IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-01-08

**Interviewer:** Good afternoon. I have with me in the studio today Dr. Steven Phillips, author of the new book Silver Lining, which is an investigation into UFOs. Now, Dr. Phillips, can you tell us a little about your book?
**Dr. Phillips:** Yes, certainly. Over the last 12 years, I've become increasingly interested in the subject of UFOs. And this book is a compilation of all the sightings I've heard about together with evidence. You see, so many people are convinced that there is life on other planets that I thought I would do some research myself.
**Interviewer:** And what did you find? Are we alone in the universe?
**Dr. Phillips:** You sound skeptical. Well, you'll have to buy the book to find out my personal conclusion, but I can tell you this. There are a lot of sightings in a number of different countries. And the surprising fact that I have found is that despite never having met each other, a great number of these witnesses describe an almost identical object. Now, I realize that television and the media has given us all a mental picture of a UFO, a silver ship with bright lights that moves at very high speed. What interested me was that in all the eyewitness accounts I heard, people gave very precise and detailed descriptions that varied only slightly. Reports from America, Europe, even Asia all share a significant number of similarities.
**Interviewer:** Hmm, interesting. Tell me, have you been able to see any evidence yourself?
**Dr. Phillips:** Well, no. My aim in writing this book was not really to present my own opinion, but to gather all the information available and collect it into a kind of reference guide. Personally, I don't have anything much to add apart from the conclusions that I've drawn from the accounts I've heard.
**Interviewer:** I understand that there is a strong body of opinion that claims there is hard evidence that is being suppressed by the American government. Could you comment on that?
**Dr. Phillips:** Hmm. The second chapter of my book actually talks about a place in America that has often been in the media. Area 51.
**Interviewer:** Area 51.
**Dr. Phillips:** Yes. It's a military base in New Mexico. In 1947, a man called McBrazel claimed—
**Interviewer:** Sorry, who?
**Dr. Phillips:** McBrazel. That's M-A-C, capital B-R-A-Z-E-L. Anyway, McBrazel claimed to have found pieces of an alien spacecraft on his farm in Roswell. Now many people believe that this was true and that the government of the time took the debris. Since that time they have denied all knowledge of any such find and accounts by the many leading experts at the time dismissed the claim believing that McBrazel had actually found pieces of a high altitude weather balloon that had disintegrated. Now the lack of information combined with the large number of conspiracy theorists means that no useful scientific conclusion can be drawn. But I have found out one or two surprising details. Again, you'll have to buy the book if you want to find out more.
**Interviewer:** Okay. Now, I understand that an overwhelming majority of UFO sightings occurred in America. Do you find that in any way relevant?
**Dr. Phillips:** Well, as I mentioned before, there are a large number of conspiracy theorists, and the popularity of science fiction programs in America could lead you to suspect that these sightings may be nothing more than an overactive imagination. However, [clears throat] I have found that there are a number of other factors that determine UFO sightings. In Northern Europe, the number of reports is very low, whereas in Southern Europe, where there is more open space, less light pollution, and generally clearer skies, the number of sightings increases. Now, when you consider the vast open areas of America, particularly around New Mexico, there is an argument that UFOs are simply easier to see in certain geographical and climatic situations.
**Interviewer:** Hmm. Well, I've never thought of that. If I could ask you one final question, Dr. Phillips, what about alien abduction?
**Dr. Phillips:** Uh, well, I don't really cover that in my book. You see, I was looking to present facts from which people could draw their own conclusions. With these reported abductions, I've found them to be very unreliable.
**Interviewer:** Well, thank you very much for your time. Before we finish, I'd just like to add that Silver Lining is available at all leading bookstores priced at £19.99. Until next week. Goodbye.
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**Newsreader:** And now for our main headlines on Southern Local News for today. First of all, the report relating to the proposed motorway and other developments around the village of Tartlesbury was published this morning and as has been expected, it has created quite a lot of interest. The new motorway will pass along the north side of the village crossing the river Team less than half a kilometer from the well-known beauty spot Stream Ford to the northeast of the village. The motorway will cut the village off from the ford where many children play. But that is not the end of it. There are also plans to build a thousand houses on farmland west of the village. And on top of that, there are proposals to build an industrial estate for new technology companies on the site of the old steel works on the edge of the village. A new center with a swimming pool and a very wide range of sports facilities and a large supermarket with other shops are also planned next to the housing estate.
