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Practice Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In) ID: #34655 Short Cavemen
Instructions ›
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
* Fill in the missing words into the blank fields
You  might  picture  Neanderthals  as  cavemen  gnawing  on  bones  around  a  campfire.  Which  wouldn’t  be  ?  But  Neanderthals  may  have  also  dined  on  roasted  vegetables  and  known  a  bit  about  medicinal  plants  too.  So  says  a  study  in  the  journal  Science  of  Nature.  Researchers    hardened  dental  plaque  from  five  Neanderthals  found  in  El  Sidrón  cave,  in  northern  Spain.  Yes,  50,000-year-old  dental  plaque.  And  they  found  a  lot  lurking  between  the  teeth.  Like  evidence  of  nuts,  grasses  and  green  veggies,    traces  of  wood  smoke,  and  tiny,  intact  starch  granules,  proof  Neanderthals  ate  their  carbs.  And  in  one  individual,  they  detected  compounds  found  in  the    herbs  chamomile  and  yarrow.  The  herbs  have  no  nutritional  value,  and  since  Neanderthals  did  have  the  gene  to  detect  the  herbs’  bitter  taste,  the  researchers    that  the  cave  dwellers  were    on  them  not  as  food—but  to  self-medicate.

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct answer: inaccurate

Explanation: The speaker says "Which wouldn't be inaccurate". You need a describing word that means not correct.

Meaning: "inaccurate" means not correct.

Wrong options:

  • inacurate: It leaves out the "c". Check the letters: "inaccurate". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
Correct answer: analyzed / analysed

Explanation: You hear "Researchers analyzed hardened dental". The sentence needs an action word in past form, so watch the z or s. You can write "analyzed" or "analysed". Both get the mark.

Meaning: "analyzed" means looked at closely in a lab.

Wrong options:

  • analized: It has "i" where the word has "y". Write "analyzed". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
Correct answer: chemical

Explanation: Listen for "Like evidence of nuts, grasses and chemical". It needs a word for a thing, not a describing word.

Meaning: "chemical" means a substance found in things.

Wrong options:

  • chemcial: Two letters are in the wrong order. Write "chemical". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
Correct answer: medicinal

Explanation: On the recording you hear "compounds found in the medicinal herbs". You need a describing word that tells use for healing.

Meaning: "medicinal" means used for health or healing.

Wrong options:

  • medicial: It leaves out the "n". Check the letters: "medicinal". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • medicinial: It adds an extra "i". The right spelling is "medicinal". Every letter must be correct to get the mark.
Correct answer: speculate

Explanation: Listen again to "the researchers speculate that the". The sentence needs the plain word.

Meaning: "speculate" means to suggest an idea without full proof.

Wrong options:

  • speculated: "speculated" has an extra "d" at the end. The speaker says "speculate".
  • specualte: Two letters are in the wrong order. Write "speculate". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
Correct answer: munching

Explanation: Here you hear "were munching on them not as". You need an action word that shows eating in progress.

Meaning: "munching" means eating with chewing sounds.

Wrong options:

  • munched: "munched" is a close word, but it ends in "ed". The speaker says "munching", which ends in "ing".
  • munchnig: Two letters are in the wrong order. Check the letters: "munching". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.

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