IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-02-09

**Narrator:** Now turn to section one. You'll hear a conversation between Alan and Giana, the office counselor of a company. First, you have some time to read questions 1 to 6.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen to the conversation and answer questions 1 to 6.
**Alan:** What's up, Giana? You look like you're in bad shape.
**Giana:** Yes. Maybe I'll get sick leave from the boss and finally catch up on some sleep. I've barely eaten and slept in days.
**Alan:** Those are warning signs of occupational stress. How are things at work?
**Giana:** Terrible. After all the layoffs lately, the workload is totally overwhelming for everyone that's left. So, I spend every waking moment in the office. I'm kept busy all the time.
**Alan:** So, you need to take a few minutes break every so often to clear and refresh your mind.
**Giana:** But my boss will complain I'm not hardworking. She's so capricious that you can't predict her reaction sometimes.
**Alan:** Maybe your boss just doesn't have a clue about how much you're really doing. Keep her updated on your achievements and projects. Also, insist that she prioritize everything so you can manage your time better.
**Giana:** That's right. I suppose that would help me regain some sense of control. But I'm afraid that she'll take that as a sign of laziness and give me the axe.
**Alan:** So, take the initiative and hit the job hunting trail now. You'll be surprised at how many opportunities are out there.
**Giana:** That's encouraging.
**Alan:** Anyway, you should cheer up and get rid of the situation. You know, according to a survey, about 40% of all people find their work very stressful and 25% develop mental or physical diseases.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen to the conversation and answer questions 7 to 10.
**Giana:** So serious? I didn't know that. Well, how do the problems start?
**Alan:** You know, they start when conflicts at work induces stress. Your body reacts by flooding the bloodstream with hormones that tense up your muscles and increase your blood pressure. This is meant to save you in a fight or flight situation, but leads to a host of illnesses ranging from insomnia and headaches to heart attacks when it occurs regularly over an extended period of time.
**Giana:** What should I do to prevent such things happening?
**Alan:** Well, most occupational stress is attributed to a recognized lack of control. You should act in advance to relieve the problems. For example, you should actively pursue career opportunities rather than quietly worry about getting fired. Of course, you can't control everything. So, you need to help your mind and body cope. Keep a journal to release your frustrations. Take short walks to calm down or if necessary simply take a mental health day.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part one. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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**Narrator:** Now turn to part two. You will hear a presenter on a radio phone in show. The presenter is talking to a woman who was bitten by a poisonous spider. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
**Presenter:** Today we're continuing our traveler's tales. On the line, we have Amanda Toddington, who had quite a nasty experience in Australia last year. Isn't that right, Amanda?
**Amanda:** Yes. My husband and I were on holiday and we were staying at a friend's house on the coast near Brisbane. It was towards the end of the holiday and I was about to go into the garden and enjoy my breakfast. I walked out into the kitchen, slid my left foot into my shoe, and felt a tiny sting. It was pretty painless, but I shook the shoe off my foot and saw this tiny spider running out as the shoe hit the wall. Anyway, not being an expert, I presumed the worst that I'd been bitten by something that was going to kill me, and I completely lost control. I don't think I've ever screamed so much in all my life. We'd been told beforehand to always check our shoes before putting them on, as it's a common way to get bitten. So, I suppose it was my own fault, really.
**Presenter:** So, what was it that had bitten you?
**Amanda:** Tony, that's our Australian friend. He immediately asked me if I knew what had bitten me, and I pointed to the corner of the room where I'd last seen the spider. He picked up a jar and found the creature in the corner where the shoe had hit the floor. "It's a red back," he said, and he gently placed the jar over the spider. The funny thing was, we'd been talking about some of the creatures we needed to be careful of a few days previously. And as he said the name redback, the conversation came flooding back to me. In particular, the fact that the bite can be extremely painful. I found out since that the redback is from the same family as the black widow spider, and it's the female that does the damage, which it turned out was what I've been bitten by.
