IELTS Listening Practice Test 187
4 parts · 40 questions · about 36 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 research into tick-borne infections in a New Jersey county.
Questions 1–4
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 5–10
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Explanations and tick variety
Diagnostic and reporting factors
- Clinicians in historically high-Lyme regions are often less in recognising ehrlichiosis.
- Symptoms can initially seem like an ordinary condition.
- A substantial share of infections remain , reducing testing and reporting.
- Tests can reveal prior infection through the presence of .
Tick and pathogen variety
- The minimum number of hard tick species transmitting human disease is .
- Soft ticks in the western mountains carry Borrelia that produce .
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a podcast excerpt about a stem cell transplant and donor screening.
Questions 11–15
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 16–20
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Clinical Investigation Notes
Clinical progression
- A minor later emerged.
- Doctors regarded dengue as a diagnosis.
- Antibody testing returned a positive result.
- The antigen test was positive.
- The findings confirmed an infection.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast host interviewing a researcher about a review of coronaviruses in animals.
Questions 21–26
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 21–26.
- A They are mainly infected by their owners.
- B They remain uncertain regarding animal-to-animal transmission.
- C They record deaths in which the virus was incidental.
- D They often require only supportive care.
- E They separate hosts into three distinct categories.
- F They are absent in over half of infected animals.
- G They provide a rapid overview of consolidated information.
Questions 27–30
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a researcher talking about a historical review of accidental releases of a virus.
Questions 31–35
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 36–40
Complete the summary below. Choose the correct letter, A–I, and write it next to Questions 36–40.
Later patterns
Before immunisation became widespread, documented releases were mainly linked to Drop or choose answer rather than to industrial production. In the most recent three decades, however, the majority have arisen in vaccine Drop or choose answer or in laboratories handling the virus. The health consequences in this later period are much less serious, with considerably fewer cases of Drop or choose answer reported. Detection has also improved: surveillance now includes not only acute flaccid paralysis but also Drop or choose answer. The final incident examined took place in a country and region that had already been declared Drop or choose answer, which the speaker found particularly striking.
- A manufacturing facilities
- B polio-free
- C research facilities
- D environmental surveillance
- E diagnosis
- F paralysis
- G storage centres
- H community
- I eradicated
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assessing Tick-Borne Disease Risk | 1–10 | Short-answer questions, Note completion |
| 2 | Donor Screening and Transplant Safety | 11–20 | Multiple choice, Note completion |
| 3 | Animal Reservoirs and Human Health | 21–30 | Matching features, Multiple choice |
| 4 | Reviewing Laboratory Release Incidents | 31–40 | Sentence completion, Summary completion (word list) |
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: Sympatric Ehrlichiosis and Lyme Disease in New Jersey (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: Dengue Virus Transmission by Blood Stem Cell Donor after Travel to Sri Lanka; Germany, 2013 (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: Animal Reservoirs for Emerging Coronaviruses (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: Polio: Risks for the Posteradication Era (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infectious Diseases podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)