**Newsreader:** Mr. Jones, a local farmer we spoke to early today is strongly against the plans, but the local council is pushing for them to be adopted in full. They say that new housing is needed in the area and that it is an opportunity to take advantage of government grants for setting up new technology developments. The mayor, Mr. Fun, says we must make every effort to do our part for the economy of the country and for the local people. This is a golden opportunity to put Tartlesbury on the map.
Reactions to Mr. Fun's comments have been quick to come. Surprisingly, when we contacted the spokesman of the local conservation group, he was very much for the planned developments. But not all the local groups support the scheme. And unlike the mayor, the local MP, Mrs. Wright, is very much against the planned developments.
Mr. Kahn, a local shopkeeper, had this to say. People are absolutely horrified at what is being proposed here. This is just a chance for some people to make money quickly. But I can assure you that if they think that local people are going to be a walkover, they have another think coming. Of course, we welcome the jobs that the new technology park will bring. But we feel that the large increase in housing and the proposed motorway will destroy the character of the area. I think this is a debate that is going to run on for quite some time and we here on local news will keep you informed.
And now for something quite different. This year's exam results have just come out and there are a lot of happy faces out there. It would seem that the number of young people going on to university from the local college in Upton which is not far from Tartlesbury has increased by 25% this year. All those who have applied to go to university or into teacher training colleges have found places. This is the first time that there has been a 100% success rate at the college. We spoke earlier to the principal of the college who said she was very proud of all those who had achieved their aims and she wished them every success in the future. There will be another news bulletin at 11 p.m. And for now, it's back to more music from around the world.
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**Elyn:** Well, I think the marketing of food would be a good topic. I read a very interesting article the other day about the Canadian food market.
**Mark:** Hmm, I suppose everybody's interested in food, even if it's trying not to eat. Why Canada? I know that's where you come from, but isn't it just all North America really?
**Elyn:** No. That's why I thought this article was interesting. Although lots of US companies are well established in Canada and vice versa, there are still subtle differences between the two markets. It says here, "The Canadian market is definitely not a northern clone of the US." I like that. And it says that if you understand these differences, it can have a big impact on successful food marketing.
**Mark:** So, I know that Canada has a big French-speaking population in Quebec. Is this what they're referring to?
**Elyn:** Not only French and English speakers, there are many different ethnic groups in Canada. It's really quite multicultural. For example, Toronto has large Asian and Italian populations, and Vancouver's got a large Asian population, too. And because Canada's population is small, these groups make quite an impact, introducing new styles of cooking, so you can see lots of unfamiliar vegetables and things in the markets, and new restaurants are opening every day. It's great if you love trying out new foods, as many people do.
**Mark:** Which kinds of food are becoming popular?
**Elyn:** Well, some Asian food, I'd say, has been popular for quite a while, like Chinese, but now Southeast Asian restaurants are becoming very fashionable. Then there's Mediterranean, of course, such as Greek, Italian, and so on. But Caribbean and Mexican food is really taking off among young people these days.
**Mark:** So, are the supermarkets starting to stock the ingredients that are needed to prepare these foods at home? You know, all those unusual condiments and sauces.
**Elyn:** Yes, that's right. It's quite interesting going through the supermarket, isn't it? And noticing how they're introducing sections for foods of different nationalities. You can buy quite exotic products locally these days. The article mentioned that 80% of the Canadian retail market is controlled by eight major national supermarket chains. So that when they introduce changes, they can happen quite rapidly.
**Mark:** Okay. Well, how are we going to organize this seminar?
**Elyn:** Well, I made some notes on the trends in the Canadian market about changing tastes and also patterns for where food is consumed. I thought maybe we could summarize it into a chart or table and maybe use the overhead projector to present it.
**Mark:** Good idea. Maybe I could have a look for similar trends and tastes in Australia and the UK for comparison. Let's have a look at what you found.
**Elyn:** The most significant trend, it seemed to me, was that Canadians are definitely interested in healthy food. For example, did you know that salads are the third most commonly eaten food in Canadian restaurants?
**Mark:** Really? What about organic food then? Is that becoming more popular?
**Elyn:** Yes, it's definitely moving into the mainstream compared to a few years ago. And a recent survey showed that four out of five shoppers said that they check the fat and nutritional information on the packet when they're deciding what to buy.
