IELTS Academic Listening practice test 1

Listen and answer questions 1 to 10.

1. • Weekly meetings at a café in {{1}} Street

2. • Annual membership fee: £{{2}}

3. • Friday evenings: {{3}} night

4. • The café makes alcohol-free cocktails with fresh {{4}}

5. • Sunday walks start outside the {{5}}

6. • Summer walks are about {{6}} km long

7. • They sleep better and have more {{7}}

8. • Many newcomers feel {{8}} on their first evening

9. • First visit is free; bring a {{9}} for the membership card

10. • Contact the organiser: Megan {{10}}

Listen and answer questions 11 to 20.

11. Kestlemoor Community Radio was first set up to

A) provide a service for hospital patients

B) broadcast local council meetings

C) give local bands a chance to be heard

12. According to the speaker, what do most new volunteers find hardest at first?

A) using the studio equipment

B) keeping to exact timings

C) speaking without a script

13. Why has the lunchtime news bulletin been moved to a later time?

A) to avoid a clash with the national news

B) because listeners asked for the change

C) so that more volunteers can work on it

14. Before presenting their own programme, new volunteers must

A) complete a course on media law

B) co-present with an experienced presenter

C) submit a recorded trial programme

15. Which TWO things will volunteers on the news team be expected to do?

A) write the headlines for each bulletin

B) read bulletins on air

C) confirm each story with a second source

D) translate items for a Polish-language programme

E) record interviews away from the studio

16. Which TWO things will volunteers on the news team be expected to do?

A) write the headlines for each bulletin

B) read bulletins on air

C) confirm each story with a second source

D) translate items for a Polish-language programme

E) record interviews away from the studio

17. Which TWO reasons does the speaker give for the recent increase in listener numbers?

A) a new smartphone app

B) coverage of local elections

C) a partnership with a local newspaper

D) a phone-in programme about local history

E) longer broadcasting hours

18. Which TWO reasons does the speaker give for the recent increase in listener numbers?

A) a new smartphone app

B) coverage of local elections

C) a partnership with a local newspaper

D) a phone-in programme about local history

E) longer broadcasting hours

19. Which TWO events are volunteers asked to help with next month?

A) a charity quiz night

B) an open day at the studio

C) a workshop at a school

D) a live broadcast from the town market

E) a fun run

20. Which TWO events are volunteers asked to help with next month?

A) a charity quiz night

B) an open day at the studio

C) a workshop at a school

D) a live broadcast from the town market

E) a fun run

Listen and answer questions 21 to 30.

21. Which TWO things surprised Tom when he compared his sleep diary with his wrist tracker data?

A) He had overestimated how long he usually slept

B) He often woke briefly in the night without remembering it

C) He fell asleep more quickly than he had thought

D) He slept for longer at weekends than on weekdays

E) Drinking coffee in the evening had little effect on his sleep

22. Which TWO things surprised Tom when he compared his sleep diary with his wrist tracker data?

A) He had overestimated how long he usually slept

B) He often woke briefly in the night without remembering it

C) He fell asleep more quickly than he had thought

D) He slept for longer at weekends than on weekdays

E) Drinking coffee in the evening had little effect on his sleep

23. Which TWO limitations of their study do the students agree to mention in their report?

A) All the participants were students

B) The trackers may record lying still as sleep

C) Participants completed their diaries several hours after waking

D) The study period was too short

E) Several participants dropped out before the end

24. Which TWO limitations of their study do the students agree to mention in their report?

A) All the participants were students

B) The trackers may record lying still as sleep

C) Participants completed their diaries several hours after waking

D) The study period was too short

E) Several participants dropped out before the end

25. Avoiding screens before bed

A) This works better for some people than for others

B) This is harder to keep up than people expect

C) The evidence for this is weaker than is often claimed

D) This could make sleep problems worse

E) Universities should provide more of this

F) Few people realise how much this matters

G) This is only effective when combined with other changes

H) This is too expensive for most students

26. Keeping a fixed wake-up time

A) This works better for some people than for others

B) This is harder to keep up than people expect

C) The evidence for this is weaker than is often claimed

D) This could make sleep problems worse

E) Universities should provide more of this

F) Few people realise how much this matters

G) This is only effective when combined with other changes

H) This is too expensive for most students

27. Daytime naps

A) This works better for some people than for others

B) This is harder to keep up than people expect

C) The evidence for this is weaker than is often claimed

D) This could make sleep problems worse

E) Universities should provide more of this

F) Few people realise how much this matters

G) This is only effective when combined with other changes

H) This is too expensive for most students

28. Using sleep-tracking apps

A) This works better for some people than for others

B) This is harder to keep up than people expect

C) The evidence for this is weaker than is often claimed

D) This could make sleep problems worse

E) Universities should provide more of this

F) Few people realise how much this matters

G) This is only effective when combined with other changes

H) This is too expensive for most students

29. Keeping the bedroom cool

A) This works better for some people than for others

B) This is harder to keep up than people expect

C) The evidence for this is weaker than is often claimed

D) This could make sleep problems worse

E) Universities should provide more of this

F) Few people realise how much this matters

G) This is only effective when combined with other changes

H) This is too expensive for most students

30. Weighted blankets

A) This works better for some people than for others

B) This is harder to keep up than people expect

C) The evidence for this is weaker than is often claimed

D) This could make sleep problems worse

E) Universities should provide more of this

F) Few people realise how much this matters

G) This is only effective when combined with other changes

H) This is too expensive for most students

Listen and answer questions 31 to 40.

31. • Wider Lives places adults with unusual life stories in a school for a whole {{31}}.

32. • The founder, Ruth Okafor, worked as a {{32}} before she trained as a teacher.

33. • Visitors are selected mainly for their {{33}} rather than their qualifications.

34. • Each visitor works alongside a qualified teacher, who remains responsible for {{34}}.

35. ◦ Before starting, visitors complete a short course on {{35}}.

36. • A former merchant navy officer used old {{36}} to teach geometry.

37. • A beekeeper's lessons led pupils to create a {{37}} in the school grounds.

38. • Teachers noticed better {{38}} from pupils who rarely spoke in class.

39. • Some parents fear that visitors may pass on their personal {{39}}.

40. • The main practical difficulty for schools is {{40}}.