Cambridge IELTS 4 Listening Test 4
4 parts · 40 questions · 30 minutes
Goodbye party for John
Questions 1–10
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
GOODBYE PARTY FOR JOHN
Example – Date: 22nd December
Venue: (1) …………………………
Invitations (Tony)
Who to invite:
• John and his wife
• Director
• the (2) …………………………
• all the teachers
• all the (3) …………………………
Send out invitations on: (4) …………………………
Present (Lisa)
Collect money during the (5) …………………………
Suggested amount per person: (6) …………………………
Check prices for:
• CD players
• (7) …………………………
• coffee maker
Ask guests to bring:
• snacks
• (8) …………………………
• (9) …………………………
Ask student representative to prepare a (10) …………………………
Travelite Travel Agency information line
Questions 11–15
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
11. To find out how much holidays cost, you should press button
A one.
B two.
C three.
12. Travelite currently offer walking holidays
A only in Western Europe.
B all over Europe.
C outside Europe.
13. The walks offered by Travelite
A cater for a range of walking abilities.
B are planned by guides from the local area.
C are for people with good fitness levels.
14. On Travelite holidays, people holidaying alone pay
A the same as other clients.
B only a little more than other clients.
C extra only if they stay in a large room.
15. Entertainment is provided
A when guests request it.
B most nights.
C every night.
Questions 16–20
Complete the table below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
| Length of holiday | Cost per person (including all accommodation costs) | Special offers included in price |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | (16) ………………………… | Pick up from the (17) ………………………… |
| 7 days | (18) ………………………… | As above plus book of (19) ………………………… maps |
| 14 days | $690 | As above plus membership of a (20) ………………………… |
Choosing science experiments for primary school children
Questions 21–26
Complete the table below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
| Experiment number | Equipment | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Experiment 1 | (21) ………………………… and a table | To show how things move on a cushion of air |
| Experiment 2 | Lots of paperclips | To show why we need standard (22) ………………………… |
| Experiment 3 | (23) ………………………… and a jar of water | To show how (24) ………………………… grow |
| Experiment 4 | Cardboard, coloured pens and a (25) ………………………… | To teach children about how (26) ………………………… is made up |
| Experiment 5 | A drill, an old record, a pin/needle, paper, a bolt | To make a record player in order to learn about recording sound |
Questions 27–30
What problems do the speakers identify for each experiment? Choose your answers from the box and write the letters A–H next to questions 27–30.
List of problems
A too messy
B too boring
C too difficult
D too much equipment
E too long
F too easy
G too noisy
H too dangerous
27. Experiment 1: …………………………
28. Experiment 2: …………………………
29. Experiment 3: …………………………
30. Experiment 5: …………………………
Sharks in Australia
Questions 31–34
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Sharks in Australia
Length: largest caught: 16 metres
Weight: heaviest: (31) ………………………… kg
Skeleton: cartilage
Skin texture: rough barbs
Swimming aids: fins and (32) …………………………
Food: gathered from the ocean (33) …………………………
sharks locate food by using their (34) …………………………
Questions 35–38
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
35. Shark meshing uses nets laid
A along the coastline.
B at an angle to the beach.
C from the beach to the sea.
36. Other places that have taken up shark meshing include
A South Africa.
B New Zealand.
C Tahiti.
37. The average number of sharks caught in nets each year is
A 15.
B 150.
C 1,500.
38. Most sharks are caught in
A spring.
B summer.
C winter.
Questions 39–40
Choose TWO letters A–G. Which TWO factors reduce the benefits of shark nets?
39. Factor (lower letter)
A nets wrongly positioned
B strong waves and currents
C too many fish
D sharks eat holes in nets
E moving sands
F nets too short
G holes in nets scare sharks
40. Factor (higher letter)
A nets wrongly positioned
B strong waves and currents
C too many fish
D sharks eat holes in nets
E moving sands
F nets too short
G holes in nets scare sharks
Answers
1. College Dining Room
2. office staff
3. students
4. 10th December
5. coffee break
6. $6
7. set of dictionaries
8. music
9. photos
10. speech
11. two.
