Cambridge IELTS 17 · Listening · Test 3 · Part 4
Bird Migration Theory — IELTS Listening Answers
All 10 answers for Bird Migration Theory, Cambridge IELTS 17 Listening Test 3 Part 4, with the transcript evidence and an explanation for each.
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Bird Migration Theory answer key at a glance
Questions 31–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this part tests
This part is tested with Note Completion (Q31–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 31–40: Note Completion
Strategy: Predict the word class from the note, find the paraphrase of the note's keyword in the transcript, then copy the answer exactly within the word limit.
“Another theory for the regular appearance and disappearance of birds was that they spend winter hidden in mud till the weather changed and food became abundant again.”
A noun is needed after 'hidden in', and one theory claimed birds 'spend winter hidden in mud till the weather changed'.
“He observed that in the autumn, small birds called ‘redstarts’ began to lose their feathers”
A plural noun is required, and the redstarts 'began to lose their feathers' in autumn.
“These assumptions are understandable given that this pair of species are similar in shape, but are a classic example of an incorrect interpretation based on correct observations.”
A noun follows 'similar in', and the two species are 'similar in shape', leading to a wrong interpretation.
“He wrote a surprisingly well-regarded paper claiming that birds migrate to the moon and back every year.”
A noun is needed after 'migrate to the', and the paper claimed birds 'migrate to the moon and back every year'.
“This particular stork made history because of the long spear in its neck which incredibly had not killed it”
A body part is required, and the stork survived 'the long spear in its neck'.
“This was a truly defining moment in the history of ornithology because it was the first evidence that storks spend their winters in sub-Saharan Africa.”
A noun is needed after 'the first', and this was 'the first evidence that storks spend their winters in sub-Saharan Africa'.
“Before this, very little information was available about the actual destinations of particular species and how they travelled there.”
A plural noun follows 'the actual', and little was known about 'the actual destinations of particular species'.
“This idea came about because it seemed impossible that small birds weighing only a few grams could fly over vast oceans.”
A plural noun is needed after 'vast', and small birds seemed unable to 'fly over vast oceans'.
“The development of bird ringing, by a Danish schoolteacher, Hans Christian Cornelius Mortensen, made many discoveries possible. This is still common practice today and relies upon what is known as ‘recovery’”
A noun names the ringing method, which 'relies upon what is known as recovery'.
“Huge amounts of data were gathered in the early part of the twentieth century and for the first time in history people understood where birds actually went to in winter. In 1931, an atlas was published showing where the most common species of European birds migrated to.”
A singular noun follows 'an', and 'in 1931, an atlas was published' showing migration routes.
Learn the question types in this part
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Bird Migration Theory listening section come from?
It is Part 4 of Cambridge IELTS 17 Listening Test 3, and it covers Questions 31–40.
What question types appear in Bird Migration Theory?
The part is tested with Note Completion. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.