IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-01-02

**Narrator:** Now, look at part one. Part one, you will hear a telephone conversation between a customer and a shop assistant. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 3. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 3.
**Jenny:** Good morning. Jenny's suit rental. Jenny speaking. Who may be of service?
**Max:** Hi there. My name is Max Jones. That's J-O-N-E-S. And I'm looking to rent a suit out for a special occasion.
**Jenny:** Certainly, Max. We charge a set fee for our services. You can either choose from our designer range and pay £50 to rent your suit out or choose from our standard range at a cost of £25. So, what will it be?
**Max:** Oh, the first option, please, Jenny. Uh £25 did you say?
**Jenny:** Unfortunately not. The designer range is twice that price.
**Max:** Oh, in that case I'll take the second option. Uh standard. Was that it?
**Jenny:** That's right. Now before we go any further, may I ask how you intend to pay?
**Max:** Do you accept checks?
**Jenny:** Yes, but only in exceptional circumstances. We prefer cash or credit card.
**Max:** Well, as I haven't got one, does this count as uh those circumstances?
**Jenny:** Yes, that'll be fine. Make it payable to Jenny's suit rental.
**Max:** We'll do.
**Narrator:** Before listening to the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 4 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 4 to 10.
**Jenny:** Now Max, can I take your measurements please and a few details about what sort of suit you have in mind?
**Max:** Certainly. Let's start with the trousers then, shall we?
**Jenny:** What is your waist size and leg length?
**Max:** I used to be 32 waist, you know, but these days it's more like 36. Too many cream pies.
**Jenny:** I've been there. And about the leg?
**Max:** 34. I wish. I'm afraid I'm somewhat lacking in the height department. Not even a 32. 30, I'm afraid.
**Jenny:** Never mind. As for the color, could you do a dark gray suit?
**Max:** In fact, we have a very smart one of those in just your size. You're in luck. Now, what about shoes? Same color?
**Max:** No, I think I prefer something darker.
**Jenny:** Okay, let's go with traditional black then, shall we? What about size?
**Max:** Uh, I'm a size 45.
**Jenny:** H, by my calculations, that's uh 10 in our sizes and style. What have we got? We do suede, newbuck, and traditional leather.
**Max:** Definitely the last one.
**Jenny:** Very well. And will you be wanting a neck tie?
**Max:** Do you do bow ties?
**Jenny:** Of course. I'll put one of those down in your order. Dark gray, I presume?
**Max:** Perfect. To match the suit. I think I fancy a light blue shirt, by the way.
**Jenny:** Might I recommend a green? Green would go very well with the suit you are renting.
**Max:** Light or dark?
**Jenny:** I'd say dark.
**Max:** Dark it is. Then my neck size is 17 and a half. Uh hard to believe a little over a year ago I could fit into a 15, isn't it?
**Jenny:** Those cream pies again, right?
**Max:** You got it.
**Jenny:** Now, what about your suit jacket? Same color as the trousers, obviously. But what size?
**Max:** Medium should be fine.
**Jenny:** Are you sure?
**Max:** Yeah. And have you got any of those three button ones?
**Jenny:** I'm afraid not. The one and two button suit jackets are far more popular at the moment. In fact, the one button is all the rage.
**Max:** Let's have that one then.
**Jenny:** No problem. Now, that is the end of part one. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
---

**Narrator:** Now turns to part two. Part two, you will hear part of a radio program in which the manager of the Apollo Leisure Center is interviewed about the center. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16. Now listen to the first part of the interview and answer questions 11 to 16.
**Interviewer:** Next, I'd like to welcome Carol Brown, manager of the Apollo Leisure Center. Carol, welcome.
**Carol:** Thank you.
**Interviewer:** Now, Carol, the Apollo seems a familiar site, but how long has it actually been here?
**Carol:** Well, we started negotiations to take over the previous active life center that used to occupy the premises in 2000 and planned to open in 2001, although the usual delays meant it was 2002 before we were up and running.
**Interviewer:** H. And do you have quite a mix of members or are you focused on certain groups?
**Carol:** It's pretty broad actually. There are something like 200 adult members. So that's our biggest group. But we also have as many as 100 youth members together with about 50 family group members. And I think we'll see that section growing to 100 over the next couple of years.
**Interviewer:** Healthy numbers.
**Carol:** Yes, and we'll be developing the center to make it even more attractive. We're hoping eventually to build in a rock climbing wall which would make a useful addition. We've already opened our swimming pool which is hugely popular and we'll have a massage room open within 12 months.
**Interviewer:** Now I understand you have different categories of membership.
**Carol:** Yes, to suit every pocket. Blue membership includes all facilities for the member and a guest at all times, which is good for people with unpredictable timetables. If you can make it during daytime hours, Red membership gives you excellent returns for your fee. As for only half price, you can use all the facilities during the day and they're actually less crowded. Then green membership is designed for people who are only able to come infrequently and so of course costs less.
