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B1–C2 · IELTS General Training

IELTS General Training Practice Test 41

AI-generated practice paper in the style of IELTS General Training — original material, not a reproduction of any real exam paper, following the official four-module structure (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking). Listening audio is read aloud by your browser's voice, Writing tasks can be scored by AI, and for Speaking you can record yourself and compare with a model answer.

Listening

Part 1

Listen and answer questions 1–10.

Complete the customer record below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

1. Surname: ______

2. Date of birth: 12 ______ 1994

3. Plan chosen: ______ gigabytes

4. Monthly price: ______ pounds

5. Contract length: ______ months

6. Maximum roaming data: ______ gigabytes

7. Type of SIM: ______

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

8. The customer will go with

9. When she switches provider, the customer

10. She decides to make the switch

Part 2

Listen and answer questions 11–20.

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

11. Festival runs from ten until: ______

12. Food dishes typically cost between 6 and ______ dollars

13. Number of food trucks in Taste Alley: about ______

What does the speaker say about each of the following areas? Choose the correct letter, A-F, for questions 4 to 7.

14. The Main Stage

15. The Craft Beer Tent

16. The Kids' Corner

17. The Dessert Market

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

18. The Kids' Corner closes at

19. This year the festival is aiming to be

20. Festival volunteers can be identified by

Part 3

Listen and answer questions 21–30.

21. Which method do Isla and Jack agree is better for measuring velocity?

22. How many points across the width should they measure?

23. What extra measurement should be recorded at each point?

24. How many days of readings does Dr. Lee recommend?

25. How is discharge calculated from the data?

26. What will comparing results with the Environment Agency show?

27. What safety measure applies near the strong current?

What does Dr. Lee decide about each of these? Choose your answers from the list, A-E: A Include it as an appendix; B Compare with official data; C Go back for more of these; D Take readings on two days; E Record it at each point.

28. Cross-section points

29. The safety appendix

30. Depth measurement

Part 4

Listen and answer questions 31–40.

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

31. A yawn involves a deep inhalation followed by a slower ______.

32. Yawning appears across fish, reptiles, and virtually all ______.

33. The old theory claimed yawning increases ______ intake.

34. Volunteers breathing oxygen-rich air yawned just as ______ as those breathing normal air.

35. The theory now favoured is that yawning helps cool the ______.

36. A fatigued brain reportedly runs slightly ______ than a rested one.

37. The tendency to yawn after seeing someone else yawn is called ______ yawning.

38. Contagious yawning appears most strongly between people who share a close social ______.

39. Brain-scanning links contagious yawning to regions involved in processing ______ states.

40. Among animals, ______ and dogs clearly show contagious yawning.

Reading

Section 1: Notices

You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 1.

NOTICE A — Lakeside Photography Club: Meeting Location Change Our monthly meetings will move from the small function room at the Lakeside Hotel to the larger community hall on Birch Street from next month, as membership growth has meant our current room is now regularly at capacity. The new venue offers better facilities for print critique sessions, including proper wall-mounted display boards and improved lighting for viewing prints accurately. Meeting time remains unchanged at 7:30pm on the first Wednesday of each month, and free parking is available directly outside the new venue, unlike at the hotel where parking was often limited. Members are reminded that the annual print competition entry deadline falls on the same evening as next month's first meeting at the new venue, so entries should be brought along on the night or submitted digitally in advance if preferred. Refreshments will continue to be provided free of charge, funded through membership subscriptions. NOTICE B — Meadowfield Apartments: Visitor Access Code Update The shared visitor access code, previously used by all residents to grant temporary building entry to guests, will be replaced with individual, resident-specific visitor codes from next month, following a security review that identified the shared code as a vulnerability once it inevitably became widely known beyond intended visitors. Each resident will receive a unique code via email, which can be given to expected visitors and changed at any time through the resident portal if a resident suspects it has been shared inappropriately. The old shared code will stop working immediately once the new system goes live, with no transition overlap period. Visitors arriving without a valid code will need to be let in manually by the resident they are visiting, using the video intercom system, rather than being able to enter independently as before.

Questions 1–3. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

1. Why is the photography club changing its meeting location?

2. Why is the shared visitor access code being replaced?

3. What improved facility does the new photography club venue offer for print critique?

Questions 4–6. Do the following statements agree with the information in Notice A? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

4. The meeting time will change along with the venue.

5. Free parking is available directly outside the new venue.

6. Competition entries can be submitted digitally in advance instead of being brought on the night.

Question 7. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A for each answer.

7. The annual print competition entry deadline falls on the same evening as next month's __________.

Questions 8–9. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A.

8. What funds the free refreshments provided at meetings?

9. What was often limited at the old hotel venue?

Questions 10–11. Do the following statements agree with the information in Notice B? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

10. Each resident will receive a unique code via email.

11. There will be a transition overlap period between the old and new codes.

Questions 12–13. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B for each answer.

