IELTS Academic / General Training — Listening Test A
Time allowed: approximately 30 minutes + 10 minutes transfer time
Total questions: 40 | All answers must be written on the answer sheet
Instructions: Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each completion answer unless otherwise stated.
Do not open this question paper until you are told to do so. Write your name and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page. Listen to the instructions for each part of the paper carefully. Answer all the questions. While you are listening, write your answers on the question paper. At the end of the test, you will have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the separate answer sheet.
Questions 1–10
You will hear a telephone conversation between a man called Daniel and Sarah, a receptionist at a sports centre. First you have some time to look at Questions 1 to 5.
GREENFIELD SPORTS CENTRE — MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRY FORM
Now listen to the rest of Section 1 and answer Questions 6 to 10.
Questions 11–20
You will hear a tour guide called Celia giving an introductory talk about the Harborview Heritage Trail. First you have some time to look at Questions 11 to 14.
Now listen to the rest of Section 2 and answer Questions 15 to 20.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
| Question | Attraction | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Old Lighthouse | |
| 16 | Merchant's Granary | |
| 17 | Salt Marshes | |
| 18 | Heritage Museum | |
| 19 | The Boatyard |
Questions 21–30
You will hear two students, Yasmin and Marcus, discussing their group research project with their academic supervisor, Dr Patel. First you have some time to look at Questions 21 to 26.
Now listen to the rest of Section 3 and answer Questions 27 to 30.
Questions 31–40
You will hear part of a university lecture on the urban heat island effect. First you have some time to look at Questions 31 to 40.
THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT — LECTURE NOTES
Definition & History
Main Causes
Key Consequence
MITIGATION STRATEGIES — SUMMARY
Urban greening is among the most effective responses to the urban heat island effect. Planting trees along streets can reduce local temperatures by up to 37 degrees. Green roofs can lower roof surface temperatures by as much as 38 degrees Celsius on hot days. Cool roofs, which use 39 materials to reflect sunlight, are a cost-effective option widely adopted in Mediterranean countries. Finally, designing cities with urban 40 corridors helps channel cool air through built-up areas.
You now have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Check spelling carefully — incorrect spelling will result in a lost mark even if the meaning is correct.
Section 1 Script — Telephone Conversation
Greenfield Sports Centre · Daniel (customer) & Sarah (receptionist)
Sarah: Good afternoon, Greenfield Sports Centre, this is Sarah speaking. How can I help you?
Daniel: Oh hello, yes — I'm calling because I'm interested in joining as a member. I saw your advertisement online but I couldn't find all the details I needed.
Sarah: Of course! I'd be happy to help. Can I start by taking down a few details?
Daniel: Sure, no problem.
Sarah: Could I get your full name, please?
Daniel: Yes, it's Daniel... Daniel Hargreaves. Q1 That's H-A-R-G-R-E-A-V-E-S.
Sarah: Hargreaves. Thank you. And your date of birth, Mr Hargreaves?
Daniel: It's the fourteenth of March, nineteen eighty-nine. Q2 Yes, the fourteenth of March, 1989.
Sarah: And a contact number?
Daniel: Yes — it's 07714... ⚠ FLIP: pauses and self-corrects actually let me just check — it's 07714 882 563. Q3
Sarah: 07714 882 563. Got that. And your email address?
Daniel: It's d.hargreaves — that's d dot hargreaves, all lowercase — at greenmail dot com. Q4
Sarah: d.hargreaves@greenmail.com?
Daniel: That's right.
Sarah: And which membership type are you interested in? We have Standard — gym and swimming pool; Premium — all classes and spa; and Family, covering up to four members.
Daniel: I think I'd like the Premium one. Actually, does Premium include the squash courts? ⚠ FLIP: student may assume he'll downgrade
Sarah: Yes, squash court booking is included in both Standard and Premium memberships.
Daniel: Great, then yes — Premium, please. Q5
Sarah: Excellent. How did you hear about us — friend, online, social media, or a local advertisement?
Daniel: I think I saw something in a local magazine... or was it a leaflet? ⚠ FLIP: mentions magazine & leaflet (distractors D & unlisted) No, actually, I'm pretty sure it was online. I was just browsing and it came up. Q6
Sarah: Alright, so online search. Now, if you sign up before month-end, you get the first month at half price — £29.50 instead of the usual £59. Q7 ⚠ FLIP: £59 (full price) mentioned as distractor
Daniel: Oh, that's great. Is there parking?
Sarah: Yes — there's a car park at the rear. It's free for members for up to three hours, Q8 and £2 per hour after that.
Daniel: And opening hours on weekends?