**Interviewer:** And there are chances to socialize.
**Carol:** Oh, certainly. Our cafe is very popular and is a nice place to wind down and chat after working out or whatever. In fact, while it used to shut at 8, we've extended that to 9 now with last orders taken at 8:30. It serves a whole range of food and drink.
**Interviewer:** So if someone wants to join, what do they do?
**Carol:** Come and see us. We'll give you all the details. The induction process takes about an hour and a quarter, which includes 3/4 of an hour on average with a personal trainer and something like half an hour being shown around the different facilities.
**Interviewer:** So we'd be well looked after.
**Carol:** Definitely.
**Narrator:** Now you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20. Now listen to the rest of the interview and answer questions 17 to 20.
**Interviewer:** Okay. Now Carol, can you give us some idea of what we could expect to get as members of Apollo?
**Carol:** Sure. Well, let's take next Monday as an example. The early evening would begin with the program of classes. Of course, members would also be at liberty to do their own thing. I'm just talking about the listed classes that we'll be offering.
**Interviewer:** Uh-huh.
**Carol:** So, let's say you're free to turn up at 4:00 p.m. You could spend an hour in a class that we call gentle exercise. This isn't a hard workout, as you might be imagining it, but a session designed for those who perhaps are not used to rigorous classes and would like something to ease them in.
**Interviewer:** Right.
**Carol:** The next thing on offer will be starting at 5. And again, it'll last for an hour. In contrast, this is what we simply call weightlifting. It's certainly not for softies, but this strenuous session is of course carefully monitored, and we wouldn't let anyone do anything silly.
**Interviewer:** Oh, well, that's reassuring.
**Carol:** And then kicking off at quarter to 6, you'll be welcome at a class aimed at promoting better lifestyles, which we run under the banner of healthy living. We'll give you all sorts of useful advice about just living better.
**Interviewer:** Oh, sounds easier than working out.
**Carol:** And probably at least as important, and rounds the evening off nicely.
**Interviewer:** Oh no, we still have one more offering. These days, so many people are working, frankly, more than they should be. And we try to combat the stress that that creates by encouraging those who can to take part in the class we call relaxation. You can learn lots of helpful techniques for staying calm when you think everything's going terribly.
**Interviewer:** Now you're talking.
**Carol:** So, we'll see you on Monday.
**Narrator:** Ah, now that is the end of part two. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
---

**Narrator:** Now it turns to part three. Part three. You'll hear an introduction on the housing conditions in Chapmanville. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.
**Gavin:** Hi, I'm Gavin Murray. I'm the rental manager for the Central Chapmanville Real Estate Agency. I'm a real estate agent much like any other in that I help people buy and sell houses. But about half of my time is spent working to assist people in renting houses and flats. I've been in this business for a dozen years now and I know the city very well in terms of which areas are the better places to live and how much it costs to rent in these areas.
Now I normally divide Chapmanville into three areas in terms of rental prices. Generally speaking, the area in the northern part of the city is the low end of the spectrum, the cheapest housing. So, if you're looking to spend as little as possible on rent, I suggest you look there. The most expensive area would be the eastern part of Chapmanville. Most people think it's the prettiest part of the metropolitan area because of all the hills and parks. As so many people desire to live there, housing prices tend to be quite high. The middle market in terms of price for accommodation is found in the city's western and southern areas.
Now, let me give some examples of how much it will cost you to rent in these areas. Let's imagine you're a single person looking for a one-bedroom flat in Eastern Chapmanville. You would be paying no less than $650 a month for such a flat. You won't find anything for less than that, but a lot of people pay as much as $1,100 per month or more. The higher-priced flats are usually the ones in the hills which run through the east. They've got the best views of the city. A similarly-sized flat in the west of the city and the south, two for that matter, would cost you at most $650. But there are many flats going for less. And if you look around a bit, you can find one for as little as $350. That's quite a reasonable rental price for most people. If you find that too expensive, I suggest you head to Chapmanville's North where the cheapest flats are to be found. One-bedroom flats there start from about $170 a month and up to about $400. Now, for those of you who want something bigger, you'll have to be prepared to pay about double those prices for a small 2 or 3-bedroom house.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30. Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.
**Gavin:** Those of you who want something bigger, you'll have to be prepared to pay about double those prices for a small 2 or 3-bedroom house. That goes for any of the areas I mentioned. Okay. So much for prices. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these areas?
Well, I told you that the eastern part of Chapmanville is the prettiest. There are lots of parks and lots of trees all around there. Oh, I should mention that the only public transport in the east is the bus. There aren't any trains, so it's not that convenient.