**Presenter:** You must have been absolutely petrified.
**Amanda:** You can say that again. I remember feeling quite confused. I wasn't in a great deal of pain to begin with, and yet I could see from our friends' faces that they were concerned. Tony explained that the venom or poison of the bite spreads quite slowly, so the pain doesn't feel too bad at first. Gwen, Tony's wife, brought an ice pack, and Tony held it against the bite to make it less painful. Apparently, you're not supposed to put a bandage on the area as this can make it hurt even more. Uh Tony tried to put my mind at rest by explaining that this was quite a common bite, that the hospital would have an antivenom and that everything would be okay, but I was beginning to panic. We were flying back to the UK the next day, and I really didn't know what to do.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
**Presenter:** So what did you do?
**Amanda:** Well, Tony phoned the doctor who told him to check my symptoms for the next hour or two. As time went on, the pain became very intense from my foot right up to my knee. My husband was on the internet and was reading out the possible symptoms. I wasn't feeling sick and I hadn't yet developed a fever, but I had a terrible headache and my foot was beginning to swell up. At this point, Tony decided to take me to the local hospital to be on the safe side. I really didn't want to go as I had visions of being kept in for days and all our plans being spoiled. But Tony and my husband insisted. When we got to the hospital, I was relieved to see how casual everyone was when Tony explained I've been bitten by a redback spider. They told me to take a seat and got on with their work.
**Presenter:** And did you receive any treatment?
**Amanda:** By the time I got to see a doctor, the pain was very intense indeed, and I was getting quite upset. The doctor decided to give me a dose of an antivenom, which he assured me would eventually deal with the problem. Unfortunately, he also explained that it wouldn't have an immediate effect and the symptoms might last for several days. But the story has a happy ending. My husband managed to book us onto another plane one week later. And even better news was that the symptoms of the bite finally cleared up after about 24 hours. Within a couple of days, I was back to normal again. So, thanks to the spider, we managed to extend our holiday by a week.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part two. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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**Narrator:** Now turn to part three. You are going to hear a tape recording of instructions and advice which a woman called Martha has left for her friend John who is coming to stay at her house and take care of it while she is away. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.
**Martha:** Hello John. Welcome to the house. I'm really pleased that you can be here to look after my house while I'm away. Here are some things you need to know about the house. Important stuff like when the garbage is collected. In fact, let's start with the garbage which is collected on Friday. Just write garbage on the calendar on the days they take it away. Put it out on Friday every week. That'll be Friday 22nd, Friday 29th, and Friday 5th. It's a really good service. The trucks are quiet and the service is efficient. The bin will be put back outside the house empty. It's a good idea to put it away quickly. This street can be quite windy. I once watched my next door neighbor chase her bin the whole length of the street. Every time she nearly caught up with it, it got away again. The waste paper will be collected this Tuesday. That's Tuesday, 19th. There's a plastic box full of paper in the front room. Please put it out on Tuesday. The truck will come during the day. If you don't mind collecting old newspapers and other paper and putting them in the box, I'll put it out when I come home. The paper people only come monthly. I have some things to give to charity in a box in the front room. Would you put it out on Monday the 25th, please? It's a box of old clothes and some bed linen which I've collected, plus a few other bits and pieces. Be careful when you pick it up because it's heavier than you might expect. The charity truck will come by during the day on the last Monday of the month. If you want to use the library, you'll find it on Darling Street. I've left my borrower's card near the telephone. It has a very good local reference section if you want to find out more about this city. I'm sorry to say we don't have a cleaner. Oh yes, filters. Please, would you change the filters on the washing machine on the last day of the month, which is Sunday the 31st. We find that the machine works much better if we change the filters regularly. The gas company reads the meter outside the house, so don't worry about that. I think that's all the information about our calendar of events.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.
