Lecture on the Geography of the United Kingdom - IELTS Listening Sample Answer

IELTS Listening section examines a candidate’s proficiency in thoroughly understanding audio and answering different question types. This IELTS topic - A lecture on the geography of the United Kingdom is IELTS listening section four. The following are the IELTS listening question types to be answered:

• Table completion
• Fill in the blanks

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Audio Transcript:

You will hear a lecture on the geography of the United Kingdom, First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Welcome to this introductory lecture on the geography of the United Kingdom. The UK with a total population of over 60 million, consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales. England is the largest country of the UK with some 52 million people. It is mainly a lowland country with some upland areas in the north and west. The capital is London with about 7 million people. There are many manufacturing industries and farming is widespread. But the economy is increasingly service-based and London is one of the world's leading centers for banking, insurance and other financial services. High-tech Industries have replaced many of the more traditional ones. In Scotland, 5 million people live in an area not much smaller than England. The country boasts vast open spaces and is one of the last areas of unspoiled natural beauty in Europe, featuring mountains locks, that is lakes and Glen's, that is valleys, modern Industries, including oil, electronics and biotechnology as well as more traditional Industries such as fishing and forestry drive the economy. The largest city is Glasgow, but the capital is Edinburgh.

Wales is home to three million people and its geography Is characterized by coastline, mountains and lakes. Cardiff is the capital and largest city. Key Industries include electronics, auto components, food processing, health care and professional services. More Japanese companies have set up shop in Wales than anywhere else in Europe. About 1.6 million people live in Northern Ireland, the capital of which is Belfast, the largest city. Residents enjoy a beautiful countryside. Many new hotels are springing up to cater for increasing numbers of tourists and business travelers. The climate in the UK is moderate. Summers are fairly cool and winters are quite mild and despite what many foreigners believe, British weather is not rain and fog. It is actually more comfortable, more varied and more interesting than that. What you can look forward to in the way of rain, sun, temperature and even daylight depends on where

you will be living. Here are some typical figures for London. January is the coldest month at 3 degrees centigrade whilst July is the hottest at 17 degrees centigrade. Rainfall varies from 56 millimeters in April to 81 millimeters in December. Although the UK is quite small geographically, the climate varies from one area to another. In general, the west is wetter and milder than the east and northern areas are noticeably cooler than southern ones. For example, compare the following temperatures with the London figures. Edinburgh, 14 degrees centigrade in July and Manchester, 15 degrees centigrade in the same month. Edinburgh, four degrees centigrade in January and Manchester, five degrees centigrade in the same month. Parts of Scotland usually get snow in winter whereas you might live in London for several years without seeing a significant snowfall. International students who are used to tropical or equatorial climates are often intrigued by the sheer variety of the weather in the UK. Weather in the early spring tends to be especially changeable. You could be treated to rain, snow, thunder and lightning, hail and glorious spring, sunshine all in the course of a single day.

Q.31-35

Complete the information in the table, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap

Question 31:

Answer: Great Britain

Explanation: The UK with a total population of 60 million comprises Great Britain and the Northern Island.

Also check:

Question 32:

Answer: north and west

Explanation: It is majorly a lowland country consisting of upland areas in the north and western parts.

Question 33:

Answer: lakes

Explanation: The UK boasts of its natural beauty, which consists of mountains, lakes, and Glens.

Question 34:

Answer: coastline

Explanation: Wales has a population of three million people and its geography is displayed by the coastline.

Question 35:

Answer: food processing

Explanation: Cardiff is the largest and also the capital city that consists of key industries like electronics, food processing, and auto component.

Q.36-40

Answer the following questions using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

36. What kind of weather do many foreigners think Britain has? ____________

Answer: rain and fog

Explanation: Most foreigners think that Britain has a rainy and foggy climate. It is actually more comfortable and varied than that.

37. Which is the driest month in London? ____________

Answer: April

Explanation: The driest month in London is April.

38. Which part of Britain tends to be drier? ____________

Answer: (the) east

Explanation: The part of Britain that tends to be drier is the east part.

39. Where is snow usual in winter? ____________

Answer: (parts of) Scotland

Explanation: Snow is usually found in parts of Scotland during the wintertime.

40. When is the weather generally most variable? ____________

Answer: (the) early spring

Explanation: The weather in the UK is mostly variable during the early springtime.