**Mark:** What other trends did you find out?
**Elyn:** There's one change I noticed straight away when I was home last year in the meat department. You know, here the meat packaging says rump steak or four quarter chops and so on. Well, they discovered that most consumers these days didn't know what to do with these roasts and rounds and ribs. So the government approved a new naming system for cuts of meat which is related to the required cooking technique.
**Mark:** What a good idea. I've never really understood the difference between sirloin, rump, round, and all those names. So how many new categories are there?
**Elyn:** Eight. There are three kinds of steak for grilling, for marinating, and for simmering. And then there's what they call quick serve beef for stir fries, I suppose. And premium oven roast, oven roast, pot roast, and stewing beef. It's a great idea, isn't it? I hope it catches on here.
**Mark:** I agree. Any other trends that you thought were significant?
**Elyn:** Well, what's really interesting is what the article called mobile meals. In other words, more and more Canadians are eating meals away from home, but not just eating more junk food. They're projecting a 40% increase in snack food sales over the next 3 years. And the growth is coming from healthy snacks. You know, the ones that have less cholesterol and fat, such as muesli bars, health food bars, and those types of products. Apparently, in the food marketing jargon, they're called nutritious portable foods, which means healthy snacks. The other major trend is that young people are doing more of the food shopping these days. So, marketing has to be aimed more at them as well as more conventionally at the mother.
**Mark:** Thanks, Elyn. I think we'll have an interesting discussion about these trends and the comparisons with other English-speaking countries. I'll see if I can get some information about them to compare with yours and meet you on Friday to put it together. See you then. Bye.
**Elyn:** Bye.
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**Lecturer:** Now today we're going to be finding out about the most popular sports in the Emerald Isle. That's Ireland, of course. Can you guess what they are? Well, there are these two lesser played games, a form of rounders and Gaelic handball. But we'll start with one which is perhaps over 3,000 years old. Arriving in Ireland with the Celts, some claim. That may be a slight exaggeration, but I consider it to be the fastest field game in the world. And it goes by the name of hurling. Well, that's what it's known as in the English-speaking world anyway.
So, what do you have to do? You've got 15 players on a team. One of them, the goalkeeper. Each one has a stick called a hurly. Here you are. I've brought mine along. Had it since I was at school. This is what it looks like. And basically, you have to get this ball called a sliotar. That's S-L-I-O-T-A-R. So, it's not spelled the way it's pronounced. You hit it into the net for three points, or you can hit it over the net for one point. The goal looks like the letter H with the net under the crossbar. The goalie has a bigger stick than the others to help keep the ball out. You can also catch the sliotar and run with it for four steps maximum or bounce it on your stick. Is that clear to you all? I'll be showing you a video a bit later so you can see what a game actually looks like. You might like to think of it as a mixture of lacrosse, hockey, and baseball. Oh, and it's played by women, too, but it goes by the name of camogie in that case.
I'll give you a bit of the history, shall I? Now generally the golden age of the game is considered to be the 18th century but systematic rules were first agreed and drawn up at that great shrine of learning Trinity College Dublin in 1879 founding the Irish hurling union closely followed just a few years later by the formation of the Gaelic Athletics Association with greater organization last century. The All Ireland Hurling Championship got off to a flying start and I'm proud to say that my own native city of Cork has won more than 20 titles over the years, but then so have Kilkenny and Tipperary.
Is it only played in Ireland? No. Well, it is the only country with a national team at the moment, but you may be surprised to discover there are hurling clubs in London as well as in America and Argentina to name just a few.
The other game I'd like to take a little time to introduce you to is Gaelic football, which is played on the same pitch as hurling with the same number of players, but there's no net. You just have to get the ball over your opponent's goalposts, and you can do that by kicking or punching the ball. However, you're not supposed to do that to the players, I might add. Imagine it as a combination of soccer and basketball, but in my opinion, it's a more exciting spectacle than either of those. Excuse my bias, if you will. It's also very popular with women. In fact, there are more women's teams than for any other sport, whether despite or because of the physical contact involved, I wouldn't like to say. They do play a shorter game, 60 minutes, rather than the men's 70. So, let's have a look. If we can have the lights down, I'll see if I can get this technology to work.