Shadowing Practice: IELTS Listening Strategy Breakdown: Cambridge 20 Listening Test 4 – Chembe Bird Sanctuary Research - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
2
We've been looking at different types of conflicts that may arise between wildlife and humans at the boundaries of protected areas, such as national parks and animal sanctuaries.
3
I'd like to illustrate this by telling you about some research
4
that I've been involved in recently in the Central African country of Zambia in the area around the Chembe Bird Sanctuary, which contains over 300 of the listed birds of Zambia.
5
These include a number of birds of prey such as eagles, hawks and owls that live by hunting and killing other birds and animals
6
Now most of the people living in the local communities near to the bird sanctuary are small scale farmers
7
And these birds of prey provide important social and ecological benefits to them For example,
8
a lot of damage can be caused to farmers' crops by rodents such as rats
9
which would consume the crops as they grow in the fields, as well as after harvesting if they weren't hunted and killed by the birds.
10
And the predatory habits of these birds also protect farmers in other ways.
11
For example, a major danger to rural workers is snakes, whose bite may be dangerous or even fatal,
12
and birds of prey have a major role in keeping their populations under control.
13
Local people have always been aware of these benefits, and for years, even before the sanctuary was opened in 1973, played a key role in the culture of the region.
14
However, more recently, the sanctuary and its birds have also become increasingly important to the community in economic terms,
15
because at present, after a relatively slow start, tourism has become an important source of revenue for them.
16
However, although these birds of prey are protected by the government, their numbers are falling.
17
Some of these deaths are accidental.
18
Fatalities occur when birds alight on roads to catch and eat their prey and are hit by fast-moving traffic.
19
Drivers in Zambia have to take special care at night, as birds may regard the quieter roads as safe places to sleep.
20
Accidental deaths may also occur if these birds fly close to high-voltage power lines, as they may be electrocuted.
21
This is a particular danger in the heavy rain, which can occur in the region in the months from December to April.
22
And local farmers also pose a threat to these birds.
23
As well as growing crops, small-scale farmers in the area also rear chickens.
24
These provide food for the farmer's families, as well as being an important source of income.
25
But they're also an easy target for birds of prey, and so farmers may shoot these birds, which is illegal but understandable.
26
Or they may poison the birds, which again is illegal and can have negative effects on the ecosystem.
27
So, how else can farmers protect their chickens from birds of prey?
28
Some people believe that to prevent the predators from settling near the area where the chickens are kept, it's best to keep this area free from vegetation.
29
But in fact, this is counterproductive as it means the chickens have no cover to hide in
30
and they'll be easier for the birds to see.
31
Another possibility would be to prevent the chickens from going outside at all
32
and to keep them safe from predators inside a building, but this would cost far too much to be a practical solution.
33
Nearly all the farmers reported that they spent a lot of time
34
and effort trying to frighten off the birds of prey without actually harming them.
35
Most of the farmers had at least one dog and said this was a big help at scaring away the predators.
36
Some of the farmers also reported that during the breeding season, when the chickens were particularly vulnerable, they encouraged their children to watch over the chickens
37
and to hit pans with a metal spoon so
38
that the resulting noise would succeed in driving away birds that were trying to seize the young chicks.
39
None of these methods was 100% effective, so as a result the village people told us that rather than just using one method,
40
they were forced to use a combination for them to have any effect.
41
And even so, these birds of prey remain a major threat to the chickens' survival and cause considerable economic loss to farmers.
42
So we looked at the possibility of a longer-term solution to...
43
That is the end of part four.
44
You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.
45
Between wildlife and humans at the boundaries of protected areas such as national parks and animal sanctuaries.
46
I'd like to illustrate this by telling you about some research
47
that I've been involved in recently in the Central African country of Zambia in the area around the Chempe Bird Sanctuary, which contains over 300 of the listed birds of Zambia.
48
These include a number of birds of prey such as eagles, hawks and owls that live by hunting and killing other birds and animals.
49
Now, most of the people living in the local communities near to the bird sanctuary are small-scale farmers,
50
and these birds of prey provide important social and ecological benefits to them.