12. only in Western Europe.
13. cater for a range of walking abilities.
14. the same as other clients.
15. most nights.
16. $180
17. nearest station
18. $350
19. local history
20. walking club
21. 20 balloons
22. units of measurement
23. rock salt
24. crystals
25. string
26. light
27. H
28. B
29. E
30. C
31. 795
32. tail
33. floor
34. sense of smell
35. along the coastline.
36. South Africa.
37. 150.
38. summer.
39. strong waves and currents
40. moving sands
Explanations
- 1. College Dining Room
- 'I've been looking at the College Dining Room; that seems pretty reasonable.' Lisa rules out a hotel as too expensive and settles on the College Dining Room.Common trap: A hotel is mentioned first and is the obvious 'venue' word, but it is rejected as 'rather expensive'.
- 2. office staff
- Tony lists the guests in order: 'And the Director.' ... 'The office staff.' ... 'and all the teachers and all the students.' The item between the Director and the teachers is the office staff.Common trap: The list is spoken quickly and broken up by 'Ah ha' / 'Yep' - it is easy to lose your place and write 'Director' or 'teachers'.
- 3. students
- 'Yep, and all the teachers and all the students.' Faculty Heads are then explicitly ruled out.Common trap: 'Faculty Heads?' comes immediately afterwards - but Tony says 'better draw the line, I don't think it's necessary.'
- 4. 10th December
- Lisa suggests the fifteenth; Tony rejects it because of exams on the sixteenth; Lisa then says 'Tenth?' and Tony agrees, 'Yeah, that should do it.'Common trap: Three dates are spoken in four lines (15th, 16th, 10th); only the last is agreed. The month has to be carried over from 'the fifteenth of December'.
- 5. coffee break
- 'we usually go round with an envelope during coffee break' - confirmed by Tony: 'coffee break's always the best time.'Common trap: 'envelope' is the concrete noun in the same sentence, but the gap asks when the money is collected, not how.
- 6. $6
- 'We suggested six dollars last time, is that OK?' - Lisa agrees ('Yeah, plenty').Common trap: 'about ninety dollars' follows immediately - that is the expected total, not the amount per person.
- 7. set of dictionaries
- 'also I thought maybe, you know, a set of dictionaries. I heard him say he needed a good one.'Common trap: A computer printer is raised in the very next line but rejected - 'I'd be really frightened about getting the wrong type.'
- 8. music
- 'Well, some music, because there'll be a tape deck there in the room, and we can have some dancing later on.'Common trap: 'drinks' is mentioned in the line just before, but guests are explicitly NOT asked to bring drinks - those come from the Social Fund.
- 9. photos
- 'So we should ask the guests to bring photos. OK. I'll put it on the invitations.'Common trap: The idea arrives via 'some simple games' and photos 'from the students and teachers' - 'games' is wrong because the organisers set those up, guests do not bring them.
- 10. speech
- 'Now the last thing is, who shall we ask to do the speech?' ... 'Well then, the Student Leader?' - 'Yeah, much better than the Director giving speeches again.'Common trap: The Director is named in the same exchange, but only to say he should NOT give the speech this time.
- 11. two.
- 'If you want to hear our latest price lists, please press two.' The price list is how much the holidays cost.Common trap: Four options are read out in one breath; 'special offers' (one) sounds price-related too.
- 12. only in Western Europe.
- 'twelve different centres throughout the whole of Western Europe'. The first centre outside that area is only planned for the coming year.Common trap: The question says 'currently' - the very next sentence describes a future expansion outside Western Europe.
- 13. cater for a range of walking abilities.
- 'Each day we offer three separate walks catering for all skills and fitness levels.' All levels = a range of abilities.Common trap: The lines about guides come first and do say the walks are 'planned in detail by our highly trained guides' - true, but those guides are moved between locations, so they are not local.
- 14. the same as other clients.
