IELTS Listening Practice Test 143
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 with an engineer about how he began his career and how communication systems are changing.
Questions 1–7
Complete the form below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Career History Form
Background
- Sector of first summer employer:
- Contract type after graduation:
Early missions
- Type of satellite first worked on: satellites
- How he joined NASA: was
- Role on X-Ray Timing Explorer: manager
- Role on Global Precipitation Measurement: manager
Later work
- Component built for Hubble servicing missions: hardware
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 a term for using a prominent role to influence public opinion.
Questions 11–15
Complete the summary below. Choose your answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–H, next to Questions 11–15.
Summary of the expression's meaning
The expression is formed from two words whose separate meanings are quite different. A 'bully' may be someone who treats others in Drop or choose answer; a 'pulpit', by contrast, is Drop or choose answer used for delivering sermons. When combined, however, the phrase denotes Drop or choose answer that allows an individual to disseminate ideas widely. President Theodore Roosevelt famously applied it to his own time in the White House because it gave him a platform for advocacy. In his usage, 'bully' meant Drop or choose answer, an older sense of the term. Today it can also serve as Drop or choose answer, as when someone says 'Bully for you!' to celebrate another person's achievement.
- A preaching
- B a worship service
- C weaker or smaller individuals
- D a raised platform
- E excellent or first-rate
- F a political office
- G a cruel and aggressive manner
- H an exclamation of praise
Questions 16–20
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Notes on a conversation about a swimming-pool board
Notes on a conversation about a swimming-pool board
- The speaker is resigning but must transfer her notes to the newly appointed .
- She objects that the board president colleagues about unrelated matters.
- The president's remarks cover subjects such as and the supposed dangers of potato chips.
- The expression is not confined to politics: it can also describe a company president, a school , or the leaders of groups.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear three colleagues discussing an international scientific agreement and how it has developed.
Questions 21–25
Choose five answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–H, next to Questions 21–25.
- A It depended exclusively on symbolic declarations.
- B It arose without official institutional backing.
- C It comprised a modest initial membership.
- D It entailed several imminent signing events.
- E It expanded at a very gradual pace.
- F It sought to prevent unintended interference.
- G It involved shared leadership with another government body.
- H It set out common operational standards.
Questions 26–30
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a podcast discussion about attempts to reduce labour exploitation in the seafood industry.
Questions 31–35
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Although information on labour abuses is gathered by many actors, companies may still be unsure whether their staff were supplied by an unethical . The agency's personnel regard themselves as specialists rather than labour experts. Improved connectivity enables crew to contact as well as relatives, while payment through systems helps safeguard wages. Workers also need clear mechanisms when problems arise.
Questions 36–40
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
Duration of programme | exceeds months |
Intended outcome | fostering within the community |
Preferred final document | a report of rather than recommendations |
Most enthusiastic participants | representatives from |
Current stage | transitioning to the phase |
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Career in Communications Engineering | 1–10 | Form completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | Persuading from a Public Platform | 11–20 | Summary completion (word list), Note completion |
| 3 | Forming a Multinational Research Accord | 21–30 | Matching features, Multiple choice |
| 4 | Tackling Labour Abuse in Fishing | 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 Moon in 4K (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: Influence Others from a 'Bully Pulpit'. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: The Artemis Accords (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 4: Combating Labor Abuse in the Seafood Sector (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)