IELTS Listening Practice Test 185
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 leprosy and armadillos.
Questions 1–10
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Leprosy Research Notes
Why armadillos are used in research
- Armadillos maintain a core temperature of approximately degrees Celsius.
- Because of this low temperature, armadillos are unusually to the leprosy bacterium.
- In armadillos, the disease becomes fully , affecting internal organs and nerves.
- Only armadillos and humans can develop extensive involvement.
Origin and distribution
- Armadillos probably contracted leprosy from humans within the last few .
- In the southern US, only two major of the bacterium have been identified.
Transmission and survival
- The disease is thought to spread mainly through routes.
- The bacteria are fragile: 90% die during a single .
Symptoms and treatment
- Most people incubate the infection for before symptoms appear.
- An experimental vaccine is likely to be used for contacts.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a public-health podcast about an avian influenza investigation in Washington State.
Questions 11–15
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–I, below.
Early surveillance and wild bird findings
Between 2006 and 2011, authorities carried out extensive Drop or choose answer across the United States. Although almost 500,000 wild bird samples were tested, no Eurasian H5 virus was found; overall avian influenza prevalence was around 11%, with most detections in Drop or choose answer. After poultry outbreaks in British Columbia in November 2014, agencies intensified checks along the US–Canada Drop or choose answer. A subsequent wild bird die-off at Wiser Lake, a site previously associated with Drop or choose answer and a fungal disease, involved up to 10,000 waterfowl. Laboratory examination of carcasses found the fungus in five birds, and swabs from five birds tested positive for influenza A and H5; a Eurasian lineage virus was later isolated from a Drop or choose answer specimen.
- A dabbling ducks
- B brain
- C surveillance
- D waterfowl
- E border
- F prevalence
- G lead poisoning
- H poultry
- I lung
Questions 16–20
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast discussion between a host and a researcher about a parasitic infection and its transmission.
Questions 21–25
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 26–30
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Human Infection Patterns
Transmission
- Congenital route: from mother to
- Most existing cases acquired in patients'
Local Cases
- Locally acquired infections likely number in the to thousands.
Clinical Course
- Acute phase: elevated parasite levels last one to two .
Medical Procedures
- Organ transplants: only a of transmissions over 20 years.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a talk about measures used to limit the spread of respiratory infections.
Questions 31–35
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 36–40
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
School closure concerns
| Aspect | Issue or requirement |
|---|---|
Childcare | Parents need to organise for their children. |
Education | Children miss out on opportunities. |
Nutrition | Pupils from poorer families lose free . |
Planning | Closing schools creates numerous to consider. |
Implementation | A closure has to be introduced first. |
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Armadillos and Leprosy Infection | 1–10 | Note completion |
| 2 | Investigating Wild Bird Influenza | 11–20 | Summary completion (word list), Multiple choice |
| 3 | Understanding a Parasitic Infection | 21–30 | Sentence completion, Note completion |
| 4 | Slowing Community Transmission | 31–40 | Multiple choice, 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: Leprosy and Armadillos (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: Novel Eurasian Highly Pathogenic Influenza A H5 Viruses in Wild Birds, Washington, USA, 2014 (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 3: Prevalence of Chagas Disease among Adults, United States (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: Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Respiratory Viruses (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)