IELTS Listening Practice Test 38
4 parts · 40 questions · about 33 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 in which a former astronaut discusses his school experiences and university education.
Questions 1–6
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
School and University Background
School workshop
Duration of metalwork classes:
Class size mentioned:
Equipment with rapid rotation:
Area for pouring melted material:
Higher education
Degree specialisation:
Annual family holiday tradition:
Questions 7–10
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a talk about a public holiday in the United States.
Questions 11–14
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 15–20
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Notes on Labor Day customs
End-of-summer activities
- Many people travel by air or road; destinations include beaches, mountains and
- The AAA reported that holiday travel rose by percent over the previous year
- The barbecue expert Robert Moss says outdoor cooking suits large gatherings and still has a quality
The white-clothing tradition
- White items are traditionally packed away and not worn again until the that follows Memorial Day
- The custom probably dates from the Age of the late 1800s
- Returning to the city, wealthy families needed heavier clothes for streets full of
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a conversation between a host and a NASA astronaut about the engineering and flying experience that preceded his space career.
Questions 21–22
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 23–24
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 25–30
Which place does Scott connect with each of the following? Choose the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 25–30. NB You may use any letter more than once.
- A Hawthorne
- B Palos Verdes
- C New Hampshire
- D Massachusetts
- E El Segundo
- F Santa Monica
- G East L.A.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a science report about an unusual experimental device developed by researchers in the United States.
Questions 31–35
Complete the flow-chart below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
How the organoid system was produced and connected
Questions 36–40
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A teacher who became an astronaut | 1–10 | Form completion, Multiple choice |
| 2 | Labor Day | 11–20 | Short-answer questions, Note completion |
| 3 | From engineer to Navy pilot | 21–30 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Matching features |
| 4 | A computer made with brain cells | 31–40 | Flow-chart completion, Sentence 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: Average Joe, Educator, Astronaut (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: Labor Day in the US. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Test Pilot to Astronaut (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: Scientists Create ‘Biocomputer’ with Lab-Grown Brain Tissue. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain