IELTS Listening Practice Test 140
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 podcast interview about personal memories of a historic event and decisions about a proposed project.
Questions 1–7
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
School Recollections
Early schooling
- A television was wheeled into a school .
- The newly introduced was a source of inspiration.
- The period discussed was .
Later announcement
- A station was proposed to become international in .
A memorable classroom event
- A childhood memory took place during a lesson.
- Staff members became after gathering together.
- The individual on board was employed as a .
Questions 8–10
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio programme about expressions using the word 'rub'.
Questions 11–15
Choose five answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–H, next to Questions 11–15.
- A It means to exacerbate an already bad situation.
- B It signifies eliminating someone or something.
- C It indicates a shortage of financial resources.
- D It questions the nature of a difficulty.
- E It refers to causing someone to feel irritated.
- F It describes being in the company of famous individuals.
- G It denotes a blend of spices used in food preparation.
- H It involves persistently reminding someone of an uncomfortable event.
Questions 16–20
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Vocabulary Notes
Expressions with 'rub'
- **rub salt in the wound**: to exacerbate an already negative situation, making it .
- Example: mentioning an unpaid .
- **rub together**: used to express that we something.
- Example: not having two to rub together.
- **rub out**: to someone.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a radio discussion between a host and two food specialists about their collaborative research.
Questions 21–25
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Questions 26–30
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a researcher discussing an unexpected discovery about a small fish in the Pacific.
Questions 31–35
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Possible Migration Theory
Researchers propose that a warming Arctic opened a temporary through formerly cold water, allowing Japanese sardines to move east. They also note that the species spreads when abundant; the Japanese population sharply in the 1990s before recovering from 2010. Survival through winter in the North Pacific may have become possible once temperatures reached the that sardines can tolerate. After using the new habitat to , the fish could have continued into the California Current. Their brief and generalist habits may help them track environmental change rapidly.
Questions 36–40
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recalling a Historic Event | 1–10 | Note completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | Understanding 'Rub' Expressions | 11–20 | Matching features, Note completion |
| 3 | Reusing an Underused Seafood Ingredient | 21–30 | Sentence completion, Multiple choice |
| 4 | Tracking a Surprising Fish Migration | 31–40 | Summary completion, Multiple choice |
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: Apollo 11 to Now (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: Learn 'Rub Elbows,' Other 'Rub' Expressions. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Squid: More than Just Calamari (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: Japanese Sardines in California? A Shocking Discovery in the Pacific (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)