IELTS Listening Practice Test 137
4 parts · 40 questions · about 31 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 how early thinkers imagined living and working far from Earth.
Questions 1–5
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Early Milestones in Habitable Design
| Period / Figure | Development | Additional Detail |
|---|---|---|
Galileo | Identified features on the Moon including | early telescope observations |
Kepler | Maintained that distant celestial bodies were open to future exploration | |
Edward Everett Hale | His satellite functioned as a for maritime navigation | |
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky | Overall geometry: | rotating design |
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky | Professional background: | Russian theorist |
Questions 6–10
Complete the form below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Profile of a 1920s Theoretical Design
Professional role:
Overall configuration:
Rotation intended to produce:
Power obtained from:
Year associated with the concept:
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio programme about idiomatic expressions in American English that are related to banking.
Questions 11–14
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Questions 15–20
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Banking Idioms and Meanings
Idioms and meanings
- "Money in the bank" suggests a .
- "Take that to the bank" indicates a .
- "Laugh all the way to the bank" means earning substantial income with minimal .
- This phrase can also show satisfaction at profiting from something viewed as or bad.
- Example: a woman launched an organic homemade enterprise.
- Her acquaintances originally regarded the concept as .
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a discussion among fisheries specialists about the social side of restoring fish populations.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 26–30
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a researcher discussing the results of an experimental aquaculture system with a podcast host.
Questions 31–35
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Experimental Trial Outcomes
Growth and yields
- Striped bass development showed no across the two configurations.
- Worm population expanded by approximately per cent.
- The worms assimilated nearly of the effluent.
- Sea bean output surpassed what would be anticipated on a farm.
Water quality
- The integrated system did the nutrients dissolved in the water.
Questions 36–40
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–I, next to Questions 36–40.
Sea Bean Potential
Sea beans are marsh plants capable of withstanding extreme Drop or choose answer concentrations. Their Latin name alludes to their horn-like shape. The plants can be prepared in multiple ways: they may be pickled, blanched to remove salt, or dried and used as a salt alternative. Cooked sea beans have a flavour that some compare to Drop or choose answer. Their seeds are rich in oil and could serve as Drop or choose answer. The plants might also be cultivated on Drop or choose answer land unsuitable for staple crops. Although currently a niche product, the speaker hopes sea beans will eventually become Drop or choose answer.
- A pickled
- B mainstream
- C succulent
- D bait
- E salt
- F crab
- G fodder
- H biofuel
- I marginal
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Historical Concepts for Remote Outposts | 1–10 | Table completion, Form completion |
| 2 | Interpreting Banking Idioms | 11–20 | Short-answer questions, Note completion |
| 3 | Rebuilding Shared Fisheries | 21–30 | Multiple choice, Sentence completion |
| 4 | Improving Seafood Production | 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: Early Space Stations (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: Be Careful What You 'Bank On'. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: What Fish Stock Rebuilding Means to Communities (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: How to Maximize Aquaculture: Growing More Seafood Through Science (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)