IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-01-25

**Narrator:** Now turn to section one. First you have some time to look at questions 1 to four. Listen carefully and answer questions one to four.
**Student:** Hello, I am a new student here.
**Officer:** Hello. What can I do for you?
**Student:** Can you tell me what the student union does?
**Officer:** Well, we're part of the national union of students who represent students interests across the country. We provide services for all students at this college.
**Student:** What kind of services?
**Officer:** There are advisers and welfare staff, entertainments, sports clubs, union societies, meetings, campaigns, and special interest groups. We offer everything from ballroom dancing to karate, jazz, and political debates.
**Student:** Sounds great. How can you help overseas students?
**Officer:** As I've said, we have welfare officers who are used to the sort of problems overseas students may have. They know where to get advice on a particular situation or basically give whatever help is asked for.
**Student:** I am from the Philippines and I hope I can meet other Filipino students who are here. I play chess and many sports, especially badminton, basketball, and wrestling. Please, can you tell me how to find out about these things?
**Officer:** There is a Filipino society at the college. Regular meetings take place and lots of social activities are organized such as meals, plays, and dances. The society is made up of Filipino students and other students who have an interest in the Philippines.
**Student:** And what about the sports? Does the union offer the ones I'm interested in?
**Officer:** Yes, we do. There are basketball and wrestling teams. If you want to play in one of the college teams, you have to go along to training sessions and compete for a place. For badminton, you can either go to the badminton club or book a court to play with friends.
**Student:** Is there also a chess club or team?
**Officer:** No, I'm afraid not. It may be best for you to put a notice on our notice board to find other players.
**Student:** Will that cost me anything?
**Officer:** No, it's a free service available to all students, but you have to give your notice to a union officer first so that it's a fair for everyone who wants to use the notice board.
**Student:** I only have a room for 1 month at the moment. I need to find a house or a flat to live in near the college. Are you able to help me with any accommodation problems?
**Officer:** There are always rooms available in shared flats or houses on our notice board. The college has some of its own accommodation and you can also apply for these. If you have any problems at all, you should talk to one of the student unions or welfare officers who can give specialist advice on accommodation.
**Student:** Thank you for your help.
**Officer:** You're welcome. Now, would you mind helping us? We're conducting a survey to learn more about the students who visit our union office so that we can improve our services. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?
**Student:** Not at all.
**Narrator:** Now look at questions 5 to 10. Now listen carefully and answer questions 5 to 10.
**Officer:** First of all, what is your name?
**Student:** My name is Caesar Baltisto.
**Officer:** How do you spell your last name?
**Student:** B A U T I S T O.
**Officer:** Thank you. And what are you studying?
**Student:** Development economics.
**Officer:** I see. And how long is the course for?
**Student:** One year. It's a post-graduate diploma. What would you like to do at the end of it? Have you made your mind up yet?
**Student:** Yes, I'd like to be a United Nations project advisor.
**Officer:** Oh, would you? That sounds interesting. Tell me though, why have you chosen this university?
**Student:** It's got a good reputation in the field of economics.
**Officer:** And you say you come from the Philippines?
**Student:** Yes, that's right.
**Officer:** And which city do you come from?
**Student:** Manila.
**Officer:** Oh, that's the city I've always wanted to go to. What do you do in your spare time?
**Student:** I go to play games. I love sports.
**Officer:** Ah, yes. You mentioned that. Basketball, badminton, and wrestling, wasn't it?
**Student:** Yes, that's right.
**Officer:** Okay, that's it. I'll add your name to our mailing list. We appreciate your help with this survey. If you have any suggestions, be sure to give us a call or drop by at any time.
**Student:** All right, I will. Thank you. Bye
**Officer:** bye.
**Narrator:** 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 a man talking about areas for growing vegetables in towns called aotments. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 17.
