IELTS Listening Practice Test 153
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 a radio interview with a scientist about experiments carried out in a specialised research facility.
Questions 1–7
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Scientific Research Notes
Conditions and Predictions
- Gravity is unlike temperature or pressure because it is a(n) .
- Every biological and physical system has developed around a .
- A central aim is to establish after an object is sent to the facility.
Public Interest
- The experiment most often enquired about involves the of a living organism.
- A frequently used model organism for reproductive studies is the .
Current Opportunities
- The present period is referred to as the for research.
- Researchers are encouraged to utilise the station as a .
Questions 8–10
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a science report about a new method of transmitting data over very long distances.
Questions 11–12
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 13–14
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 15–20
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast interview between a host and a researcher about a study of a disease affecting snakes.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A–H, next to Questions 21–25.
- A It sought to determine whether the condition was recent or long-established.
- B It involves giving vaccines orally to wild animals.
- C Its reported benefits lack rigorous trial evidence.
- D It required damaging every specimen examined.
- E It is seen as impractical for free-ranging populations.
- F It is often reported among people handling infected snakes.
- G It is unlikely because the pathogen cannot survive human body temperature.
- H It relied on specimens kept in a suitable preservative.
Questions 26–30
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Initial inspection concentrated on , yet such signs are not exclusive to the condition. A confirmed diagnosis therefore requires examining the skin and identifying the fungus's DNA. Removing tissue, termed , was authorised for selected specimens. The most frequent lesions were of skin. To extract DNA, tissue is ground mechanically and digested using .
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a researcher discussing antimicrobial resistance in the poultry industry.
Questions 31–35
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Poultry Production and Antimicrobial Resistance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Definition of multidrug resistance | Resistance to or more classes of antimicrobial agents |
Effect of population growth | Greater of animal production |
Reason for disease prevention | High of animals on farms |
Poultry share of global meat production, 2019 | percent |
Most frequent administration method | Through |
Questions 36–40
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research in Altered Conditions | 1–10 | Note completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | Speeding Up Long-Distance Data Transfer | 11–20 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Sentence completion |
| 3 | Investigating a Snake Fungal Disease | 21–30 | Matching features, Summary completion |
| 4 | Antimicrobial Resistance in Poultry | 31–40 | Table 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: International Space Station #2: Research (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: NASA Extends Laser Communication in Space to 226 Million Kilometers. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Museum Snakes Preserved in 1945 Found To Contain Fungal Pathogens (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: Outcomes of Reduced Antimicrobial Use in Chickens, Canada, 2013-2019 (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)