IELTS Listening Practice Test 51
4 parts · 40 questions · about 35 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 conversation with a NASA astronaut about his childhood in Maine and the experiences that shaped his later career.
Questions 1–7
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Astronaut profile: early life
Distance from Boston: approximately one hour and minutes
Summer visitors: large numbers of
Seasonal work: mowed
School sports: able to take part in any all year
Other sport: played a little when very young
Favourite academic subject:
Personal weakness: has always been a poor
Questions 8–10
Answer the questions below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio report about a nickel mine in Michigan and its cooperation with an environmental group.
Questions 11–15
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 16–20
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 16–20
The monitoring plan gave the group open access to the mine and allowed it to test a processing centre kilometres away; the company covered the cost. The formal agreement was signed in . More than a decade later, Rochelle Dale of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve still warns that some sulfide mines show no problems until after . As demand rises for minerals used in green technology, mining companies are recognising the importance of from the communities near their operations. The Michigan partnership is seen as a for other mining projects, although it cannot guarantee that a future accident will be avoided.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast interview with two scientists about their work.
Questions 21–25
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY 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 provides direct contact with space crews.
- B It calls for thinking outside the researcher's specialism.
- C It enables researchers to carry out analyses themselves.
- D It integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines and history.
- E It concerns the operation of genes inside cells.
- F It appeals because the work is inherently difficult.
- G It examines organisms' reactions to unfamiliar environments.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a talk about how diet affects astronauts on long-duration space missions.
Questions 31–36
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Space Nutrition Risks
Environmental factors
- Airborne inside a sealed craft may modify how nutrients are processed.
- Increased concentrations can disturb bone maintenance and nutrient metabolism.
- Beyond low Earth orbit, is the most significant hazard.
Diet and immunity
- Stress combined with insufficient vitamin can reactivate dormant viruses.
- Consuming vegetables is linked to reduced tumour incidence.
- Long-term vitamin pills did not lower the incidence of .
Questions 37–40
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Iron Management in Spaceflight
| Aspect | Finding |
|---|---|
Blood volume | decreases by about per cent |
Iron reserves | rise when the body starts to red blood cells |
Recommended allowance | roughly milligrams daily |
High-iron items | meat and fortified |
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NASA Astronaut's Early Years | 1–10 | Form completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | Nickel Mine and Environmental Group | 11–20 | Multiple choice, Summary completion |
| 3 | Moon Farming: Research Collaboration | 21–30 | Sentence completion, Matching features |
| 4 | Space Nutrition | 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: Captain and Commander (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: Nickel Mine, Environmental Activists Exist Together in Michigan. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Moon Farming (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: Diet Like an 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)