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The TOEFL iBT Paper Edition is offered once or twice every month.

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Home Practice Tests TOEFL Listening Practice Tests

Echolocation - TOEFL iBT® Listening Practice Test with Answer Key

Echolocation - TOEFL Listening Practice Test with Answer Key

Sanskriti Gupta

8 min read

Updated On May 29, 2024

Practicing for the TOEFL iBT® with practice tests significantly improves your performance on exam-day, thereby increasing your potential scores. Specifically focusing on the TOEFL iBT® Listening section through practice tests familiarizes you with the test format and sharpens crucial skills essential for success in this part of the test.

These skills encompass the comprehension of intricate conversations or classroom lectures, allowing you to identify crucial details and answer the questions based on it. So, Let's begin your journey to TOEFL iBT® Success with the Listening Practice Test Paper on the topic 'Echolocation'.

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 a lecture, 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.

Now listen to the Audio.

Questions

Directions: Answer the questions.

What is the primary focus of the lecture?
1. The emission of ultrasonic pulses by animals
2. The utilization of acoustical signals by bats
3. Contrasting echolocation and radar
4. Differences in bats' ultrasound usage

Why does the professor choose against including further details in the board diagram?
1. She prefers students to finish the diagram independently as part of an assignment.
2. She must research certain details to ensure the diagram's accuracy.
3. The extra information is unrelated to the upcoming topic she plans to cover.
4. Students can find the extra information already in their textbook.

According to the professor, what are two possible reactions of a moth upon detecting a bat? Choose 2 options.
1. The moth may cease wing movement.
2. The moth may produce high-frequency noises.
3. The moth may depart from the vicinity.
4. The moth may alter its color to blend with the environment.

What unexpected findings did a recent study uncover regarding lesser spear-nosed bats?
1. They have the ability to screen echoes from specific tree varieties.
2. They possess the capability to decipher echoes from immobile objects with intricate textures.
3. They struggle to interpret echoes that are irregular or uneven.
4. They face challenges in interpreting echoes from particular categories of small, mobile entities.

Why does a pine tree create a "smooth" echo, as per the professor?
1. Due to its smooth trunk
2. Because of its evenly spaced large branches
3. Owing to its numerous small needles densely clustered
4. Because it stays still regardless of weather conditions

Listen again to part of the Audio then answer the question.

What does the Professor mean when she says this:

Professor: Before continuing, I'd like to address Carol's comment– about bats being blind..
1. Responding to a query posed by Carol
2. Rectifying an assertion made by Carol
3. Commending Carol for an illustration she provided
4. Providing an instance of a concept mentioned by Carol

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Transcript of the Audio of ‘Echolocation’

Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a biology class.

Female Professor: That's how elephants utilize infrasound. Now, let's shift our focus to the opposite end of the sound spectrum—ultrasound, which is beyond the range of human hearing.

Female Professor: Many animals, including some that emit these high-frequency sounds, use ultrasound for detection. So what is a good example? Yes, Carol?

Female Student: Bats rely on sound due to their blindness, helping them navigate safely.

Female Professor: Yes, that's echolocation.

Female Professor: Echolocation involves interpreting reflected sound waves to locate objects. Bats use this for navigation, orientation, and what else, Mike?

Male Student: Finding food is crucial, along with avoiding becoming prey.

Female Professor: Exactly, both aspects are essential—evading predators and locating prey, particularly nocturnal insects. Before continuing, I'd like to address Carol's comment– about bats being blind. While some bat species do rely on vision for navigation, many cannot depend on their weak eyesight. In summary, echolocation involves emitting ultrasonic pulses, analyzing the resulting echoes to perceive surroundings. Let me complete the diagram I started earlier.

Female Professor: The bat emits these pulses—highly focused bursts of sound, and then it listens for the echoes...

Female Professor: Actually, I think I can skip drawing the echoes. Your reading assignment for next class includes a diagram that illustrates this very clearly. So, moving on, by analyzing these echoes, the bat can determine if there's an obstacle like a cave wall that it needs to avoid and how far away it is. Another function of ultrasound for the bat is gauging the size and shape of objects. For instance, a distinct echo they recognize is associated with a moth, which is a common prey for bats, especially when the moth flaps its wings. Interestingly, moths have an advantage over other insects as they can detect ultrasound. This ability allows a moth to sense the approaching bat, giving it time to escape or stay still, making it harder for the bat to distinguish it from a leaf or another object.