- 'we guarantee that no single client will pay more, even when only double rooms are available for them.'Common trap: 'charge large supplements for single rooms' is said in the same sentence - but that describes other operators, not Travelite.
- 15. most nights.
- 'Entertainment is laid on nearly every night.' Nearly every night = most nights.Common trap: Both wrong options are lifted from the same sentence - 'every night' ignores 'nearly', and 'special requests' is an extra service on top.
- 16. $180
- 'The three-day holiday costs one hundred and eighty dollars for all accommodation, food and walking.'Common trap: Three prices are read out in quick succession (180, 350, 690) and have to be matched to the right length of holiday.
- 17. nearest station
- 'for the first time this year we are including in that price ... the cost of picking you up from the nearest station.'Common trap: 'nearest' is unstressed and easy to miss, leaving the incomplete answer 'station'.
- 18. $350
- 'The seven-day holiday costs three hundred and fifty dollars per person.'Common trap: 'three hundred and fifty' can be misheard as a repeat of the three-day price that was just given.
- 19. local history
- 'also includes a magnificent book giving the local history' - with free maps on top of that, which is why the table reads 'book of ... maps'.Common trap: 'magnificent' is the adjective actually attached to 'book', but it is not what fills the gap; 'free maps' is already printed in the table.
- 20. walking club
- 'that includes all the offers for the three- and seven-day holidays plus ... membership of a local walking club.'Common trap: The sentence runs on into 'the full flavour of the local life', so 'local life' is easy to write instead.
- 21. 20 balloons
- 'you only need twenty balloons and a table - you don't need any special engines or anything like that!'Common trap: 'special engines' is named in the same breath but is exactly what is NOT needed.
- 22. units of measurement
- 'It's supposed to demonstrate the importance of having fixed units of measurement.'Common trap: The table already prints 'standard', so copying the adjective 'fixed' out of the transcript gives the wrong kind of answer.
- 23. rock salt
- 'now for number three you need rock salt or copper sulphate' - Sue objects, and Mike says 'Well, just put down the rock salt then ... apart from that you only need a jar of water.'Common trap: Copper sulphate is offered first as an alternative, then dropped - writing it loses the mark.
- 24. crystals
- 'you dissolve lots of salt into the water and watch the crystals form, so it basically teaches the kids about growing crystals.'Common trap: 'salt' has just been used for the previous blank; the purpose column needs what grows, not what dissolves.
- 25. string
- 'then you thread a piece of string through the middle' - confirmed by Sue: 'So we'd need some string as well.'Common trap: Cardboard and coloured pens are already printed in the table, so the more prominent 'circle' or 'cardboard' is tempting.
- 26. light
- 'It teaches them about how white light or ordinary light is made up.'Common trap: 'colours' and 'elementary physics' are both in the surrounding lines and both fit the sentence grammatically.
- 27. H
- 'don't you think it's a bit risky to get a group of eight-year-olds pushing each other around a classroom like that? Someone could get hurt.' Risky + someone could get hurt = too dangerous.Common trap: Sue calls the hovercraft 'a bit ambitious', which points to C (too difficult) - but Mike's actual objection is safety.
- 28. B
- 'Yes, a bit too tame if you ask me. I think it needs to be something a bit more active and interesting than that.' Tame and not interesting = too boring.Common trap: 'too tame' never uses the word 'boring', and 'a bit more active' can suggest F (too easy).
- 29. E
- 'we had to wait up to a fortnight before we saw any halfway decent results' - and 'we have to do the experiments and write up our results within a week, so that one won't do at all.' The crystals take too long.Common trap: The objection is duration, not difficulty - but 'we'll only see the kids for one or two hours at the most' sounds like a timetabling problem rather than a length-of-experiment problem.
- 30. C
- 'don't you think it's a bit ambitious for this age group? ... I don't want to start off something and then have to abandon it if they just can't cope with it.' Can't cope = too difficult.Common trap: 'great equipment!' immediately before points to D (too much equipment), and a drill and a pin could suggest H (too dangerous).
