IELTS Listening Practice Test 127
4 parts · 40 questions · about 30 minutes of audio. Below are all the questions. Take the test in your free dashboard to play the recordings, answer as you listen, and get your band score with the transcript of every answer.
Part 1: Questions 1–10
You will hear a host interviewing an engineer about preparations for dangerous situations during a crewed voyage.
Questions 1–4
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Questions 5–10
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Fire Prevention Measures
| Safety measure | Detail |
|---|---|
Material selection | Constituent materials are chosen to avoid being . |
Oxygen testing | Equipment is certified for operation in an atmosphere containing % oxygen. |
Panel protection | Behind panels, a flow of prevents oxygen from reaching equipment. |
Assembly damage | A wire was damaged during or integration. |
Ignition source | The fire began after the wire's was worn away. |
Safety attitude | Personnel must guard against the that an accident could not happen. |
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio programme about an expression used to describe searching widely, followed by two everyday conversations in which it occurs.
Questions 11–15
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
The Origins of a Common Idiom
The idiom 'to cast a wide net' is thought to derive from . A rod and line can land only a solitary catch, whereas a net may bring in . By extension, the expression describes someone who refuses to place on how far they are prepared to look: a person hunting for a partner, for instance, may be willing to relocate anywhere. Such people also seek to expand the set of they will accept in others. Above all, the phrase conveys an insistence on examining every possibility .
Questions 16–20
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a discussion about highly precise measurements of height and gravity.
Questions 21–26
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 27–28
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 29–30
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear an oceanographer discussing how tidal current information is gathered and used, and what fieldwork involves.
Questions 31–35
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Tidal Current Survey Notes
Purpose and coverage
- The surveys cover an inland water body enclosed by land, known as a .
- Current meters are usually left in position for between one and four .
- Data analysis shows how water moves in relation to the sun and the .
- For navigation, the tables help large vessels remain beneath bridges and within the centre of the .
- By entering a bay on a flood tide, a ship can reduce its consumption.
Questions 36–40
Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the box and write the correct letter, A–I, next to Questions 36–40.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Fieldwork and Equipment Summary
Even though oceanographers may dream of fieldwork in exotic locations, much of their time is devoted to computer-based Drop or choose answer of the information gathered. In Puget Sound, the team has spent three years revising current records that had not been updated since the Drop or choose answer. Modern devices are placed on the seabed and employ Drop or choose answer to produce a high-resolution picture of water movement. On deck, oceanographic equipment is fixed to a Drop or choose answer acting as an anchor. After recovery, the most valuable part is a small Drop or choose answer holding data worth many thousands of dollars.
- A torpedo
- B vessel
- C card
- D wheel
- E island
- F hook
- G sound
- H analysis
- I 1940s
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planning for Onboard Emergencies | 1–10 | Short-answer questions, Table completion |
| 2 | Broadening the Search | 11–20 | Summary completion, Multiple choice |
| 3 | Measuring Heights with Gravity | 21–30 | Multiple choice, Multiple choice (choose more than one) |
| 4 | Surveying Tidal Currents | 31–40 | Note completion, Summary completion (word list) |
How to use it
- Open the test in your dashboard. Each part has its own track with the spoken instructions and the time to read the questions, as in the real exam.
- For exam practice, play each part once at 1× speed. To train your ear, slow it down or replay sections.
- Select words in a question to highlight the keywords you are listening for.
- After submitting, use “Show in transcript” to see exactly where each answer was said.
Audio sources
The recordings are real, copyright-free audio. The questions are written by Sprechify, and the spoken instructions use a synthetic voice.
- Part 1: In Case of Emergency (NASA Houston We Have a Podcast). NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston We Have a Podcast (NASA audio is generally not subject to copyright in the US)
- Part 2: What Good Comes from 'Casting a Wide Net'?. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Vertical Mapping and Atomic Clocks (NOAA Making Waves podcast). NOAA National Ocean Service, Making Waves podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: Current Surveys 101 (NOAA Ocean Podcast). NOAA National Ocean Service, NOAA Ocean Podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)