**Speaker:** Good evening everyone. I'm delighted to see so many of you. I was going to start by saying that more and more people are seeing the value of growing their own fruit and vegetables but now I don't need to. First of all, let me say that whether you have a garden or not, there are all sorts of benefits to having a plot of land you can call your own and it will give you a great sense of satisfaction. Okay, let's assume you have a garden. Chances are it's small. Most gardens in cities are hardly big enough for a few pots of herbs and a couple of rows of beans. Now, that's where a lotments come in. A typical plot is around 250 square m. Big enough to feed the family for a year. Big enough too, to grow a whole range of vegetables, fruit as well perhaps, not just cabbages and potatoes. Moving on to the social aspects of an aotment. How many people can say their garden is a meeting place? You might chat with your next door neighbor every now and again, but a lotments are notorious communal hives. There are usually between 10 and 30 plots on any allotment site, and they bring together people from all sorts of social backgrounds. Where else do you find a lawyer deep in conversation with a lorry driver? There's often a great sense of camaraderie with initiatives to involve the wider community, including the less able, the retired, and the unemployed. In urban areas nowadays, people may have a tiny yard or a balcony, but it's not a garden. An aotment is a huge recreational asset for anyone in that situation. First of all, there's the exercise. Renting an aotment costs around £30 a month. That's generally a lot cheaper than joining a gym. Then there's the involvement with nature. Watching seeds grow into mature plants gives so much pleasure and such a sense of achievement. Spending time outside in the fresh air boosts our mental as well as physical well-being. And one more thing, don't forget a lotments are also an enormous benefit to the environment. They provide invaluable green space in our ever more clogged up towns and cities, making them more sustainable and appealing to live in. These spaces provide a habitat for wild plants, birds, insects, and occasionally bigger animals. What's more, locally grown food doesn't have to be transported long distances, and that helps to reduce road traffic and hence pollution. Now, food, a subject we all like talking about because the main appeal of an aotment is obviously taking home all the freshly picked vegetables and fruit. So, why is grow your own so good? Well, to start with, there's the superior flavor. food you've grown yourself tastes infinitely better than anything bought in the supermarket because it will be super fresh. Another point in its favor is the range. These days, gardeners are growing an amazing variety of vegetables on their aotments. Finally, there's the bonus of knowing that the produce you've grown is organic. you know that what you're eating wasn't grown on an industrialcale farm or sprayed with large amounts of pesticides.
**Narrator:** Now you have some time to look at questions 18 to 20. Now listen to the next part of the talk and answer questions 18 to 20.
**Speaker:** Now I'm going to show you a typical aotment from the site closest to here on Finley Road. Let me just get this image up. That's it. Can everyone see? So, as you can see here, each plot has a fence around it and its own gate. Between the beds are grass walkways. That means you can walk in and around comfortably and not get your boots too muddy. There are soil beds on either side. This plot, in fact, has two smaller flower beds opposite a much larger area for vegetables. And there's also a glass house for growing tomatoes or anything that needs more warmth and protection. Here you can see one of those at the front near the gate. Most allotments have their own shed at the far end. As you can see, a lotments do need a water source though, and there are stone sinks outside the sheds. A hose pipe can be attached to the tap for easy watering. Some of the plots have a pond, though they're not always popular as they tend to attract insects. And this plot has a compost bin at the end opposite the shed for recycling organic waste. Right. So, how to go about getting an aotment?
**Narrator:** 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 are going to hear a conversation between a student and a tutor. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25. Now listen to the tape and answer questions 21 to 25.
**Jeff:** Hi Brad. I was wondering if you have time to answer some of my questions about my upcoming test.
**Brad:** Sure. No problem Jeff. What is it that you're having problems on?
**Jeff:** Well, it's for my English final. We have to prepare a 5-minute speech to present in front of the whole class including the professor. So I'm a little bit worried. Is there any specific topic or can you do it on whatever you want?
**Brad:** It has to have something to do with the origins of English literature. I'm thinking of doing it on Shakespeare, but I bet many other students will have the same idea.
**Jeff:** That's fine. Don't worry if others are doing the same thing. As long as you do a good job, that's all that counts. A good professor will grade all students fairly.
**Brad:** You really think so?
**Jeff:** I suppose Shakespeare is the most famous author, so it should be fine. Besides, Shakespeare has so many works. You only have to choose a couple of them and talk about those.
**Jeff:** I guess you're right. Do you have any advice about how to prepare a speech?
**Brad:** First, you need to select your topic. Have you done this yet? Yes, I have lots of information on Shakespeare.
**Jeff:** Good. Next, you should do a research on a specific topic. Do you have a deadline for which to turn in your speech topic?
**Brad:** The deadline is next Tuesday.
**Jeff:** So, you should have a detailed outline of what you will say by then. Do not just turn in a piece of paper saying Shakespeare on it. That will not give your professor any ideas to what you'll be talking about. Okay. So, you think I should write out an outline of my speech?