- 31. 795
- 'the heaviest shark caught in Australia was a White Pointer - that weighed seven hundred and ninety-five kilograms.'Common trap: Sixteen metres (the length) is spoken in the previous sentence, so the two figures are easy to swap.
- 32. tail
- 'This is made possible by their fins, one set at the side and another set underneath the body, and the tail also helps the shark move forward quickly.'Common trap: The note already prints 'fins', so the long description of the two sets of fins is a distraction - the extra swimming aid is the tail.
- 33. floor
- 'Mostly, they swim at the bottom of the ocean, scavenging and picking up food that's lying on the ocean floor.'Common trap: 'they rarely swim at the surface' comes just before - 'surface' is the opposite of the answer.
- 34. sense of smell
- 'sharks hunt essentially by smell. They have a very acute sense of smell - and can sense the presence of food long before they can see it.'Common trap: The sentence before says most animals hunt 'by means of their eyesight' - eyesight is explicitly NOT how sharks find food.
- 35. along the coastline.
- 'Beach-netting, or meshing, involves setting large nets parallel to the shore.' Parallel to the shore = along the coastline.Common trap: The next clause - nets 'lifted and taken out to sea on the next day' - makes option C sound right.
- 36. South Africa.
- 'The New Zealand authorities also looked at it, but considered meshing uneconomical - as did Tahiti in the Pacific. At around the same time, South Africa introduced meshing to some of its most popular swimming beaches.'Common trap: All three places are named in two consecutive sentences, and the two rejections are spoken first.
- 37. 150.
- 'since that time, the average annual catch has been only about a hundred and fifty a year.'Common trap: 'approximately fifteen hundred sharks were caught in the first year' is spoken first - the question asks for the average, not the first year.
- 38. summer.
- 'The majority of sharks are caught during the warmest months, from November to February' - in Australia that is summer.Common trap: No season is named; the months have to be converted to a Southern-Hemisphere season, and November-February reads as winter to a Northern-Hemisphere listener.
- 39. strong waves and currents
- Two factors are given: 'big seas with high rolling waves and strong currents' (B) and 'anything that lets the sand move' (E).Common trap: Two plausible-sounding factors - sharks eating holes in the nets, and sharks being scared of them - are raised only to be denied.
- 40. moving sands
- Two factors are given: 'big seas with high rolling waves and strong currents' (B) and 'anything that lets the sand move' (E).Common trap: Two plausible-sounding factors - sharks eating holes in the nets, and sharks being scared of them - are raised only to be denied.
Audio transcripts
Part 1 — Goodbye party for John
LISA: Hi Tony, thanks ever so much for coming. You know we've been asked to organise something for John's farewell? TONY: Yeah, sure, it's about time we started working out details. LISA: Exactly. We don't want to leave it so late that it's double the work. TONY: Mmm, mm, right, do you want me to take notes? LISA: That'd be great, thanks. TONY: Right, first thing is, when is the best time to hold it? LISA: Well, he leaves on the twenty-fourth of December. TONY: So what about the twenty-second? LISA: Yeah, I think that's about right. We want it quite near the time, don't we? TONY: Sure, and what about a venue? In college? A hotel? LISA: I think a hotel will probably work out rather expensive, and I've been looking at the College Dining Room; that seems pretty reasonable. TONY: Fine, yeah, why not? LISA: And then we ought to be thinking about invitations ... Who mustn't we forget to invite? TONY: Well, obviously John and his wife. LISA: Right. TONY: And the Director. LISA: Ah ha. TONY: The office staff. LISA: Yep, and all the teachers and all the students. TONY: Anyone else? LISA: Faculty Heads? TONY: No, better draw the line, I don't think it's necessary. LISA: Yeah, you're right. TONY: I don't mind writing the invitations. When shall we get them out for? LISA: Enough time but not too early. What about the fifteenth of December? TONY: Well, there are exams on the sixteenth - better avoid them. LISA: Tenth? TONY: Yeah, that should do it. LISA: So what does that leave? Oh yes, a present. TONY: Would you mind doing that? LISA: No, not at all; we usually go round with an envelope during coffee break, don't we? TONY: Yeah, coffee break's always the best time, 'cos people have got their money handy. LISA: Yeah, exactly. Do we suggest an amount? Or does it seem a bit unfair? TONY: No, I think people welcome it. We suggested six dollars last time, is that OK? LISA: Yeah, plenty I would have thought, which should leave us with about ninety dollars. TONY: Have you any ideas for presents? LISA: Well, I've been having a little think. I thought, you know, he loves music. TONY: Yeah, and books. LISA: So, I thought I'd check on prices for, well, perhaps