A1–C2 · Duolingo English Test
Duolingo English Test Practice Test 25
AI-generated practice paper in the style of Duolingo English Test — original material, not a reproduction of any real exam paper, following the official task types. Listening audio is read aloud by your browser's voice. For Speaking you can record yourself and compare with a model answer, and Writing tasks include a model answer — neither is scored automatically, since that needs real speech and writing evaluation this site does not offer for this exam.
Reading
Read and Select
Look at each word. Is it a real English word?
1.thunder
2.keystone
3.parallel
4.bakery
5.futit
6.baskous
7.brurnent
8.flevar
9.weather
10.backpack
11.preempent
12.narrow
13.shibry
14.pepper
15.spendent
Fill in the Blanks
Type the missing letters to complete the word in each sentence.
With its narrow streets and steep staircases, the old town is almost impossible to explore by wheel.
Do you know how much a return ticket to the airport cos if I book it online?
After centuries of erosion, the cliffs along this coastline are retreating at roughly a metre every ye.
Retired sailors in the port town gather every Friday to swap stories about storms they barely surv.
Discussions about the ethics of artificial intelligence have moved from science fiction novels into serious parli debates.
Chocolate was once drunk rather than eaten, and the ancient Maya reportedly flavoured it with chilli and ho.
Read and Complete
Type the missing letters to complete the text below.
Every weekend in coastal towns around the world, groups of volunteers gather to collect litter from local beaches. Arm with gloves, buck, and rubbish bags, they sort plastic bottles, fishing line, and cigar ends from the sand before the rubbish can wa back out to sea. Many groups now rec exactly what they find, sending the data to resear studying which types of plastic pollution are most common along particular coast. Organ say the cleanups do more than protect wildlife; they also bring neighbours together and remind people how quickly a beautiful beach can become bur in rubb.
Interactive Reading
Read the passage and complete each step.
In 1977 two identical spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, left Earth on a grand tour of the outer planets. Each carried a peculiar piece of cargo: a twelve-inch gold-plated copper disc, meant to be played like a gramophone record. The discs were assembled by a small committee chaired by the astronomer Carl Sagan, who faced a question without precedent: how should humanity introduce itself to a stranger who may never exist? The team a mixture of greetings in fifty-five languages, natural sounds such as thunder and whale song, music from many cultures, and 115 photographs and diagrams encoded as sound. There was no guarantee that anyone would ever find the discs, let alone decode them, so the instructions for playing them were engraved on the cover in symbols that assume only a knowledge of physics. Critics have argued that the whole enterprise was pointless, since a civilisation capable of catching a spacecraft would probably have no need of our music. Yet supporters insist the discs were never really to aliens. Instead, the exercise of deciding what deserved to be preserved forced the committee to consider what humanity valued, a question that to provoke debate today. The spacecraft are now in interstellar space, further from Earth than any other human-made object, and their electronics will fail long before the discs are by cosmic dust.
16. The passage stops before its final sentence. Which sentence best completes it?
17. Highlight the answer: Which sentence explains how the makers expected the discs to be played?
18. Highlight the answer: Which sentence gives the critics' objection to the project?
19. What is the main idea of the passage?
20. What is the best title for the passage?
Listening
Listen and Type
Listen and type the sentence you hear. You can play the audio as many times as you like.
1. Type what you hear.
2. Type what you hear.
3. Type what you hear.
4. Type what you hear.
5. Type what you hear.
6. Type what you hear.
Interactive Listening
Listen to each conversation, then answer.
Transcript (available after checking)
Isla: I've been thinking about switching to a plant-based diet. Any tips for starting?
Jack: I'd start slowly, maybe replacing just one or two meals a week at first.
Isla: That sounds manageable. Do you know any easy recipes to begin with?
Jack: I have a great lentil soup recipe I can send you tonight.
7. What is the best reply to the last speaker?
8. How does Jack suggest Isla start the diet change?
Summarize the conversation in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Isla asks Jack for advice on starting a plant-based diet, and he suggests gradually replacing meals and offers to share a lentil soup recipe.
Transcript (available after checking)
Emma: I have my promotion interview on Thursday, and I'm a bit nervous about it.
Frank: You'll do great. Have you prepared examples of projects you've led recently?
Emma: A few, though I should probably write them down so I don't forget anything.
Frank: Good idea, and maybe practice saying them out loud a couple of times.
