# Rocky Bay field trip: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 11, Test 2, Listening Part 3

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 11, Test 2, Listening Part 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 21 | A | we need something about what causes different organisms to choose particular habitats ... But we weren't really looking at that. |
| 22 | A | But not the piece of string to hold up in the air. ... Didn't Mr Blake make a fuss about us leaving that behind? |
| 23 | C | I don't think we need all these details of what time we left and what time we got back |
| 24 | B | I was surprised how straightforward that was. ... not just stand there and count the number of waves per minute |
| 25 | B | the place I started it from was down on the beach ... I should have gone up higher to get better visibility |
| 26 | B | But you took some pictures, didn't you? ... I'll make my amendments using those |
| 27 | A, D | the shells prevent them from drying out |
| 28 | A, D | so they don't get too hot |
| 29 | C, E | I'm not sure we identified all the species correctly though. ... OK, we'd better mention that. |
| 30 | C, E | we might not be all that accurate as far as the actual numbers go ... we might have missed some organisms, if they were hiding under a rock |

## Why these answers are right

**21. A.** The question asks what both students accept for the aims. Colin says they need something on what causes organisms to choose particular habitats, which matches factors affecting where organisms live, and Helen agrees. Her idea about protecting species in danger of dying out is dropped because they were not studying that.

**22. A.** The question asks what they forgot. Colin says they brought the compass for measuring wind direction, and Helen adds but not the piece of string, which Mr Blake complained about them leaving behind. They borrowed one from another student, so the forgotten item is string.

**23. C.** Colin finds Helen's procedure clear but says they do not need all the details about when they left, when they returned or how they split up the tasks. He wants less detail, which matches the amount of information provided. Nothing he says concerns the order of the information.

The why and the trap for questions 24 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/rocky-bay-field-trip/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Section 3.

**Announcer:** You will hear two biology students called Helen and Colin talking about the report they're writing on their recent field trip to a seaside area called Rocky Bay.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully, and answer questions 21 to 26.

**Helen:** I've brought my notes on our biology field trip to Rocky Bay, Colin.

**Helen:** So we can work on our report on the research we did together.

**Colin:** OK, I've got mine too.

**Colin:** Let's look at the aims of the trip first.

**Helen:** Right, what did you have?

**Colin:** I just put something about getting experience of the different sorts of procedures used on a field trip, but we need something about what causes different organisms to choose particular habitats.

**Helen:** I agree. And something about finding out how to protect organisms in danger of dying out?

**Colin:** In our aims?

**Colin:** But we weren't really looking at that.

**Helen:** I suppose not.

**Helen:** OK, now there's the list of equipment we all had to bring on the field trip.

**Helen:** What did they tell us to bring a ruler for?

**Colin:** It was something about measuring the slope of the shore.

**Colin:** But of course we didn't need it, because we were measuring wind direction, and we'd brought the compass for that.

**Helen:** But not the piece of string to hold up in the air.

**Helen:** Didn't Mr Blake make a fuss about us leaving that behind?

**Colin:** Yeah.

**Colin:** He does go on.

**Colin:** Anyway, it was easy to get one from another of the students.

**Helen:** Now, the next section's the procedure, I sent you the draft of that.

**Colin:** Yeah. It was clear, but I don't think we need all these details of what time we left and what time we got back, and how we divided up the different research tasks.

**Helen:** OK.

**Helen:** I'll look at that again.

**Colin:** Then we have to describe our method of investigation in detail.

**Colin:** So let's begin with how we measured wave speed.

**Colin:** I was surprised how straightforward that was.

**Helen:** I'd expected us to have some sort of high-tech device, not just stand there and count the number of waves per minute.

**Helen:** Not very precise, but I suppose it was good enough. But the way we measured the amount of salt was interesting, in the water from the rock pools.

**Helen:** Yeah, oh, I wanted to check the chemicals we used in the lab when we analyze those samples.

**Helen:** Uh. Was it potassium chromate and silver nitrate?

**Colin:** That's right.

**Helen:** OK, and we need the map of the seashore.

**Helen:** You just left that to me.

**Helen:** I had to do it while the tide was low.

**Helen:** Well, that was OK, but the place I started it from was down on the beach.

**Helen:** Then I realized I should have gone up higher to get better visibility.

**Helen:** So I had to start all over again, but at least I'd got the squared paper, or I'd have had problems drawing it all to scale.

**Colin:** Yeah, it looks good.

**Colin:** We could get a map of the region off the internet and see if we need to make any changes.

**Helen:** Hmm, I had a look, but I couldn't find anything.

**Helen:** But you took some pictures, didn't you?

**Colin:** Yeah, I'll email you them if you want.

**Helen:** OK, I'll make my amendments using those, then I can scan it into our report.

**Helen:** Great.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.

**Helen:** Now, when we get to our findings, I thought we could divide them up into the different zones we identified on the shore, and the problems organisms face in each zone.

**Helen:** So for the highest area...

**Colin:** The splash zone.

**Helen:** Yeah, we found mostly those tiny shellfish that have strong hard shells that act as protection.

**Colin:** But not from other organisms that might eat them.

**Colin:** Predators.

**Helen:** No, that's not the main danger for them, but the shells prevent them from drying out, because they're in the open air for most of the time.

**Colin:** Right.

**Colin:** And since they're exposed they need to be able to find some sort of shelter or cover themselves up, so they don't get too hot.

**Colin:** Then in the middle and lower zones nearer the sea, we need to discuss the effects of wave action.

**Helen:** Yes, and how organisms develop structures to prevent themselves from being swept away.

**Helen:** Or even destroyed by being smashed against the rocks.

**Colin:** Hmm. I haven't done anything on the geological changes.

**Colin:** I don't know what to put for that.

**Helen:** Hmm. No, we weren't concentrating on that.

**Helen:** Maybe we need to find some websites.

**Colin:** Good idea.

**Colin:** I've got the lecture notes from Mr Blake's geology course, but they're too general.

**Colin:** But we could ask him which books on our reading list might be most helpful.

**Helen:** Right.

**Helen:** OK, now, I did a draft of the section of sources of possible error in our research.

**Helen:** But I don't know if you agree, uh, for example, the size of the sample, and whether it's big enough to make any general conclusions from.

**Helen:** But I thought actually we did have quite a big sample.

**Colin:** We did.

**Colin:** And our general method of observation seemed quite reliable, but we might not be all that accurate as far as the actual numbers go.

**Helen:** Yeah, we might have missed some organisms, if they were hiding under a rock for example.

**Helen:** I wasn't sure about the way we described their habitats.

**Helen:** I decided it was probably OK.

**Colin:** Yeah, and the descriptions we gave of the smaller organisms, they weren't very detailed, but they were adequate in this context.

**Colin:** I'm not sure we identified all the species correctly though.

**Helen:** OK, we'd better mention that.

**Helen:** Now, how are we going to...

**Announcer:** That is the end of section 3.

**Announcer:** You now have half a minute to check your answers.

[Practice Rocky Bay field trip](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/rocky-bay-field-trip)