CD players. TONY: Yeah, that's a, that's a good idea, and also I thought maybe, you know, a set of dictionaries. I heard him say he needed a good one. LISA: The other thing he was saying last week was that his computer printer had broken. TONY: Umm. No, I'd be really frightened about getting the wrong type. LISA: OK, yeah. TONY: The other thing is something for the home - Jill suggested a coffee maker. LISA: Oh yeah. I'll certainly find out what they cost. OK, have you got all that down? TONY: Yes. LISA: Now we need to think a little more about the money. I know we've got a set amount from the Social Fund. TONY: Right, what does that cover? LISA: It's meant to cover the cost of the room. TONY: Yeah. LISA: And a certain amount for food. TONY: And also drinks? LISA: Oh yeah, certainly. TONY: But will it be enough? LISA: What we've done in the past is to ask guests to bring some snacks. TONY: Right. LISA: We don't ask them to bring more drinks because we figure that's ... that should come from the Social Fund. TONY: OK. Anything else for the guests to bring? LISA: Well, some music, because there'll be a tape deck there in the room, and we can have some dancing later on. TONY: Anything else? LISA: Well, it's just a thought, but a couple of years ago we had a really good party where we set up, you know, some simple games. TONY: Yeah, great. Wasn't it based on photos from the students and teachers? LISA: That's right. TONY: So we should ask the guests to bring photos. OK. I'll put it on the invitations. LISA: Now the last thing is, who shall we ask to do the speech? TONY: Don't you think it might be nice to have one of the students? LISA: Well then, the Student Leader? TONY: Yeah, much better than the Director giving speeches again. LISA: OK then, I'll ask her. Lovely! So, is that all? TONY: Looks like it. LISA: Great. Thanks ever so much ... (fade out)
Part 2 — Travelite Travel Agency information line
SPEAKER 1: Thank you for calling the free Travelite Travel Agency Information Line. You will not be charged for this call. In order to deal with all calls effectively, we offer you a number of options. Please listen carefully and press your required number at the appropriate time, or dial a new number. If you want to hear about special offers, please press one. If you want to hear our latest price lists, please press two. If you want to make a complaint, please press three. If you want information about our new walking holidays, please press four now. SPEAKER 2: Thank you for calling our Travelite Walking Holidays Line. We have been offering a wide variety of walking holidays to suit all tastes for just three years, but already we have won two awards for excellence in this field. We offer guided walking tours to suit the discerning traveller in twelve different centres throughout the whole of Western Europe. We are planning to open our first centre outside this area in the coming year, so watch out for developments. But the pride of Travelite is the level of guidance and support we offer on our walks. All are planned in detail by our highly trained guides, who all work in a variety of different Travelite locations, so we can guarantee standards. Each day we offer three separate walks catering for all skills and fitness levels. We also pride ourselves on our friendly service, particularly important for the increasing numbers of people who choose to holiday alone. Unlike almost all travel operators who happily charge large supplements for single rooms, we guarantee that no single client will pay more, even when only double rooms are available for them. And the day doesn't end with the return to base ... after our dinner at communal tables designed to make all our guests feel part of a family atmosphere ... Entertainment is laid on nearly every night with tour leaders on hand to organise lectures, games, quizzes and respond to any special requests from guests. The following is a summary of costs and special inclusive offers on holidays for the coming summer. We have three lengths of holiday: three-day, seven-day and fourteen-day. The three-day holiday costs one hundred and eighty dollars for all accommodation, food and walking, and for the first time this year we are including in that price ... the cost of picking you up from the nearest station. The seven-day holiday costs three hundred and fifty dollars per person and, as well as including the offers of the three-day holiday, also includes a magnificent book giving the local history. On top of that, we are able to include free maps ... for you to better enjoy the walking and even plan in advance, if you wish. For the fourteen-day holiday, our special price is six hundred and ninety dollars per person and that includes all the offers for the three- and seven-day holidays plus ... membership of a local walking club ... so you can better enjoy the full flavour of the local life. For further information, please contact your local travel agent. Thank you for calling the Travelite Travel Agency Information Line ... (fade out)
