IELTS Listening Practice Test 43
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 an interview with a NASA director about her early life and career.
Questions 1–6
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Early Life and Education
Number of children in family:
Parents' occupation:
Subject she enjoyed:
Profession recommended by tests:
Finished high school a year
Disliked looking into
Questions 7–10
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio report about a scientific study of the planet Venus.
Questions 11–15
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–H, below. Write the correct letter, A–H, next to Questions 11–15.
Scientists have long debated whether Venus once held liquid water — possibly even vast Drop or choose answer. A new study led by a British university, however, indicates that both the surface and the Drop or choose answer of the planet have always been dry. Because water is thought to be essential for Drop or choose answer, the team concludes that Venus could never have supported living things.
The researchers examined how quickly certain molecules break down in the atmosphere, which is closely tied to Drop or choose answer activity. Gases released by eruptions reveal how much water lies deep beneath the surface. Eruptions on Earth give off mainly steam, whereas those on Venus produced below Drop or choose answer, suggesting an extremely dry interior.
- A chemistry
- B climate
- C interior
- D life
- E oceans
- F six per cent
- G sixty per cent
- H volcanic
Questions 16–20
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Explaining water on Venus
Earlier explanations
- First view: a mild climate persisted for of years, with water flowing over parts of the surface
- Later, extensive eruptions produced intense and a dry environment
- Second view: the planet was extremely hot from the outset, so liquid water could never form on the
The current study
- Rather than climate models, the team relied on of the planet's atmospheric chemistry today
- No sign that substances removed from the air were afterwards
- Suggestion: future searches for life should target planets most likely to support it
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast interview about a proposed mission to the Moon.
Questions 21–25
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 26–30
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 26–30.
- A It is designed specifically for a scientific investigation.
- B It is subject to only small changes.
- C Its selection follows the approval of the research.
- D The science team cannot fully determine its design.
- E It cooperates effectively with the researchers.
- F It handles communication between Earth and the Moon.
- G It supplies the rocket needed to reach the Moon.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a NASA engineer explaining how the Orion spacecraft’s parachute system works and how its deployment is controlled.
Questions 31–35
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Orion’s parachute system
Orion has eleven parachutes in four categories. The first group, which removes the forward bay cover, is made of and is fired out by pyrotechnic cannons. The drogue parachutes then reduce speed and steady the craft to about mph. When the vehicle is near 6,000 feet, cut the Kevlar lines, allowing the drogues to separate. Three pilot parachutes then release and raise the main parachutes, which are too heavy to be launched by . The main canopies finally slow the vehicle to just under mph.
Questions 36–40
Complete the flowchart below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Parachute sequence: later explanation
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NASA Director's Early Life | 1–10 | Form completion, Multiple choice |
| 2 | Venus Water Study | 11–20 | Summary completion (word list), Note completion |
| 3 | A lunar science mission | 21–30 | Sentence completion, Matching features |
| 4 | Orion Parachute Deployment | 31–40 | Summary completion, Flow-chart 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: Her First Year as Director (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: New Study Examines Whether Venus Had Liquid Water. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Lunar Vertex (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: Orion Parachutes (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)