PTE Listening: Fill in the Blanks practice with audio and answers

When researchers examine ancient bristlecone pines growing high on exposed mountain slopes, they rely heavily on dendrochronology to determine precise ages. By extracting a slender core from the trunk, scientists can analyse annual growth patterns without causing permanent to the living specimen. In particularly harsh seasons, the rings become extremely narrow, reflecting severe drought or prolonged cold. Comparing these sequences across overlapping wood samples allows botanists to build an uninterrupted chronological stretching back several thousand years. This historical archive provides invaluable into past climatic fluctuations and helps specialists understand how ancient trees survive in such an inhospitable over millennia.