BBC | British Council

Sounds
For each of the six questions choose the one correct answer.

1. I love watching bees lazily __________ around the summer flowers in the garden.
a. growling
b. roaring
c. buzzing
d. hissing

2. I couldn't get to sleep because of my husband's loud ________.

a. snoring
b. beeping
c. buzzing
d. crashing

3. She was so fed-up with everything and everybody, she let out a loud ________.
a. sigh
b. rattle
c. cough
d. sniff

4. Every time I go in the garden, the dog next door starts ___________.
a. miaowing
b. chirping
c. shouting
d. barking

5. I love the sound of autumn, the red and brown leaves _________ in the trees when
the wind blows.
a. gasping
b. rustling
c. rumbling
d. clattering

6. I was so cold, you could hear my teeth __________.

a. chattering
b. talking
c. chatting
d. clattering

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BBC | British Council

Sounds
Answers

1:
a. A dog might growl if it was angry.
b. A lion or tiger might roar.
c. Correct - Bees make a buzzing sound.
d. Snakes hiss.

2:
a. Correct - Snoring is the heavy breathing sound people make when they are
asleep - very annoying!
b. A beeping sound is high pitched and electronic - e.g. a video game
c. A bee makes a buzzing sound.
d. A crashing sound is made when something breaks e.g. if you drop something
made of glass.

3:
a. Correct - If you are fed-up or bored, you might breathe out heavily and suddenly,
making a sighing sound.
b. You can make a rattling sound by shaking something; think of a rattle-snake or a
baby's rattle.
c. You might cough if you have a cold with a bad chest.
d. You might sniff if you have a cold and a runny nose.

4:
a. Cats miaow.
b. Birds chirp.
c. People shout.
d. Correct - Dogs bark.

5:
a. You might gasp if you are surprised - you breathe in quickly.
b. Correct - The leaves were rustling in the wind.
c. You might hear a rumble of thunder in a storm - a deep continuous sound.
d. A loud metallic rattling sound e.g. the clatter of pots of pans.

6:
a. Correct - If you are really cold, your teeth might chatter - your jaw moves very
quickly and your teeth click together.
b. Talking is not correct.
c. Chatting is another way of saying making small talk.
d. This is a loud metallic rattling sound e.g. the clatter of pots of pans.

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