Female Professor: We have often underestimated the advanced abilities of animals using ultrasound. Initially, we believed that they filtered out unnecessary information similar to how a sophisticated radar system disregards echoes from stationary objects on the ground, a process known as removing "ground clutter." However, regarding bats, we assumed they filtered out such information because they lacked the ability to analyze it. Recent findings challenge this notion, particularly through an experiment involving trees and a specific bat species known as the lesser spear-nosed bat. Despite the acoustic complexity of trees with their diverse surfaces, echoes from trees were previously thought to be a jumble of chaotic reflections unlike the echoes from moths. Previously, we assumed bats merely identified trees without further distinction. Yet, it appears that this bat species, or at least this particular one, not only recognizes trees but can also differentiate between types such as pine and deciduous trees based on their leaves, including pine needles. How this distinction is made remains a topic for discussion.

Male Student: So... similar to the moth—could it be due to their shape?

Female Professor: You're heading in the right direction. It's actually the echo from all the leaves together that matters. Now, consider this: A pine tree—with its multitude of tiny, densely packed needles... They create numerous faint reflections forming a “smooth” echo—the waveform is uniformly shaped ... whereas an oak—which has fewer but larger leaves with more distinct reflections—creates a jagged waveform—or what we refer to as a “rough” echo. And these bats can differentiate between the two—not only with trees but also with any echo that exhibits a smooth or rough pattern.

Answers and Explanations of ‘Echolocation’

1. Answer: B

Explanation: The primary focus of the lecture is (option B), “The utilization of acoustical signals by bats”, specifically regarding their use of echolocation. This is evident throughout the conversation as the professor discusses how bats emit ultrasonic pulses, analyze echoes for navigation and prey detection, and differentiate between smooth and rough echoes to identify objects such as trees. The lecture revolves around the mechanism and application of echolocation in bats, making (option B) the correct answer.

2. Answer: D

Explanation: The answer is (Option D), “Students can find the extra information already in their textbook”. In the conversation, the professor mentions that the reading assignment for the next class includes a diagram that clearly illustrates the details she is discussing. She decides not to include further details in the board diagram because she expects students to refer to the textbook where they can find the additional information. This indicates that the extra information is already available in the textbook, making (option D) the correct answer.

3. Answer: A, C

Explanation: According to the conversation, the professor mentions two possible reactions of a moth upon detecting a bat: (Option A) “The moth may cease wing movement” and (Option C) “The moth may depart from the vicinity”.

Option A (The moth may cease wing movement): The conversation mentions that when a moth detects the approaching bat, it has the option to remain motionless. This makes it harder for the bat to distinguish the moth from other objects, such as a leaf.

Option C (The moth may depart from the vicinity): The professor states that moths can detect ultrasound, allowing them to sense the presence of a bat. This detection gives the moth time to escape to safety, which aligns with the idea of the moth departing from the area to avoid predation. Therefore, options A and C are correct based on the information provided in the conversation.

4. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is (Option B), “They possess the capability to decipher echoes from immobile objects with intricate textures”. The conversation mentions that a recent study involving lesser spear-nosed bats challenged previous assumptions about their abilities. It was discovered that these bats, despite the complex acoustic reflections from trees (which were previously thought to be challenging for bats to interpret), could decipher echoes from immobile objects with intricate textures. This unexpected finding indicates that the bats have a capability beyond what was previously understood, specifically in interpreting echoes from stationary objects with complex surfaces, as mentioned in option B.

5. Answer: C

Explanation: The correct answer is (Option C), “Owing to its numerous small needles densely clustered”. The professor explains that a pine tree creates a "smooth" echo because of its multitude of tiny, densely packed needles. These needles produce numerous faint reflections that collectively form a "smooth" echo. This explanation is in line with option C, as the dense clustering of small needles on a pine tree is the key factor contributing to the smooth waveform of its echo.

6. Answer: B

Explanation: The Professor's statement "Before continuing, I'd like to address Carol's comment" implies that she is Rectifying an assertion made by Carol (Option B). The phrase "address Carol's comment" suggests that the professor intends to correct or clarify something that Carol mentioned. This aligns with option B, as the professor is likely responding to an assertion or statement made by Carol that needs further clarification or correction before the lecture proceeds.

Was that Listening task too intimidating for you? Don’t panic, you can still achieve your desired score! We have a ton of TOEFL Practice tests that you can use to refine your skills and prepare for D-Day.

Echolocation - TOEFL Listening Practice Test with Answer Key

Listening Instructions:

Questions

Transcript of the Audio of ‘Echolocation’

Answers and Explanations of ‘Echolocation’

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