Sarah: Saturdays — seven in the morning until nine in the evening. ⚠ FLIP: Saturday 7am is distractor for Q9 Sundays — we open at eight and close at six. Q9
Daniel: Is there a joining fee?
Sarah: There was, but we've recently removed it. Q10 So it's just the monthly cost now.
Daniel: Wonderful. I'd like to go ahead then. Thank you very much, Sarah.
Sarah: We look forward to seeing you at Greenfield. Goodbye!
Section 2 Script — Tour Guide Talk
Harborview Heritage Trail · Celia (tour guide) — monologue
Celia: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Harborview Heritage Trail. My name is Celia, and I'll be your guide for today's walk.
The Harborview Heritage Trail was officially opened in 2009 Q11 — though the area has been of historical significance for well over two centuries. ⚠ FLIP: years 1847 & 1962 also mentioned for Old Lighthouse The trail is approximately three and a half kilometres long and takes between ninety minutes and two hours at a leisurely pace.
First stop is the Old Lighthouse, which dates back to 1847. It was operational for over a hundred years before being decommissioned in 1962. Many people assume it was built by the local fishing community — ⚠ FLIP: fishing community is the distractor for Q12 but actually it was funded by a shipping merchant named Edward Calloway. Q12 The lighthouse has been restored; you can climb to the top — it's 78 steps — for remarkable views.
Next, we'll pass by the Merchant's Granary. Constructed in the early 1800s, it was originally used to store grain imported from the Baltic countries. Today it serves as a small craft gallery, Q13 where local artists display and sell their work. Entry is free, though donations are appreciated. Q16
After the Granary, we reach the Salt Marshes — a designated nature reserve home to over forty species of migratory birds. Q17 Please stay on the designated paths — stepping off can damage the fragile ecosystem. ⚠ FLIP: "stay on paths" — students may confuse this with Q14 about phones
Mobile phone reception can be patchy in some areas, especially near the Salt Marshes. Q14
A little further along is the Heritage Museum, which opened in 2015. ⚠ FLIP: 2015 is distractor for Q11 It houses a permanent collection of maritime artefacts — navigation instruments, maps, and a scale model of the 19th-century harbour. Q18 — note: Q18 answer is A (café) There's also a café inside where you can take a short break. Q18
Toilets are available near the entrance and again at the Heritage Museum, approximately halfway through. Q20 There are no facilities near the Salt Marshes or the Boatyard.
The final highlight is the old Boatyard. Active until the mid-1970s, it built many of the fishing vessels used along this coastline. It's now a community education centre offering regular workshops on traditional boat-building techniques. Q19 Children particularly enjoy the hands-on demonstrations.
Right — before we set off, a final reminder: please don't feed the birds in the Salt Marshes, as tempting as it might be. Let's make a start!
Section 3 Script — Academic Discussion
Research project meeting · Dr Patel (supervisor), Yasmin & Marcus (students)
Dr Patel: Come in! Ah, Yasmin and Marcus — good to see you both. So, this is your mid-project check-in for your research on sustainable urban food systems. How's it going?
Yasmin: Honestly, Dr Patel, we've hit a bit of a wall. We started out looking at community gardens as the main focus, but we're finding there's so much more to cover. Q21
Marcus: Yeah — we've got loads of data on allotment schemes in three cities, but we're not sure what angle to take.
Dr Patel: What is your research question currently?
Yasmin: Something like "How do community food gardens contribute to local food security?" But I feel it's too vague.
Dr Patel: Quite broad, yes. Have you considered narrowing to a specific outcome — social cohesion, nutritional impact, or economic savings?
Marcus: We discussed economic savings quite a bit — there's some interesting data on cost reductions for low-income households. ⚠ FLIP: economic savings sounds promising — distractor before it's rejected
Dr Patel: The challenge there is that the data is very hard to verify — people's self-reported savings are often unreliable. Q22
Yasmin: That's what I said! I thought social cohesion might be stronger — there are more standardised measurement tools, like the Wellbeing Index.
Dr Patel: Those are more robust. But also consider whether you can realistically collect that data in your remaining time.
Marcus: We only have about six weeks left. Q27
Dr Patel: Let me suggest something. Rather than measuring impact yourselves, what if you did a comparative analysis of existing studies? The originality doesn't have to come from new data — it can come from the analytical framework you apply. Q23 ⚠ FLIP: students worried it won't be "original enough" — distractor
Marcus: Oh — that makes a lot of sense. We could use a public health lens.
Dr Patel: Exactly. Now — your methodology. Which cities were you comparing?
