IELTS Listening Practice Test 165
4 parts · 40 questions · about 30 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 food safety and a common bacterium associated with a festive meal.
Questions 1–10
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Food Safety Study Notes
Diagnosis
- Initial sample for testing: typically .
- Laboratory method that isolates bacteria: a .
- Alternative test detects the pathogen's .
- Additional analysis can show whether the strain responds to .
Holiday Consumption
- Proportion of households serving turkey at Thanksgiving: .
- Poultry must be properly or cooked to a safe temperature.
Contamination Routes
- Germs can transfer from raw meat and juices to and worktops.
- Most frequent infection route: eating meat.
Outbreak Detection and Control
- National lab network compares fingerprints to identify disease .
- Officials may issue a or public warning when evidence is clear.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a retired public-health worker talking about a sanitation project in the southern United States.
Questions 11–15
Choose the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 11–15.
- A Supplied construction materials
- B Was unfamiliar to the speaker
- C Was standing empty at the time
- D Involved a routine collection service
- E Belonged to a family acquaintance
- F Combined two civic positions
- G Was financed from public funds
Questions 16–20
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 scientist talking about the spread of avian influenza.
Questions 21–25
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Questions 26–30
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Later Transmission and Risks
Where colonial birds congregate at high , losses can be severe, particularly among naïve individuals; even a and immature birds may be affected. Introduction into farm buildings can occur through inadequate , while contaminated footwear underlines the importance of . The most dangerous stage is , which may generate long chains of outbreaks.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a podcast interview about research into how a virus spread across a Caribbean island.
Questions 31–35
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Research Notes on Viral Genetics
Genomic data
- Genetic sequences are archived in .
- Similarity between viruses from different regions is termed .
Analytical methods
- A field called is used to make sense of living systems.
- Adding to the analysis allows estimates of how long a virus persists in one area.
Terminology
- This body of knowledge is known as .
Questions 36–40
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Findings on Virus Spread
| Observation | Detail |
|---|---|
Total confirmed cases | Over were documented. |
Reason for postponed sequencing | A struck the island. |
Cause of epidemic | Several of the virus took hold. |
Environmental factor | Local encourages transmission. |
Cryptic transmission | The virus may have spread for some time. |
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey and Foodborne Illness | 1–10 | Note completion |
| 2 | Improving Rural Sanitation | 11–20 | Matching features, Sentence completion |
| 3 | Understanding Avian Influenza Spread | 21–30 | Sentence completion, Summary completion |
| 4 | Tracking Viral Transmission Patterns | 31–40 | Note 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: Salmonella in Thanksgiving Turkey, 1998-2018 (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 2: Reflections on Public Health: Captain Hart and Sanitation (CDC podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 3: Iceland as Stepping Stone for Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus between Europe and North America (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: Evolution of Zika Virus in Puerto Rico, 2016-2017 (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)