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Home Practice Tests TOEFL Listening Practice Tests

Animal Behaviour - TOEFL iBT® Listening Practice Test with Answers

Animal Behaviour - TOEFL Listening Practice Test with Answers

Smruti Das

8 min read

Updated On May 29, 2024

The listening section of the TOEFL iBT® examination evaluates your ability to comprehend academic English through conversations and lectures. Generally, each section contains 2-3 conversations and 3 lectures, with 5-6 questions following each. These questions are commonly presented in the form of multiple-choice queries, where one correct option must be chosen from four provided choices.

If you're worried about completing these questions within the given time frame, there's no need for concern. Consistent practice is key to excelling in this component.

In this practice test, we will focus on a listening session centered on the topic of Animal Behavior. Detailed explanations will be provided to aid you in effectively addressing these TOEFL iBT® listening practice questions.

Listening Instructions

You can listen to each conversation and lecture only once.
You have approximately 8 minutes to listen to the conversation/lecture and respond to the questions.
Each question generally carries one point unless otherwise specified in the instructions, which will explicitly state the assigned points for specific questions.
After listening to the conversation, respond to questions related to the topic based on explicit or implicit statements made by the speakers.
Feel free to make notes as you listen. You can refer to your notes to aid in answering the questions.
We recommend practicing note-taking with a pen and paper, similar to what you'll do during the TOEFL Exam.

Conversation on Animal Behaviour

Now listen to the audio.

Conversation on Animal Behaviour - TOEFL Listening Practice Test

Questions

Directions: Mark your answer by selecting your choice.

What is the primary objective of the lecture?
1. Contrasting active habitat selection with passive habitat selection
2. Demonstrating that the majority of habitat preferences in animals are acquired
3. Contrasting the habitat needs of various bird species
4. Analyzing the outcomes of habitat selection by animals

What aspect of the California plover's environment faced a threat?
1. The abundance of food
2. The accessibility of water
3. The security of nests from human interference
4. The safeguarding of nests from predatory birds

What point does the professor exemplify using the case of the blue warbler?
1. The correlation between human intervention and habitat degradation
2. The connection between habitat and breeding success
3. The benefits of habitats characterized by sparse vegetation
4. The reproductive edge that juvenile warblers possess over adult warblers

Why does the professor discuss the population density of blackcaps in two distinct habitats?
1. To elucidate the comparable reproductive rates in both habitats
2. To elucidate the relationship between a species' population density and its nesting behavior
3. To exemplify the advantages of a favored habitat over an alternative one
4. To exemplify the potential impact of making an inadequate habitat selection

Based on the professor's explanation, why did some blackcaps opt for a secondary habitat?
1. They trailed a shifting food source.
2. Their favored habitat was encroached upon by another bird species.
3. Their nesting locations encountered human interference.
4. Their favored habitat became excessively competitive.

Transcript of the Audio Conversation on Animal Behaviour

Narrator: Listen to a segment of a lecture from an animal behavior class.

Female Professor: Alright, in our previous session, we delved into the concept of passive habitat selection. Take plants, for instance; they don't actively choose where to grow but rather rely on external factors like the wind for dispersal. If the seeds land in a suitable environment, they thrive and reproduce successfully. Conversely, active habitat selection involves organisms actively choosing where to reside and reproduce. Given the critical role of breeding habitats in animal species, it's reasonable to anticipate that they've developed preferences for specific habitat types—locations where their offspring are most likely to thrive.

So, let's explore the impact of these preferences by examining a few examples. But first, let's review. What exactly do we mean by "habitat," Frank?

Male Student: Well, it's essentially the specific place or environment where an organism typically resides and develops.

Female Professor: Exactly. And as we've previously discussed, there are several crucial elements that a habitat must possess: food, of course, water, the appropriate climate, and areas for shelter and protection. We've seen how critical habitat selection is when observing habitats where some of these elements are absent, possibly due to habitat destruction. Recently, I came across an article about a shorebird, the plover.

Female Professor: The plover typically inhabits coastal areas and sustains itself by consuming small shellfish, insects, and plants. Its sandy-colored plumage provides effective camouflage against aerial predators. However, its nesting behavior poses a vulnerability, as it lays its eggs in shallow depressions on the sand with minimal protective cover. Consequently, human activities such as beach recreation and the presence of dogs pose significant threats to the eggs and fledglings in the nests, particularly in areas heavily developed by the ocean, like California. To mitigate this, conservationists have intervened by creating artificial beaches and sandbars in secluded areas inaccessible to human interference, leading to a notable increase in the plover population in these locations.

Female Professor: Now, let's consider instances where animals actively select between two suitable habitats. Do such preferences have significance? Let's examine the case of the blue warbler.