Yasmin: Bristol, Rotterdam, and Detroit. But Detroit's data is quite old — most of it is from before 2015. Q24
Dr Patel: Data currency is important. What about Toronto — some interesting urban agriculture initiatives since 2019?
Marcus: We looked at Toronto, but some local reports are in French. ⚠ FLIP: language barrier — distractor for Q25
Dr Patel: Canadian documentation is largely bilingual, so that's manageable. But another option is Melbourne — very well-documented urban food policy.
Yasmin: I actually like Melbourne. It was on my original shortlist. Q25
Dr Patel: Good. Timeline — when are you planning to have your draft ready?
Marcus: We were thinking two weeks before the deadline. ⚠ FLIP: two weeks is the distractor for Q26
Dr Patel: I'd push for three weeks. The revision stage is always longer than people expect. Q28 And I'll need a week for feedback. So if the deadline is in six weeks — draft in three weeks, Q26 I'll feedback in week four, Q30 and you'll have weeks five and six to revise.
Dr Patel: One final thing — ethical approval. Since you're using participant interview data from previous studies, you need to confirm those studies had appropriate ethical clearance. Q29
Yasmin: Would we need to apply for our own ethical approval?
Dr Patel: Not necessarily — just verify the original studies had clearance. Check their methodology sections.
Marcus: I'll add that to our action list. Thanks, Dr Patel.
Section 4 Script — University Lecture
Environmental Urban Planning · Lecturer (monologue)
Lecturer: Good morning. Today's lecture continues our series on environmental urban planning, and we'll be focusing on a phenomenon you've probably experienced but may not have had a name for — the urban heat island effect.
The term refers to the phenomenon whereby built-up urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures than surrounding rural countryside. The difference can range from just one or two degrees in smaller cities, all the way up to ten degrees Q32 in very large metropolitan areas. This was first documented by a meteorologist named Luke Howard in 1810, Q31 when he compared temperature records from central London to those from the surrounding countryside.
What causes this effect? The most significant cause is the replacement of natural vegetation with hard, heat-absorbing surfaces — concrete, asphalt, brick. These materials have what we call high thermal mass, Q33 meaning they absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, preventing the natural cooling that occurs in vegetated areas.
A second factor is the reduction in evapotranspiration — Q34 the process by which plants release water vapour into the atmosphere, which has a cooling effect. When you remove trees and replace them with buildings, you eliminate this natural cooling mechanism.
The third major factor is waste heat from human activities — vehicles, air conditioning units, industrial processes. Air conditioning is a particularly ironic contributor: we use it to cool buildings, but in doing so we push heat into the street, which raises outdoor temperatures, which makes us rely more on air conditioning. Q35 It's a self-reinforcing cycle. ⚠ FLIP: all three causes mentioned — students must identify "air conditioning units" specifically for Q35
The most serious consequence is higher mortality during heatwaves. Q36 The 2003 European heatwave killed approximately 70,000 people, and urban residents were significantly more vulnerable than those in rural areas. ⚠ FLIP: figure 70,000 may distract students who write "heatwaves" as a number
So what can we do? Urban greening — planting trees, creating parks, installing green roofs — is the most well-established strategy. Tree-lined streets can be up to eight degrees cooler Q37 than streets without trees. Green roofs can reduce roof surface temperatures by as much as forty degrees Celsius Q38 on hot days.
Cool roofs — painted white or covered with reflective materials Q39 — reflect sunlight rather than absorbing it. This is very cost-effective and has been widely adopted in Mediterranean cities. ⚠ FLIP: "white" and "reflective" both appear — either is acceptable
Then there's permeable paving, which helps restore the evapotranspiration cycle, and urban wind corridors — designing streets to maximise airflow Q40 through the city. Several cities in Asia, particularly China and South Korea, are already incorporating this into their planning frameworks.
In next week's lecture, we'll look at case studies — particularly Singapore and Vienna, which are considered global leaders in this area. Thank you.
Answer Key — IELTS Listening Practice Test A
Accept alternative spellings and accepted variants where noted. For completion answers, mark incorrect if the answer contains more words than the word limit, even if the key word is present.
Section 1 · Questions 1–10
Telephone conversation / Everyday social context⚠ Distractor Flips in This Section
Section 2 · Questions 11–20
Tour guide talk / Everyday social context⚠ Distractor Flips in This Section
Section 3 · Questions 21–30
Academic discussion / Educational context⚠ Distractor Flips in This Section
Section 4 · Questions 31–40
University lecture / Academic monologue⚠ Distractor Flips in This Section
Approximate Band Score Conversion
* Approximate guide only. Official IELTS conversion tables may vary slightly by test version.