12. Residents can change their code at any time through the __________.

13. Each resident's unique code can be given to __________.

Question 14. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B.

14. How will visitors without a valid code be let in?

Section 2: Workplace

You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 2.

TEXT A — Talent Development: New Graduate Trainee Programme Announcement A new two-year graduate trainee programme will launch in September, offering recent university graduates rotational placements across four different departments, spending six months in each, to build broad organisational experience before settling into a permanent specialist role. Each rotation includes a dedicated mentor from within that department and a structured set of learning objectives to be achieved before moving to the next rotation. Trainees will be paid a competitive starting salary throughout the programme, with a formal review and confirmed permanent placement offer made towards the end of the second year based on performance and expressed preference across the rotations completed. Applications open next month and will be assessed through an online application form, a numerical and verbal reasoning assessment, and a final in-person assessment day involving group exercises and an individual interview. Current employees are welcome to refer graduate candidates from their own networks through the existing staff referral scheme. TEXT B — Sustainability Team: Company Sustainability Policy Launch The company has launched a formal sustainability policy committing to reducing overall carbon emissions by 40% within five years, measured against a baseline established last year, through a combination of measures including transitioning the vehicle fleet to electric models, reducing business air travel in favour of video conferencing where practical, and improving building energy efficiency across all company premises. A dedicated sustainability committee, with volunteer representatives from each department, will meet quarterly to monitor progress against these targets and suggest further practical initiatives. Staff are encouraged to submit sustainability suggestions through a dedicated section of the staff suggestion scheme, with ideas specifically addressing emissions reduction given particular priority for review. An annual sustainability report will be published internally and made available to any client or supplier who requests it, reflecting growing external interest in the company's environmental commitments.

Questions 15–18. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

15. How many departments will graduate trainees rotate through?

16. By how much does the company aim to reduce carbon emissions within five years?

17. What measure is mentioned to reduce business air travel?

18. What does the final stage of the graduate application process involve?

Questions 19–20. Do the following statements agree with the information in Text A? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

19. Each rotation includes a dedicated mentor from within that department.

20. Trainees are unpaid during the two-year programme.

Question 21. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A for each answer.

21. A formal review and confirmed permanent placement offer is made towards the end of __________.

Question 22. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A.

22. What can current employees use to refer graduate candidates?

Questions 23–24. Do the following statements agree with the information in Text B? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

23. The vehicle fleet will transition to electric models.

24. The sustainability committee will meet monthly.

Questions 25–26. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B for each answer.

25. An annual sustainability report will be published internally and made available to any __________ who requests it.

26. The 40% emissions reduction target is measured against a baseline established __________.

Question 27. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B.

27. Where can staff submit sustainability suggestions?

Section 3: The Science of Taste and Flavour Perception

You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 3.

What most people casually describe as 'taste' when discussing food is, scientifically speaking, a considerably more complex, multi-sensory phenomenon that neuroscientists more precisely term 'flavour perception,' an integrated experience combining genuine taste receptor input with smell, texture, temperature, and even sound in ways that most people remain largely unaware of during ordinary everyday eating. The tongue itself, contrary to a persistent and remarkably durable popular misconception involving a supposed 'tongue map' of distinct regional taste zones, detects only a genuinely limited set of five basic taste qualities relatively uniformly across essentially its entire surface: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, a Japanese term describing a savoury, meaty taste quality associated with compounds such as glutamate found naturally in foods like tomatoes, aged cheese, and mushrooms. The specific number and precise nature of basic tastes remains a genuinely active area of scientific investigation, with some researchers proposing fat itself may constitute a sixth distinct basic taste, based on the recent discovery of specific dedicated fat-taste receptors on the tongue. Smell, however, contributes vastly more to the overall subjective sensory experience commonly and casually labelled as 'taste' than the tongue's basic taste receptors alone ever could. Aroma compounds released from food while chewing travel up through the nasal passage via the back of the throat, a process technically called retronasal olfaction, contributing the vast majority of what people perceive as distinctive, specific flavour, which explains precisely why food seems distinctly bland and largely flavourless when a head cold blocks the nasal passages, even though the tongue's basic taste receptors themselves remain completely unaffected and fully functional throughout the illness. Texture and temperature further and substantially shape overall flavour perception in ways that food scientists have only relatively recently begun to systematically document and quantify. Identical flavour compounds are reliably rated as measurably more intense when presented in a crunchy rather than soft texture, an effect researchers attribute partly to the distinctive sound of crunching itself, transmitted through bone conduction directly to the inner ear, contributing genuine additional sensory information that measurably shapes the overall perceived flavour experience. Temperature similarly affects perceived taste intensity, with certain taste qualities, sweetness in particular, perceived as measurably more intense at specific optimal temperature ranges rather than uniformly across all serving temperatures. This genuinely multi-sensory, integrated understanding of flavour perception has directly and substantially informed contemporary culinary innovation, with some prominent chefs deliberately manipulating background sound, ambient lighting, and plate texture specifically to alter and enhance perceived flavour independent of any actual change whatsoever to a dish's underlying ingredients, demonstrating in dramatic, memorable practice that flavour, as actually experienced and consciously perceived by a diner, exists considerably more substantially in the integrated, multi-sensory brain than in the food itself as an isolated, purely chemical substance.