51
For example, a lot of damage can be caused to farmers' crops by rodents, such as rats, which would consume the crops as they grow in the fields,
52
as well as after harvesting if they weren't hunted and killed by the birds.
53
And the predatory habits of these birds also protect farmers in other ways.
54
For example, a major danger to rural workers is snakes, whose bite may be dangerous or even fatal,
55
and birds of prey have a major role in keeping their populations under control.
56
Local people have always been aware of these benefits and for years, even before the sanctuary was opened in 1973, the birds played a key role in the culture of the region.
57
However, more recently, the sanctuary and its birds have also become increasingly important to the community in economic terms because at present,
58
after a relatively slow start, tourism has become an important source of revenue for them.
59
However, although these birds of prey are protected by the government, their numbers are falling.
60
Some of these deaths are accidental.
61
Fatalities occur when birds are light on roads to catch and eat their prey and are hit by fast-moving traffic.
62
Drivers in Zambia have to take special care at night, as birds may regard the quieter roads as safe places to sleep.
63
Accidental deaths may also occur if these birds fly close to high-voltage power lines as they may be electrocuted.
64
This is a particular danger in the heavy rain, which can occur in the region in the months from December to April.
65
And local farmers also pose a threat to these birds.
66
As well as growing crops, small-scale farmers in the area also rear chickens.
67
These provide food for the farmers' families, as well as being an important source of income.
68
But they're also an easy target for birds of prey.
69
And so farmers may shoot these birds, which is illegal but understandable.
70
Or they may poison the birds, which again is illegal and can have negative effects on the ecosystem.
71
So how else can farmers protect their chickens from birds of prey?
72
Some people believe that to prevent the predators from settling near the area where the chickens are kept, it's best to keep this area free from vegetation.
73
But in fact, this is counterproductive, as it means the chickens have no cover to hide in and they'll be easier for the birds to see.
74
Another possibility would be to prevent the chickens from going outside at all
75
and to keep them safe from predators inside a building.
76
But this would cost far too much to be a practical solution.
77
Nearly all the farmers reported that they spent a lot of time
78
and effort trying to frighten off the birds of prey without actually harming them.
79
Most of the farmers had at least one dog and said this was a big help at scaring away the predators
80
Some of the farmers also reported that during the breeding season
81
when the chickens were particularly vulnerable they encouraged their children to watch over the chickens
82
and to hit pans with a metal spoon so
83
that the resulting noise would succeed in driving away birds
84
that were trying to seize the young chicks None of these methods was 100% effective
85
so as a result the village people told us
86
that rather than just using one method they were forced to use a combination for them to have any effect
87
and even so these birds of prey remain a major threat to the chickens survival
88
and cause considerable economic loss to farmers
89
so we looked at the possibility of a longer term solution between wildlife
90
and humans at the boundaries of protected areas such as national parks and animal sanctuaries
91
I'd like to illustrate this by telling you about some research
92
that I've been involved in recently in the Central African country of Zambia in the area around the Chembe Bird Sanctuary, which contains over 300 of the listed birds of Zambia.
93
These include a number of birds of prey such as eagles, hawks and owls that live by hunting and killing other birds and animals.
94
Now most of the people living in the local communities near to the bird sanctuary are small-scale farmers,
95
and these birds of prey provide important social and ecological benefits to them.
96
For example, a lot of damage can be caused to farmers' crops by rodents, such as rats, which would consume the crops as they grow in the fields,
97
as well as after harvesting if they weren't hunted and killed by the birds.
98
And the predatory habits of these birds also protect farmers in other ways.
99
For example, a major danger to rural workers is snakes, whose bite may be dangerous or even fatal,
100
and birds of prey have a major role in keeping their populations under control.
101
Local people have always been aware of these benefits and for years, even before the sanctuary was opened in 1973,
102
the birds played a key role in the culture of the region.
