IELTS Listening Practice Test 138
4 parts · 40 questions · about 32 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 an interview about a person’s long professional career within a multinational technical partnership.
Questions 1–10
Complete the form below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Career and Partnership Record
Partnership Legacy
- Historical role of the collaboration:
Early Career
- First professional title:
- Initial unit assignment:
- Later liaison position:
Leadership Milestones
- Year first appointed to a leadership role:
- Research focus of later deputy role:
- Duration of that deputy appointment:
International Partnership
- Personal bonds formed with counterparts:
- Long-duration expeditions likened to a:
- Operational problems are described as:
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio programme about a well-known saying and how people apply it.
Questions 11–16
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
The speaker explains that adapting to the of a host community can make a stay more pleasant, and that the saying captures a particular — a willingness to alter one's habits. This outlook is not restricted to overseas travel: someone who normally speaks loudly may inside a gallery or library. In everyday speech the phrase is frequently , and in an unfamiliar setting it is wise to imitate those who understand the ; such people merge with those around them, or .
Questions 17–18
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 19–20
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a discussion about the environmental history of a coastal wetland area.
Questions 21–25
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–I, below.
The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was a 76-mile Drop or choose answer created so vessels could avoid the winding river and reach the Port of New Orleans. The channel eliminated a natural Drop or choose answer that had shielded the Lower Ninth Ward from storms. Although planners expected it to produce an Drop or choose answer, the anticipated advantages failed to materialise. Furthermore, the scheme is now regarded as an example of environmental Drop or choose answer, because a black community was not considered. In addition, the Drop or choose answer ultimately made no use of the waterway, meaning the destruction brought no compensating benefit.
- A buffer
- B shipping lane
- C trust
- D economic windfall
- E federal funding
- F injustice
- G maritime industry
- H fresh water
- I wetlands
Questions 26–30
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 26–30.
- A is situated below the elevation of the nearby river
- B accommodates relatively wealthy inhabitants
- C experienced serious flooding before Hurricane Katrina
- D had its flood-control structures opened
- E constitutes the district's only landward boundary
- F has lost many residents who remembered its past
- G was affected by saltwater intrusion before the storm
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a talk about the staffing and daily routine of a fisheries research vessel.
Questions 31–35
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Survey vessel: specifications and duties
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
Overall length | feet |
Days spent at sea each year | |
Engineers | Ensure the vessel's continue to function |
Electronics specialist | Maintains numerous on board |
Deckhands | Responsible for deploying and the nets |
Questions 36–40
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Career and Collaboration Profile | 1–10 | Form completion |
| 2 | Origins of a Travel Proverb | 11–20 | Summary completion, Multiple choice (choose more than one) |
| 3 | Restoring Coastal Wetlands | 21–30 | Summary completion (word list), Matching features |
| 4 | Life and Work Aboard a Survey Vessel | 31–40 | Table completion, Sentence 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: 20 Continuous Years (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: When in Rome …. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Restoring New Orleans Wetlands After Hurricane Katrina (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: 60 Years of Science on the Atlantic (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)