This IELTS Listening Part 4 is about research into microscopic animals called tardigrades or ‘water bears’.

The speaker explains their extreme survival abilities - a topic that we covered in the previous Reading Podcast ('The secret of staying young').

This is an essential topic in IELTS, so don't miss this chance to review the vocabulary related to ageing and longevity.

You'll also pick up lots of tips related to gapfill questions.

Get the full lesson on my website:

https://ieltsetc.com/2026/01/ielts-vocabulary-topic-ageing/

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Useful Vocabulary

• conservation status 🌍 - the level of protection or risk faced by a species
• decade 🗓️ - a period of ten years
• endangered ⚠️ - at risk of disappearing completely
• extinction ☄️ - the total disappearance of a species
• habitat 🌿 - the natural place where an animal or plant lives
• invertebrate 🦐 - an animal without a backbone
• metabolism ⚙️ - the chemical processes that keep an organism alive
• microscopic 🔬 - so small it can only be seen with a microscope
• species 🧬 - a group of similar organisms that can reproduce
• thriving 🌟 - growing well and surviving successfully