Questions 28–30. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

28. What does the passage say about the popular 'tongue map' idea?

29. Why are identical flavour compounds rated as more intense in crunchy foods?

30. What contributes the vast majority of what people perceive as distinctive flavour, according to the passage?

Questions 31–34. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

31. The tongue detects five basic taste qualities relatively uniformly across its surface.

32. Umami is a taste quality originally described using a Japanese term.

33. Sweetness is perceived as measurably more intense at specific optimal temperature ranges.

34. The precise number of basic tastes remains a genuinely active area of scientific investigation.

Question 35. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

35. Some researchers propose fat may constitute a sixth basic taste, based on dedicated __________ on the tongue.

Questions 36–38. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

36. What is the technical term for aroma compounds travelling to the nasal passage via the back of the throat?

37. What do some chefs deliberately manipulate to alter perceived flavour, besides plate texture?

38. What term do neuroscientists more precisely use instead of 'taste' for the overall eating experience?

Questions 39–40. Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

39. The tongue's basic taste receptors stop functioning when a person has a head cold.

40. Flavour, as experienced by a diner, exists substantially in the integrated, multi-sensory brain rather than in the food alone.

Speaking

Part 1: Introduction and interview

The examiner asks you questions about yourself and familiar topics (4–5 minutes).

Part 1 (Trees / Seasons) — the examiner asks about two familiar topics. Topic 1: Trees Q1. Are there many trees in the area where you live? Q2. Have you ever planted a tree? Topic 2: Seasons Q3. Which season do you like best? Q4. How does life change in your country from one season to another?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: 1. Yes, quite a lot. My street is lined with old lime trees, and in early summer the whole neighbourhood smells wonderful when they flower. 2. I have, once. At primary school every class planted a young oak in the playground, and I sometimes walk past to see how tall it's grown. It's over five metres now. 3. Autumn, I think. The colours of the leaves are beautiful, the temperature is comfortable and the evenings are perfect for a long walk. 4. Quite dramatically. In winter people stay indoors and eat heavier food, while in summer everyone's out late in the squares and cafes, and the whole city feels more sociable.

Part 2: Individual long turn

You have one minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

Describe a sporting event that you watched. You should say: - what the event was - where you watched it - who took part in it and explain why you found it exciting or disappointing. You'll have a minute to prepare, then talk for between one and two minutes.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I'd like to talk about a basketball match I watched last spring, between the local team and their biggest rivals from the neighbouring city. I went to the stadium with two colleagues, who are big fans, and we sat quite high up behind the basket, which gave us a good view of the whole court. There were about eight thousand people in the crowd, and everyone was singing and waving scarves before the game had even started. The teams were very evenly matched, so it was close throughout. With only two minutes to go, the visitors were leading by five points, and it looked as if our side were about to lose. Then one of our young players scored three baskets in a row, and we took the lead with just four seconds left. The whole hall went absolutely wild; strangers were hugging each other and jumping up and down. I found it exciting because I hadn't been to a live match for years, and I'd forgotten how different it is from watching on television. You can feel the tension in the air, and it really brings people together. I've bought tickets for another game next month.

Part 3: Two-way discussion

The examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.

Part 3 (traditions and modern life) — the examiner asks four related questions. Q1. Why do you think some traditions gradually disappear over time? Q2. Is it important for younger generations to maintain family or cultural traditions? Q3. Can traditions adapt to modern life without losing their meaning? Q4. What role do you think festivals will play in society in the future?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: 1. Traditions often fade when they no longer fit people's busy modern schedules, or when younger generations don't see the original purpose behind them, especially if nobody explains the meaning clearly. 2. I think it matters, since traditions connect people to their family history and give a sense of belonging, though I don't think every tradition needs to be followed exactly as it always was. 3. Yes, and I think that's healthy. Many traditions have already changed form over centuries, so adapting the details while keeping the core meaning, like gathering with family, keeps them relevant rather than abandoned entirely. 4. Festivals will probably remain important, perhaps even more so, as a rare chance to disconnect from busy digital routines and spend genuine time with family and community.

Writing Task 1

You are organising a school trip to a museum and would like to request a group discount for the visiting students. Write a letter to the museum's education department. In your letter: explain the purpose of the visit, provide details of the group size and preferred date, and ask about discount options. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter 'Dear Sir or Madam,'

Writing Task 2

Some people believe that genetically modified food could help solve world hunger, while others are concerned about its potential risks. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
Keep your streak going

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