Part 3 — Choosing science experiments for primary school children
MIKE: Hi Sue. SUE: Hi Mike, so what happened to you last week? MIKE: Oh, I was sick with the flu. What's this I hear about a big assignment we've got to do? SUE: Well, basically, we've got to find two science experiments to do with a group of eight-year-old children at the local primary school, and we've got to complete it by the end of the week. MIKE: Oh, that sounds like hard work. Where are we supposed to get the ideas for these experiments from? SUE: Well, I managed to get hold of two books from the library. MIKE: Oh, well done! SUE: How about if we take a look at the experiments in this book first and see if anything looks suitable? I can make notes as we go, about equipment and the purpose of the experiments. MIKE: OK, let's see, um, the first experiment is called 'Make your own hovercraft', which sounds very ambitious! Mind you, you only need twenty balloons and a table - you don't need any special engines or anything like that! SUE: What do you do with it all? MIKE: Er, you blow up the balloons and you balance the table on them, upside down of course, and the kids get to ride around on it. You know, the other kids sort of push them around the room. The main purpose is to show how hovercrafts work, and how things hover around on just a cushion of air. SUE: OK, that doesn't sound too bad. MIKE: OK, ready for number two? SUE: Uh - huh. MIKE: Now this one is called 'Unusual Measures of Lengths', and you basically use lots of paperclips. The kids go around the class measuring things - you know, how long the desk is, and that sort of thing, um, and then they all compare their answers. Er, and, basically, because not all paperclips are the same lengths, they should come up with some strange answers. It's supposed to demonstrate the importance of having fixed units of measurement. SUE: Hmm, yes, that's not bad. MIKE: OK, now for number three you need rock salt or copper sulphate. SUE: Oh, I'm not sure about that! MIKE: Well, just put down the rock salt then, um, apart from that you only need a jar of water. Um, and basically you dissolve lots of salt into the water and watch the crystals form, so it basically teaches the kids about growing crystals. SUE: I suppose it would be nice to grow something. Hmm, let's move on and have a look at number four. MIKE: OK, this one is called 'Spinning colour wheel'. It looks like you get some cardboard and draw a circle on it, divide it into six equal segments and colour each one in using different colours, then you thread a piece of string through the middle. SUE: So we'd need some string as well. MIKE: Yes, sorry ... um ... and you spin the wheel around and if you can get it spinning fast enough, hopefully the colours all merge and show up as white. SUE: Oh, I didn't know that. What's the principle behind it? MIKE: Well it's pretty elementary physics, really. It teaches them about how white light or ordinary light is made up. SUE: Right. OK, well, that one sounds promising. Now, what about number five? MIKE: Number five is called 'Making a record player'. Here, you need a drill, an old record, a pin or a needle, some paper, and a bolt. What you do is you put the pin or needle into the bolt and put the bolt in the drill, and then you put some paper on the record and you play the record, and the vibrations from the record go up through the needle and make the paper move, so that you can actually see the sound. SUE: That sounds like fun! Now, let's think about which two we're going to choose. I think the hovercraft one's a bit ambitious, don't you? MIKE: Yes, that's true, but don't you think it's a bit risky to get a group of eight-year-olds pushing each other around a classroom like that? Someone could get hurt. No, I don't like the sound of that one at all. SUE: No, I see what you mean. So we can forget that one. What about the paperclips one? I think that could work quite well. MIKE: Yes, a bit too tame if you ask me. I think it needs to be something a bit more active and interesting than that, don't you? SUE: Hmm, maybe you're right. MIKE: They might have fun but, I mean, cutting out a circle and colouring it in? SUE: OK, well, what about number five? MIKE: I thought this one sounded a bit too good to be true - great equipment! SUE: Yeah. MIKE: But don't you think it's a bit ambitious for this age group? I mean, I don't want to start off something and then have to abandon it if they just can't cope with it. I could see us ending up doing just about all of the work for them. SUE: I guess you're right. Oh well, maybe we could store that idea away for later. MIKE: Yep, let's hope this second book has something better! SUE: Yes, so do I, but I seem to remember when we did it at high school we had to wait up to a fortnight before we saw any halfway decent results. MIKE: Oh, yes well, that won't be any good then. We'll only see the kids for one or two hours at the most. SUE: Yes, and we have to do the experiments and write up our results within a week, so that one won't do at all. MIKE: Hmm, maybe you're right.
