid shower in August, meteors seem to streak from a point in the constellation Perseus.

Woman: When is the biggest meteor storm?

Man: According to records, in 1833 a storm of 60,000 meteors an hour shocked the world.

Woman: 60,000? That’s unbelievable!

Man: By the 1860s , scientists had known that many meteor showers were annual – including the normally Placid Leonids, which produced the big storm – and that they were somehow related to comets.

Woman: Really?

Man: Yes. But most of the meteors people have seen during one of the annual showers arise from fluffy particles not much larger than sand grains. As a particle enters Earth’s atmosphere, it collides with gas atoms and molecules. The particle becomes wrapped in a glowing sheath of heated air and vaporized material boiled off its own surface.

(5 seconds pause)

Woman: Whether meteor is very near to us when it appears?

Man: No. In fact, it is an illusion. However even well-trained professionals can be fooled. Such as airline pilots have swerved to avoid meteors that were actually 160 kilometers away. A meteor that appears brighter than any of the stars and planets is a fireball.

Woman: Fireball? That’s so interesting

Man: Yeah. Most meteors are seen 80 to 120 kilometres above the ground. Sometimes, someone will claim to see a viable land on a hilltop, but in fact a real fireball first appears at a height of about 125 kilometers and loses its brightness while still at least 20 kilometres above the ground.

Woman: Yes. What colours do meteors have?

Man: Usually, most meteors look white. but some also appear blue, green, yellow, orange, or even red.

Woman: What will happen if a meteoroid gets to the surface of the Earth without being completely vaporised?

Man: It will be meteorite.

Woman: I heard meteorites were long ago thought to be cast down as gifts from angels .

Man: Yes. And others thought the gods were displaying their anger.

Woman: Really?

Man: As late as the 17th Century, many believed they fell from thunderstorms (they were nicknamed “thunderstones”). Many scientists didn’t believe the accounts of people who claim to have seen meteors and some experts were skeptical that stones could fall from the clouds or the heaven.

Woman: Yes.

Man: One of the most significant meteorite events in recent history destroyed hundreds of square miles of forest in Siberia on June the 30th 1908. According to local witnesses a ball of fire streaked through the sky and seemed to enter the atmosphere at an oblique angle. It exploded, sending out hot winds and loud noises and shaking the ground enough to break windows in nearby villages. Small particles blown into the atmosphere lit the night sky for several days.

Woman: So, nowadays, the prevailing theory holds that a meteor exploded just above the surface?

Man: Yes. Most impact craters and basins larger than the Meteor Crater are heavily worn away or have been buried by rocks and dirt as the earth’s surface changed. At present, Chicxulub Basin centered in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is the largest one. The diameter of basin is around 300 kilometres. Rock samples obtained by drilling into the basin show that an asteroid struck the earth there about 65 million years ago.

Woman: Does that the same period with the dinosaurs disappeared?

Man: That’s right. Many scientists believe this debris caused climate changes which made the dinosaurs not survive.

Woman: We do really hope that will never happen again.

Man: Right.

Woman: OK. Thanks for watching today’s programme. See you next week.

Questions 31-40
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Magic Meteor Astronomy

Meteors are usually named 31____________________.

Answer: shooting star

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about these sudden celestial visitors are meteors. We often call it “shooting star”, which has glowing trails are caused by the incineration of a piece of celestial debris entering our atmosphere.

Also, Check:

Meteoroids belong to inner 32____________________ system.

Answer: solar

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about the source bodies – meteoroids – are part of the dusty background of the inner solar system.

Meteor storms are more beautiful and amazing than 33______________________.

Answer: meteor showers

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about the truly amazing display in which thousands of visible meteors can be seen for a brief period. The phenomenon is called meteor storms which are more magnificent than meteor showers.

The biggest meteor storm happened in 34______________________.

Answer: 1833

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about the records, wherein 1833 a storm of 60,000 meteors an hour shocked the world.

Leonids are usually connected with 35______________________.

Answer: comets

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about the records, where in by the 1860s , scientists had known that many meteor showers were annual – including the normally Placid Leonids, which produced the big storm – and that they were somehow related to comets.

A 36________________________ is brighter than any of the stars and planets.

Answer: fireball

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about the meteor that appears brighter than any of the stars and planets is a fireball.

Most meteors appear color of 37________________________.

Answer: white

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about that most meteors look white, but some also appear blue, green, yellow, orange, or even red.

In the 17th Century, many people regarded meteorite as 38_________________________.

Answer: thunderstorms/thunderstones

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about that the 17th Century, many believed they fell from thunderstorms (they were nicknamed “thunderstones”).

The most magnificent meteorite event took place on 39_____________________ 1908.

Answer: June 30th

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about that one of the most significant meteorite events in recent history destroyed hundreds of square miles of forest in Siberia on June the 30th 1908.

Dinosaurs became extinct about 40______________________ years ago.

Answer: 65 million

Explanation: In the conversation, the man talks about that Rock samples obtained by drilling into the basin show that an asteroid struck the earth there about 65 million years ago.