**Martha:** Well, John, I'm trying to think what else I should be telling you. As you know, I'm going to a conference in London. I hope to have a little time to look around. It's a great city. I do hope I manage to get to at least some of the theaters and museums. I'm looking forward to all the things I have to do at the conference, too. I'm giving a paper on Tuesday the 26th, and there are a couple of really exciting events planned later in the conference program. I hope to meet up with an old teacher of mine at the conference. She taught English literature at my old high school, and we've kept in touch through letters over the years. She teaches now at the University of Durham and I'm really looking forward to seeing her again. By the way, I expect you're hungry after your trip. I've left a meal in the refrigerator for you. I hope you like cheese and onion pie. Would you do me a favor, please? I haven't had time to cancel an appointment. It was made a long time ago and I forgot about it until this morning. It's with my dentist for a checkup on Thursday the 28th. Could you please call the dentist and cancel the appointment for me? Thanks a lot, John. One last thing. When you leave the house, make sure the windows and doors are shut and set the burglar alarm. The alarm code number is 9 1 2 0. Enter. Have fun. I'll see you when I get back. This is your friend Martha saying goodbye.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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**Narrator:** Now turn to part four. In this section, you'll hear a lecture on coral reef. First, you have some time to read questions 31 to 40.
[Pause]
**Narrator:** Now listen carefully to the lecture and answer questions 31 to 40.
**Lecturer:** Good afternoon everyone. Do you fancy diving in the wonderful world of coral reefs, green sponges, colorful fish, and red crabs? It is a rich garden beneath the waves. But how much do you know about the corals? Are they animals or plants? What are the threats to coral reefs? Today, Mr. Tim Harford, executive director of the Coral Reef Alliance, is going to introduce the facts about coral reefs. Coral reefs are one of nature's most magnificent creations. It is filled with thousands of unique and valuable plants and animals. Over one quarter of all marine species depend on healthy coral reefs. Humans also depend on coral reefs. These marine ecosystems are the primary source of food and income for millions of people, a vast repository of valuable chemical compounds and medicines and a natural wave barrier that protect beaches and coastlines from waves and storms. Coral is actually the exoskeletons of coral polyp made from limestone. These skeletons build up over time forming the reef. New corals are born each April. At a certain hour on a certain night, mature corals suddenly release clouds of eggs and sperm into the sea. After the fertilized eggs take root on the seafloor, they can grow up to 15 cm per year. Coral reefs are present in the waters of over 100 countries. These are warm 18 to 29° centigrade. Shallow, sunny regions, primarily between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Only clear, warm salt water can support a coral reef. And because sunlight is crucial to the reef's survival, the water must also be shallow. The algae that grow on coral provide much of the coral's food. In deeper water, algae cannot get the sunlight they need to grow. Most coral reefs are in the tropics because natural conditions there are perfect. In their modern form, coral reefs have thrived on Earth for over 50 million years. In recent years, however, more than 11% of the world's reefs have been lost, with another 16% severely damaged during the El Nino event in 1998. Up to 32% of coral reefs may be destroyed by human activities in the next 30 years if we do not take action now. Corals and coral reefs are extremely sensitive. Slight changes in the reef environment may have detrimental effects on the health of entire coral colonies. These changes may be due to a variety of factors. One of the greatest threats to coral reefs is human expansion or development. As human population increases, so does the harvest of resources from the sea. Due to overfishing, reef fish populations have been greatly decreased in some areas of the world. The removal of large numbers of reef fish has caused the coral reef ecosystems to become unbalanced. As we know, corals are also very popular as decorations. A large amount of the most healthy corals are selected by commercial collectors. They sell the corals to souvenir shops where a large number of tourists wait to purchase them as decorations or souvenirs. Coral reefs also receive much damage from both commercial and private vessels. The leakage of fuels into the water and the occurrence of spills by large tankers are extremely damaging to local corals. Although much of the coral reef's degradation is directly blamed on human impact, there are several natural disturbances which cause significant damage to coral reefs. The most recognized of these events are hurricanes or typhoons which bring powerful waves to the tropics. These storm waves cause large corals to break apart and scatter fragments about the reefs. Home to a diverse community of creatures, coral reefs are underwater treasure chests of color and activity. Predators and prey swim and crawl among the coral in nature's never-ending dance of life and death. This lively, fascinating world beneath the waves is just waiting to be explored.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part four. You now have half a minute to check your answers.