Part 4 — Sharks in Australia
Today we're going to look at one of my favourite fish - the shark. As you know, sharks have a reputation for being very dangerous creatures capable of injuring or killing humans, and I'd like to talk about sharks in Australia. Sharks are rather large fish, often growing to over ten metres and the longest sharks caught in Australia have reached sixteen metres. Sharks vary in weight with size and breed, of course, but the heaviest shark caught in Australia was a White Pointer - that weighed seven hundred and ninety-five kilograms - quite a size! Sharks have a different structure to most fish: instead of a skeleton made of bone, they have a tough elastic skeleton of cartilage. Unlike bone, this firm, pliable material is rather like your nose, and allows the shark to bend easily as it swims. The shark's skin isn't covered with scales, like other fish: instead the skin's covered with barbs, giving it a rough texture like sandpaper. As you know, sharks are very quick swimmers. This is made possible by their fins, one set at the side and another set underneath the body, and the tail also helps the shark move forward quickly. Unlike other fish, sharks have to keep swimming if they want to stay at a particular depth, and they rarely swim at the surface. Mostly, they swim at the bottom of the ocean, scavenging and picking up food that's lying on the ocean floor. While most other animals, including fish, hunt their prey by means of their eyesight, sharks hunt essentially by smell. They have a very acute sense of smell - and can sense the presence of food long before they can see it. In Australia, where people spend a lot of time at the beach, the government has realised that it must prevent sharks from swimming near its beaches. As a result, they've introduced a beach-netting program. Beach-netting, or meshing, involves setting large nets parallel to the shore; this means that the nets on New South Wales beaches are set on one day, and then lifted and taken out to sea on the next day. When shark-netting first began in 1939, only the Sydney metropolitan beaches were meshed - these beaches were chosen because beaches near the city are usually the most crowded with swimmers. Ten years later, in 1949, systematic meshing was extended to include the beaches to the south of Sydney. As a result of the general success of the program in Sydney, shark-meshing was introduced to the state of Queensland around 1970. The New Zealand authorities also looked at it, but considered meshing uneconomical - as did Tahiti in the Pacific. At around the same time, South Africa introduced meshing to some of its most popular swimming beaches. When meshing began, approximately fifteen hundred sharks were caught in the first year. However, this declined in the years that followed, and since that time, the average annual catch has been only about a hundred and fifty a year. The majority of sharks are caught during the warmest months, from November to February, when sharks are most active and when both the air and the ocean are at their maximum temperature. Despite quite large catches, some people believe that shark meshing is not the best way to catch sharks. It's not that they think sharks are afraid of nets, or because they eat holes in them, because neither of these is true. But meshing does appear to be less effective than some other methods, especially when there are big seas with high rolling waves and strong currents and anything that lets the sand move - the sand that's holding the nets down. When this moves the nets will also become less effective.
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