Listening · Academic Talk
Photosynthesis Basics
Listening · Academic Talk
Listening Test
Today's lecture: biology
This task is designed to measure your ability to understand a short academic lecture on a topic taught in a university class.
In this exercise, you'll listen to a short academic talk and then answer multiple-choice questions about what you heard.
- Each question is worth 1 point. There are 4 questions about this talk.
- The talk plays only once — listen carefully.
- After the talk, you'll have 30 seconds per question. The exercise auto-advances when the timer hits zero.
- You can replay the audio and review the transcript only on the result screen.
Photosynthesis Basics
Listen to the talk and answer the questions
Listen to a talk in a biology class
Show transcript
Today I want to talk about photosynthesis, the process that quietly powers almost all life on Earth. In simple terms, green plants take in carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil, and using the energy of sunlight, they combine these into sugar. Oxygen is released as a by-product, which happens to be the gas we breathe. The key player is a green pigment called chlorophyll, found in tiny structures inside the leaf. Chlorophyll captures light energy and starts the chemical reactions. Now, here's a point students often miss: photosynthesis is not just about feeding the plant. The sugar produced becomes the base of nearly every food chain, and the oxygen makes complex life possible. So when you look at a leaf, remember you are looking at a small, silent factory that supports the entire living world.
Question 1
What is the main purpose of photosynthesis according to the professor?
Show answer
Answer: To convert sunlight into food and energy
Question 2
What role does chlorophyll play?
Show answer
Answer: It captures light energy
Question 3
What does the professor say is released as a by-product?
Show answer
Answer: Oxygen
Question 4
What point does the professor say students often miss?
Show answer
Answer: Photosynthesis supports nearly every food chain
Practice against the clock and track your progress
Create a free account for all 20 sets in every task, timed practice with scoring, a progress dashboard and a full TOEFL mock test.