PTE · Listening: Fill in the Blanks

Dynamics of Solar Eclipses: PTE Listening: Fill in the Blanks practice questions

3 original Listening: Fill in the Blanks questions. Answer every question, then check them for your score and the answers. It is free with no login; create a free account to save your score and get a BandLadder AI score for speaking and writing.
  • 3 questions
  • Free, with answers
  • PTE Academic and PTE Core
  • Updated Oct 2026

You will hear a recording. Type the missing word in each gap.

1

Observing the Solar Corona

Speaker: British English

Plays once, as in the test: no pausing or replay

0:00 / 0:43

During a total solar eclipse, observers on Earth have a unique opportunity to study the outermost part of the sun. The moon passes directly across the solar disc, which blocks out the intense glare and allows the faint to become visible. This glowing contains charged particles that stream into space and shape space weather. Modern astronomers deploy specialised to measure subtle shifts in temperature across these gaseous structures. Gathering such data helps researchers improve their mathematical of solar wind behaviour and understand how disturbances travel through the wider solar system.

2

Animal Behaviour During Totality

Speaker: American English

Plays once, as in the test: no pausing or replay

0:00 / 0:41

When daylight suddenly fades during totality, many terrestrial animals exhibit unusual patterns of that mimic nightfall. Birds frequently stop singing and return to their roosting sites, while nocturnal insects begin to emerge and make audible calls. Researchers have found that these sudden changes are triggered primarily by the rapid in ambient light and localised temperature drops. However, domestic animals often display signs of rather than true resting habits. Documenting these brief ecological reactions requires coordinated across broad geographic areas, providing valuable insight into how biological respond to sudden environmental disruptions.

3

Historical Dating Through Ancient Records

Speaker: Australian English

Plays once, as in the test: no pausing or replay

0:00 / 0:43

Ancient records of solar eclipses offer historians an extraordinary method for establishing precise chronological across distant civilisations. Because celestial mechanics allow modern astronomers to the exact paths of historical eclipses backwards through time, these rare events serve as fixed anchor points. When an ancient scribe recorded an unexpected midday alongside a major political event or battle, researchers can verify the exact year and season. This technique has resolved long-standing regarding ancient dynastic timelines and helped synchronise written by completely separate cultures.

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