IELTS Listening Practice Test 132
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 discussion about an individual's professional journey and the factors that motivated their choices.
Questions 1–10
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Career Path Details
Early Influences
- Decade when he commenced postgraduate studies:
- Item found in cereal packages that inspired him:
- Original intended field of study at university:
- Written articles that influenced his thinking:
- Sudden realisation that prompted a career change:
Career Choices
- Profession he ultimately chose:
- Besides physics and chemistry, another discipline frequently required in his work:
- Apollo missions improved knowledge of
- Degree he was awarded in planetary science:
- He switched research focus because he would face less
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a talk about various ways of saying goodbye in English.
Questions 11–16
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Farewell Expressions: Origins and Formal Usage
Origins and Formal Usage
- “Goodbye” derives from an old blessing uttered roughly years ago.
- In expressions like “Have a good night”, the verb “have” is in its mood.
- This form of the verb can convey directives, guidance, or even .
- In formal settings, “take care” expresses concern for someone’s physical and psychological .
- After an enjoyable exchange, a courteous remark is that it was a to speak with you.
- The expression “look forward to” communicates about future contact.
Questions 17–20
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a discussion about the history and management of shark fisheries in the Atlantic.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 21–25.
- A opened an overseas market for fins
- B stimulated domestic appetite for flesh
- C led to a marked decrease in fishing activity
- D introduced industrial processing of hides
- E produced a sharp rise in leisure angling
- F supplied a vital nutritional substance
- G removed dependence on a shark-derived ingredient
Questions 26–30
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a podcast interview about how machine learning is helping researchers study whale sounds.
Questions 31–35
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Opening Up Machine Learning
New machine-learning tools and their data have been rendered accessible to all. Rather than constructing a system from scratch, researchers can remove some layers from a pre-existing model and it for their own recordings. This development has reduced the for scientists wishing to use machine learning. In one project, the new labels now span the complete hours of acoustic recordings, and the distinctive call seems specific to a population of Bryde's whales.
Questions 36–40
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Findings on Bryde's Whale Calls
| Aspect | Finding |
|---|---|
Movement | Travels between mid-latitude grounds and low-latitude breeding grounds |
Passing recorders | Detected moving past the hydrophones each year |
Foraging cue | Apparently follows a food-rich boundary called the front |
Notable year | Unusually numerous calls recorded in , during El Niño conditions |
Sparse year | Comparatively few calls recorded in , during La Niña conditions |
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Career Inspiration and Change | 1–10 | Form completion |
| 2 | Expressions for Farewells | 11–20 | Note completion, Multiple choice |
| 3 | Atlantic Shark Fishery Management | 21–30 | Matching features, Multiple choice |
| 4 | Machine Learning for Whale Research | 31–40 | Summary completion, Table completion |
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: The Value of the Moon (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: Ways to Say 'Goodbye'. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Atlantic Sharks: 30 Years of Successes and Lessons (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: AI Identifies Mysterious Whale Calls (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)