IELTS Listening: gap-fill about microplastics

Here's a short video and listening exercise on the same topic as yesterday's reading lesson.

If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.

Click here to listen

Quick exercise: Fill the gaps in the sentences below.

The first problem is that micro-plastics act like a ______, attracting other ______ in the water, such as pesticides and ______ retardants.

The second problem is that micro-plastics are complex polymers that the body cannot fully ______ down.

Scientists have shown that the smallest particles, nano-plastics, can ______ tissue membranes into fish cells. This could damage fish reproduction, ______ and survival skills.

Comments

[bubu]

sealife,flow,flame,break,cross,immunity

[hide]

sponge
toxic
concentrating
break
cross
immunity

[Asker]

sponge, toxins, flame, break, cross, immunity.

[Shuvo]

sponge
toxins
flame
break
cross
immunity

[Layla]

sponge
toxins
flame
break
cross
immunity

[Tinh]

sponge
toxins
flame
break
cross
immunity

[Ayesha]

1. toxic
3. break
i tried three times to listen and pick word but could not do this. please suggest me how should I improve listening?
thanks

[Soraya]

Sponge
Toxins
Flame
Break
Cross
Immunity

[Cyril]

sponge
toxic
flame
break
cross
immunity

[Kami]

1. sponge
2. ( toxic )*
3. ( flame )*
4. break
5. crust
6. immunity

* The two and three were not answered at the first time.

[Aftab Ashraf]

1. Sponge
2. Toxins
3. Flame
4. Break
5. Cross
6. Immunity

[Sam]

sponge
toxins
flame
break
cross
immunity

[sujit]

1. sponge
2. toxic
3. Flame
4. Breakdown
5. cross
6. immunity

[Ferdian]

1. sponge
2. toxins
3. flame
4. break
5. cross
6. immunity

[Nams]

1) sponge
2) toxins
3) flame
4) break
5) cross
6) immunity

[Raju]

1. sponge
2. toxic
3. flame
4. break
5. cross
6. community

[Asker Aliyev]

First of all, we should look at gap and words around it and identify what word or words are suitable to that gap (noun, adj. , etc). E.g. in second gap we can't write TOXIC, because it's adjective, but words around gap - attracting other in the water - reqiures a noun to fill it.Therefore, answer can't be TOXIC from grammatical point of view. And if we listen carefully we can hear that the missing word is TOXINS.

[Asker Aliyev]

"Like a---------" requires single countable noun; attracting other-------requires plural noun, and-------retardants adj or noun; ------down is part of phrasal verb, can requires bare verb after it, and "fish reproduction, --------- and survival skills" requires noun.

[Asker Aliyev]

Secondly, we aren't always going to hear the exact words given in the task, but SYNONYMS.

[Asker Aliyev]

Finally, when we listen we should follow the task by some signal wods. E.g. in this task. The task begins from here: "....This cause two problems. First, (in text "The first problem is...") the fragments act like a....
Secondly, (in text "the second problem is...") they are themselves complex polimers - molecules that body cannot-------down.
Firstly and Secondly here are signalling words which help us to follow the listening.

[Simon]

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. sponge
2. toxins
3. flame
4. break
5. cross
6. immunity

[Tae]

What is a micro-plastics. Is the tiny presco created larder plastic items, tooth brushes, bottles and bags break down over decades.They flat in the water, get eaten by sea life.This cause two problems.
First, fragment is like a sponge to other toxic in the water, pesticide and flame retardants for example. Suctioning them up and concentrating them.
Secondly, they are themselves complex polymers molecules that the body cannot fully break down when it gets really tiny into a billion of metres nano-plastics.Scientist shown they can cross tissue membrane into fish cells, They said that is harmful to fish, reproduction, immunity and survival skills, what we don’t know is what happens to human when we eat fish and sea life. Is it harmful to us? Its already urgent question. Leading US government scientist told CNS plastic is definitely enough food chain drinking water.
This is not something maybe happening to our children.its already here.

# I did not get some of the words...

[asker aliyev]

What is a microplastic? It's a tiny particle created when the larger plastic items tooth brushes, bottles, bags break down over decades. They float in the water and get eaten by sea life. They cause two problems. First, the fragments act like a sponge to the other toxic in the water, pesticides and flame retardants, for example. Suctioning them up and concentrating them.
Secondly, they are themselves complex polymers, molecules that body cannot fully break down. When they get really tiny in a billion per metre as a nano-plastic, scientists have shown it can cross tissue membranes into fish cells. They say it is harmful to fish, their reproduction, immunity, survival skills. What we don't know what will happen when humans eat fish or sea life. Is it harmful to us? It's already an urgent question. A leading US scientist told CNN plastic is definitely enough in our food and in our drinking water. This is may be something happening to our children. It's already here.

[Jinzy]

1. sponge
2. toxin
3. flame
4. break
5. cross
6. immunity

[menan]

sponge
....
flame
break
cross
immunity

[SNEHAL BHAVSAR]

sponge
toxin
flame
break
cross
immunity

[Yang Liu]

sponge
toxin
flame
break
cross
immunity

[Tatiana Boechat]

sponge
-
flame
break
cross
imuunity

[Nagendra Kumar]

I think the answer to the second question is toxins. The word toxic seems to be grammatically incorrect when I try to fit the word in that sentence. Moreover, the word "toxin" is being shown in the video while the narrator narrates that sentence. Simon, could you please confirm if my observation is correct?

[Naewon cho]

1. Sponge
2. Toxin
3. Flame
4. Break
5. Cross
6. Immunity

[Eliza]

Sponge
Toxin
Flame
Breakdown
Cross
Immunity

[Syd]

Dear Simon,
I believe that the SECOND answer should be TOXINS .

1. sponge
2. toxic
3. flame
4. break
5. cross
6. immunity

[Simon]

Syd,

You're right. I have no idea why I wrote 'toxic' - that word doesn't work at all.

(I think I probably copied and pasted a student's answer that looked correct!)