103
However, more recently, the sanctuary
104
and its birds have also become increasingly important to the community in economic terms
105
because at present after a relatively slow start tourism has become
106
an important source of revenue for them however although these birds
107
of prey are protected by the government their numbers are falling some of these deaths are accidental fatalities occur
108
when birds are light on roads to catch and eat their prey
109
and are hit by fast moving traffic drivers in zambia have
110
to take special care at night as birds may regard the quieter roads as safe places to sleep.
111
Accidental deaths may also occur if these birds fly close to high voltage power lines as they may be electrocuted.
112
This is a particular danger in the heavy rain which can occur in the region in the months from December to April.
113
And local farmers also pose a threat to these birds.
114
As well as growing crops, small scale farmers in the area also rear chickens.
115
These provide food for the farmers' families as well as being an important source of income.
116
But they're also an easy target for birds of prey, and so farmers may shoot these birds, which is illegal but understandable, or they may poison the birds,
117
which again is illegal and can have negative effects on the ecosystem.
118
So how else can farmers protect their chickens from birds of prey?
119
Some people believe that to prevent the predators from settling near the area where the chickens are kept, it's best to keep this area free from vegetation.
120
But in fact, this is counterproductive as it means the chickens have no cover to hide in
121
and they'll be easier for the birds to see.
122
Another possibility would be to prevent the chickens from going outside at all
123
and to keep them safe from predators inside a building.
124
But this would cost far too much to be a practical solution.
125
Nearly all the farmers reported that they spent a lot of time
126
and effort trying to frighten off the birds of prey without actually harming them.
127
Most of the farmers had at least one dog and said this was a big help at scaring away the predators.
128
Some of the farmers also reported that during the breeding season, when the chickens were particularly vulnerable, they encouraged their children to watch over the chickens
129
and to hit pans with a metal spoon so
130
that the resulting noise would succeed in driving away birds that were trying to seize the young chicks.
131
None of these methods was 100% effective, so as a result the village people told us
132
that rather than just using one method they were forced to use a combination for them to have any effect
133
and even so these birds of prey remain a major threat to the chickens survival
134
and cause considerable economic loss to farmers so we looked at the possibility of a longer term solution
Why practice speaking with this video?
Using the IELTS Listening Strategy Breakdown video, specifically on the research at the Chembe Bird Sanctuary, can significantly enhance your speaking skills. By practicing the shadowing technique, you can improve your fluency, intonation, and overall comprehension of English. Engaging with real-world topics about wildlife and community interactions showcases how to discuss complex issues in English, making the learning process both enjoyable and educational.
Furthermore, applying the information discussed in this video helps you expand your vocabulary and express opinions on environmental and social topics, key areas often explored in IELTS speaking tests. The shadow speak method allows learners to mimic not just the wording, but also the rhythm and emotion of the speaker, which is vital for achieving a high score on the IELTS speaking section.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the transcript, several key structures can enhance your understanding and application of English:
- “have been looking at”: This present perfect continuous tense shows ongoing action, useful for discussing research or studies that continue over time.
- “may arise”: The modal verb “may” indicates possibility, which is essential when discussing potential scenarios in IELTS speaking practice.
- “provide important social and ecological benefits”: This expression is ideal for describing the impact of subjects, especially in academic discussions.
- “pose a threat”: A useful phrase in IELTS contexts, indicating risk or danger, especially relevant to environmental topics.
- “it means the chickens have no cover”: Conditional clauses like this are great for explaining cause and effect relations.
Common Pronunciation Traps
When practicing with this video, pay special attention to the following words and phrases, which may present pronunciation challenges:
- Chembe Bird Sanctuary: This name might trip up learners due to its unfamiliarity; try breaking it down into syllables and practicing it repeatedly.
- predatory: The emphasis falls on the first syllable (PRE-da-tory), which learners may mispronounce.
- electrocuted: This longer word requires attention to the "c" and "t" sounds, which can be challenging to articulate correctly.
- vulnerable: Focus on the second syllable (VUL-ner-able) to avoid common mispronunciations.
By using the shadowing technique and actively engaging with these key vocabulary items, you can refine your speaking abilities and prepare effectively for the IELTS speaking tests. Remember, mastering complex topics can make you stand out during assessments, and utilizing shadow speak can significantly contribute to achieving that goal.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.