Female Professor: The blue warbler, a songbird native to North America, exhibits a clear preference for hardwood forests with dense shrubbery beneath the tree canopy, where they construct their nests within the shrubs rather than the trees, often at low heights close to the ground. However, these warblers also utilize forests with lower shrub density for nesting, typically favored by younger individuals, as the prime nesting spots with abundant shrubs are typically monopolized by older, more dominant birds.

Female Professor: The habitat choice significantly impacts reproductive success among birds. Older and more experienced birds, favoring high-density shrub areas for nesting, exhibit notably higher offspring counts compared to those in low-density areas. This observation implies that the selection of nesting sites indeed influences the number of chicks produced. However, it's noteworthy that a preferred habitat doesn't always translate to superior reproductive success. For instance, research conducted in Europe on blackcap warblers, commonly known as blackcaps, sheds light on this phenomenon.

Blackcaps inhabit two distinct environments. Their preferred habitat comprises forests bordering streams, while they also reside in pine woods located away from water sources. Surprisingly, studies investigating the reproductive success rates of birds in both habitats revealed similar outcomes. Despite being secondary choices, the pine woods exhibited reproductive success comparable to that of the preferred stream-edge forests. This raises the question: why does this parity in reproductive success occur?

Surprisingly, it was discovered that the stream-edge habitat accommodated four times as many bird pairs compared to the area away from the stream. Consequently, the stream-edge area harbored a denser population, leading to intensified competition among members of the same species for resources. This competition manifested in birds vying for the same food sources and nesting sites, thereby diminishing the suitability of the preferred habitat. Consequently, the outcomes of the studies indicate that when the competition among competitors in the preferred habitat reaches a certain threshold, the secondary habitat becomes equally successful. This equivalence arises due to the reduced number of individuals of the same species inhabiting the secondary habitat. Hence, it appears that competition for resources constitutes another pivotal factor in determining the suitability of a particular habitat.

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Answers and Explanations of the Conversation on Animal Behaviour

1. Answer: D

Explanation: The correct answer is D- Analyzing the outcomes of habitat selection by animals.

The primary objective of the lecture is to analyze the outcomes of habitat selection by animals. Throughout the lecture, the professor discusses how animals actively select their habitats based on various factors such as food availability, water sources, climate suitability, and physical protection. The professor provides examples and explanations to illustrate how different species exhibit habitat preferences and the consequences of these preferences on their reproductive success and overall survival. By examining these outcomes, the lecture aims to deepen the understanding of the relationship between animals and their habitats and the implications for conservation efforts. Therefore, option D, "Analyzing the outcomes of habitat selection by animals," best reflects the main purpose of the lecture.

2. Answer: C

Explanation: The correct answer is C- The security of nests from human interference.

The aspect of the California plover's environment that faced a threat was the security of nests from human interference. The lecture highlights that plovers typically lay their eggs in shallow depressions in the sand, which offer little protection. However, when human activities such as beach recreation and the presence of dogs occur in these areas, the vulnerability of the plover nests increases significantly. This threat to the safety of nests from human interference is explicitly mentioned by the professor as a concern for the plover population in California. Therefore, option C accurately identifies the aspect of the California plover's environment that faced a threat according to the lecture.

3. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is B- The connection between habitat and breeding success.

The point that the professor exemplifies using the case of the blue warbler is the connection between habitat and breeding success. In the lecture, the professor discusses how blue warblers exhibit clear preferences for nesting habitats, particularly favoring hardwood forests with dense shrubs underneath the trees. The lecture emphasizes that the blue warblers typically nest in these preferred habitats, where they have a higher likelihood of reproductive success. Conversely, the professor notes that while some blue warblers also nest in forests with low shrub density, their breeding success in these areas tends to be lower compared to their preferred habitats. Therefore, the example of the blue warbler underscores the significance of habitat selection in influencing the breeding success of bird species. Option B accurately captures the main point illustrated by the case of the blue warbler in the lecture.

4. Answer: A

Explanation: The correct answer is A- To elucidate the comparable reproductive rates in both habitats.

The professor discusses the population density of blackcaps in two habitats to illustrate comparable reproductive rates. Studies on blackcaps in stream-edge forests (preferred habitat) and pine woods (secondary habitat) showed similar reproductive success, challenging the assumption of habitat preference dictating reproductive outcomes. Therefore, the discussion aims to highlight that despite habitat preferences, reproductive rates remain similar. Option A accurately summarizes the purpose of the discussion.

5. Answer: D

Explanation: The correct answer is D- Their favored habitat became excessively competitive

The professor explains that some blackcaps chose a secondary habitat because their preferred habitat became too competitive. The dense population in the favored habitat led to intense competition for resources, prompting some blackcaps to opt for the secondary habitat to ensure reproductive success. Therefore, option D best summarizes the reason for this habitat selection.

Finished the Animal Behaviour Listening practice test? Great job! Now, let's explore how to further refine your listening skills. Take a few more practice tests and witness the difference in your comprehension skills!

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