**Brad:** Of course. Writing your speech out in outline form is essential. No one can give a speech from scratch. Even the president must refer to his outline when giving a speech. An outline will give you a good structure to base your speech on.
**Narrator:** Now, look at questions 26 to 30. Now listen to the tape and answer questions 26 to 30.
**Jeff:** That's true. I was thinking that I would do an outline last after I figured everything out. But I think your idea is better. What should I do after I have an outline prepared?
**Brad:** You should then write the speech out word for word what you're going to say. This is so you'll have a firm idea of what you will say. It doesn't mean that the speech you will give will be exactly the same, but at least you have a fairly good idea what the final product will be. At this point, I can read it over for you if you want. Really? That would be great. I would appreciate that so much.
**Brad:** No problem. Once you write it out, the next step is to practice giving the speech. At first, you can do it in front of the mirror so you can see your expressions in your presentation. After that, you should practice giving your speech to some friends. I can listen to it for you, too.
**Jeff:** That's a great idea. I really owe you a big favor, then.
**Brad:** Sure. You can do my Latin homework for me. Just kidding. Seriously, don't worry about it. I can help you with anything you need. So, when is the speech due?
**Jeff:** Well, the speech topic is due next Tuesday. The speech itself will be due next Friday.
**Brad:** I can help you anytime you want because I have no tests this next week. Besides, I'm an English major and Shakespeare is one of my favorite authors, so helping you out will be no big deal. Thanks so much. Well, I'm going to the library to get started on all this. I'll call you tomorrow. See you tomorrow then.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

**Narrator:** Now turn to section four. You are going to hear a lecture about dorm rooms. First you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen to the tape and answer questions 31 to 40.
**Gina:** Welcome to your new home for the upcoming year. These dorm rooms are among the best in the nation and are the newest ones at this school. So I hope you will all learn to appreciate them and take good care of all the facilities here. I am Gina and I will be residential adviser in this building for the year. Today I am going to tell you about some of the programs and facilities that are available to you. I will also be telling you the rules that everyone is expected to abide by. I will be asking you to give me your full attention for the next few minutes. I will first tell you about the facilities that are available to you. The dining facility is located on the first floor of the building. It is open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to midnight. All the food offered to students is freshly made every day. And my own opinion is that the food is actually quite good. Feel free to come and grab a banana for breakfast or sit down with a group of friends for dinner. Although your meals are served buffet style, please do not waste food. All students are expected to clean their own tables after meals. In the basement of this building, there is a gym and recreational hall. The gym has workout equipment such as treadmills and weight sets. In the recreational hall, there are ping pong tables and a pool table for student use. You must sign in when using this equipment, and you will be held responsible for any damages or losses. The gym and recreational hall are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. There is a kitchen located on the second floor of this building. Your dorm key will open this door. Inside there is a refrigerator, a microwave, an oven, and a stove. This room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you decide to cook a meal, please be considerate to all the students and clean up after yourself. You can use some food in here, but please do not make a mess. Some students do end up having their food eaten from the fridge, so be careful. Don't leave anything that looks like it tastes really good. Do not leave pots and pans lying around in the kitchen. Please store these in your room. There are many programs being sponsored by our building this year. One of the most popular is our Saturday morning outings. In the past years, these trips have included going fishing, hiking, cycling, ice skating, and even going to the beach. There will be a listing of schedule events coming out soon. The university sponsors these trips, so transportation will be provided. However, there are usually some costs associated, though they are usually minimal. Our building also has a volleyball team. All students who live in this building are welcome to join. Last year, we won first place in the dorm league. Please sign up at the front desk if you are interested as soon as possible as there are only 20 spaces available based on a first come, first serve rule. The last things I want to talk about are the rules of our building. I know rules can be boring, but they are necessary to ensure the welfare of everyone living here. First, noise levels must be kept to a minimum after 11 p.m. Many students have early classes, so for those of you that have the luxury of sleeping until 10:00, please don't stay up late making lots of noise. Secondly, all visitors must sign in at the front door. Even if you have friends that are regular visitors, they must still always sign in. This rule is to prevent theft and robbery from occurring. Thirdly, alcohol and drugs are not permitted in the dorm in any place or at any time. Lastly, just be safe and have a great time. University is the greatest time of your life, so make the most of it. Thank you all for your attention.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part four. You now have half a minute to check your answers.