9. What is the best reply to the last speaker?
10. What does Frank suggest Emma do with her examples?
Summarize the conversation in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Emma prepares for her promotion interview, and Frank suggests she write down her project examples and practice saying them aloud.
Writing
Write About the Photo
Look at each picture and write one or two sentences describing it.
Describe this picture in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: This is an orange, a round fruit with a bright colour. It is full of vitamin C, and in winter I like to drink fresh orange juice to stay healthy.
Describe this picture in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The picture shows a loaf of bread. Fresh bread smells wonderful, and I like to have it for breakfast with butter and a little bit of jam.
Describe this picture in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The picture shows a monkey with a long tail. Monkeys are clever and playful animals, and they usually live in trees where they can find fruit to eat.
Interactive Writing
Answer the question.
If you were the mayor of your city for one year, what is the first thing you would change, and how would you explain the change to residents?
Show sample answer
Model answer: I would improve the bus service first, with more routes at night. Many workers finish late and have no safe way to go home. I would explain to residents that better buses mean less traffic and less pollution, and that the money would come from parking fees in the city centre, so the plan would not raise their taxes.
Writing Sample
Write about the topic for up to three minutes.
Do you think it is more helpful to learn from your mistakes or from other people's experience?
Show sample answer
Model answer: Both are useful, but I believe we remember our own mistakes much better. When I forgot to save an important document and lost a whole day of work, I never forgot to save it again. That said, we cannot make every mistake ourselves, because life is too short and some errors are very expensive. Listening to older people, reading biographies and asking colleagues can save us a lot of trouble. The wisest approach is to learn from others where possible and accept that some lessons are only learnt the hard way.
Speaking
Speak About the Photo
Look at the picture and speak about it for 30 seconds.
Speak about the picture. Say as much as you can.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The picture shows a bird. It has a small beak, wings and a tail, and I imagine it can fly very high. You can see birds almost everywhere, in parks and even in cities. I like listening to them early in the morning because their singing is so relaxing.
Read, Then Speak
Read the prompt, then speak about it.
Do you think people are more or less friendly in small towns than in big cities? Explain your thoughts.
Show sample answer
Model answer: In my experience, people in small towns are usually friendlier, because everyone knows each other and you often meet the same faces. Neighbours say hello and help when there is a problem. In big cities, people are busy and often do not have time to stop and chat. But that does not mean city people are unfriendly. Sometimes a stranger in a big city helps you quickly, because they understand what it is like to be lost.
Interactive Speaking
Answer each question in turn.
Do you ever notice birds or other wildlife near your home?
Show sample answer
Model answer: Yes, there are quite a few pigeons and sparrows around my building, and occasionally a squirrel in the nearby park.
What is the most interesting animal you have seen close to where you live?
Show sample answer
Model answer: I once saw a fox walking calmly through the street early in the morning, which surprised me in such a busy area.
Do you prefer watching wildlife in the city or in a more natural setting?
Show sample answer
Model answer: I prefer a natural setting, because animals there behave more freely and there is much more to see.
Tell me about a memorable encounter you have had with an animal in the wild.
Show sample answer
Model answer: During a hike, a group of deer walked surprisingly close to us, and we all stood completely still so as not to scare them away.
Why do you think many city dwellers rarely pay attention to the wildlife around them?
Show sample answer
Model answer: People are usually focused on their phones or in a hurry to reach somewhere, so smaller creatures like birds or insects often go unnoticed unless something makes them look up.
Do you think cities should be designed to support more wildlife, even if that means less space for buildings? Discuss.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I think a reasonable balance is possible, for example through green roofs and small wildlife corridors, since even limited space for nature can noticeably improve biodiversity without seriously limiting construction.
Speaking Sample
Speak about the topic for up to three minutes.
Some people think that university education should be free for everyone. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons and examples.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I tend to agree that university education should be free or at least much cheaper. When students graduate with huge debts, they often choose a job just for the salary instead of doing something they love. Free education also allows talented people from poor families to study, which is good for society, because it gets more doctors, teachers and engineers. Of course, universities need money, and taxpayers would have to pay. Some people say that those who do not study should not pay for others. But in my opinion, an educated population benefits everyone, so it is a fair investment. Germany, for example, has made this system work.
Keep your streak going
Up next: Duolingo English Test Practice Test 26