As you can imagine, even though it's rich, a part of the city in the south, you've also got the river, but you won't find too many parks there because of all the factories alongside the river. In fact, there's quite a bit of industry in the south, which makes it a less desirable place to live. Still, the south is convenient because of public transport. The south has very good train services to the city center, as well as buses, and that's why a lot of people choose to live there.
I said earlier that western and southern parts of Chapmanville are about the same in terms of the price you pay for accommodation. They also have the same sort of public transport services, but the two areas are quite different in other ways. The west is next to the bay, so it's quite attractive in that sense. But there are a couple of problems with the west. One is that the bay is polluted. So polluted, in fact, that you wouldn't want to swim there. I used to take my family there about 10 years ago, but now I wouldn't go near it. The other disadvantage of the west is that it is where the airport is, the Chapmanville International Airport. The noise can be quite annoying.
Lastly, the north. In northern Chapmanville, as I said before, housing is cheap, quite cheap, in fact, but you pay in other ways. For example, the area is very low and made up entirely of wetlands. It's beautiful in a way, but it attracts an incredible amount of insects for most of the year. The mosquitoes there are really bad. This makes things quite unpleasant and so few people have any real wish to live there. But if money's a problem, that's the place to go. Just bring your insect repellent.
Let me finish by again welcoming you all to Chapmanville and wishing you good luck in finding accommodation and settling down in whichever part of the city which suits you best.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
---

**Narrator:** Now it turns to part four. Part four, you will hear a talk about developments in public transport in large cities. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen to the first part of the talk and answer questions 31 to 40.
**Speaker:** That big cities around the world are getting bigger is a clear trend. This situation is going to make the issue of transport increasingly important. Cities cannot work if their people and their visitors cannot move around. This means that public transport is vital to the success of cities. And yet, private car ownership is increasing all the time. Can these two facts be contained in the same reality? Isn't the car slowly but surely strangling the city?
But we must acknowledge it does have genuine benefits. Having said that, the fact that car owners can escape to the mountains is of little relevance to the issue of daily city life in which we need to do things like ferry heavy shopping and luggage around, something the car of course is invaluable for. But the so-called family car is rarely occupied by a family, just a single driver taking up a lot of road space.
It's not only the car that clogs up our roads, of course. Trucks are heavy, noisy, and smelly intruders, but it's hard to persuade companies to opt for rail freight rather than road. They argue that it is cheaper and more flexible and trucks are undoubtedly able to go when you want, where you want. The cost claim is false. However, truck companies don't hold themselves responsible for the environmental costs they incur, nor are they keen to calculate the time spent on repairs or delays.
So this is our first challenge, the sheer volume of traffic. If we compare three developed and urbanized countries, we can see interesting differences. The UK, for example, has just over 20 million cars, one for every three people approximately, and nearly 3 million buses and trucks. These figures sound very high, but in fact, the Netherlands, although only a little over a quarter the population, has more vehicles per head of population. Meanwhile, Germany, bigger than both other countries put together, actually outstrips either in terms of vehicles per head of population.
Now there is no correlation between these figures and the percentages of journeys made on public transport. This means that the route to better public transport use is not abolishing the car but rather making public transport better. Not surprisingly where people can choose, they choose the thing they prefer, not the thing they don't.
How do people judge public transport? Well, a major survey was carried out this year indicating that there are many aspects from clean interiors of buses to the proximity of routes to homes and workplaces. Fair prices is a complex issue and needs to be accounted with car costs. What people seem to find most frustrating is scheduling. If the route doesn't pass their departure point when it suits them, they'll drive instead. The issue of personal safety seems to have reduced in urgency with better lighting at stops and CCTV.
Now, various measures are being taken in a number of major cities, all designed to increase the appeal of public transport and thus to persuade car users to leave their cars behind and free up the city's roads. Among these is bringing in smart cards. These are purchased in advance and mean passengers spend less time waiting to buy tickets and board buses and trains particularly when switching across transport modes within the same journey. Another initiative is the use of computers in managing scheduling with greater efficiency. But such logistical measures are not sufficient in themselves. And indeed, the benefits that they bring are often less apparent to passengers than to transport managers. From the passengers point of view, the fact that buses are becoming more comfortable is significant because it brings them more in line with the car. Delays and diversions are of course deeply irritating for passengers. Even if these can't be eliminated, ensuring that passengers have more detailed information available to them will help to reduce their sense of stress.
We often associate public transport with inner city travel, but of direct benefit to passengers are systems such as taxi sharing and dial a bus, which provide more flexible options for suburban journeys. And finally, nothing really significant can happen without a shift in people's mindsets. The way we travel is an expression of our values about many things.
Companies operating public transport are slowly but surely finding it possible to sell their services as a public spirited alternative to the car as awareness of environmental issues has increased radically in the last few years. Overall then this combination of steps and changes has a good chance of shifting the city out of the car and onto the bus and train.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part four. You now have half a minute to check your answers.