PTE Listening Practice Test 16

"In this lecture I'll compare the ancient and modern Olympic Games. The ancient Games were held at Olympia in Greece every four years from at least 776 BCE, as part of a religious festival honouring the god Zeus. Only free Greek men could compete, and events included running, wrestling, boxing and chariot racing; winners received an olive wreath but often gained great fame and rewards in their home cities. The Games continued for more than a thousand years before being abolished in the late fourth century. The modern Olympics were revived in 1896 in Athens, largely through the efforts of the French educator Pierre de Coubertin, who believed sport could promote international understanding. Since then, the Games have expanded enormously, admitting women from 1900, adding the Winter Olympics and the Paralympics, and now involving athletes from over two hundred nations."

প্রাচীন অলিম্পিক গ্রিসের অলিম্পিয়ায় জিউসের সম্মানে ধর্মীয় উৎসব হিসেবে হতো এবং শুধু স্বাধীন গ্রিক পুরুষরা অংশ নিত। ১৮৯৬ সালে কুবার্তাঁর উদ্যোগে আধুনিক অলিম্পিক শুরু হয়। এখন নারী, শীতকালীন অলিম্পিক ও প্যারালিম্পিকসহ দুই শতাধিক দেশ অংশ নেয়।

"Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean, much of it carried by rivers from cities with poor waste collection. Large items such as bags and fishing nets can entangle seabirds, turtles and seals, while sunlight and waves gradually break plastic into tiny fragments called microplastics. These microplastics have been found everywhere from Arctic ice to the deepest ocean trenches, and in the bodies of many fish and shellfish. Scientists stress that clean-up at sea is extremely difficult, so the most effective solution is to stop plastic reaching the ocean in the first place."

"Since the pandemic, many office workers have spent at least part of the week working from home. Surveys suggest that most employees value the time and money saved by not commuting, and many say they can concentrate better at home. However, managers report that spontaneous conversations and the training of new staff have become harder when teams rarely meet in person. As a result, many organisations have settled on hybrid arrangements, with two or three office days each week."

"The Sundarbans, the vast mangrove forest shared by Bangladesh and India, is the only mangrove habitat in the world where tigers live. These tigers have adapted to an unusual environment: they swim between islands, drink slightly salty water and hunt deer, wild pigs and even fish. Counting them is difficult because the dense forest and muddy ground make direct sightings rare, so researchers rely on camera traps placed along creeks. The greatest long-term threat is rising sea levels, which could gradually submerge much of the low-lying forest."

"A camel's hump does not store water, as many people believe; instead, it is made mostly of fat, which the animal can break down for energy when food is scarce, allowing camels to travel long distances across the desert without eating for days."