Lecture: A History of Timekeeping

IELTS Listening PracticePart 4hard

Recording

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You can replay the recording as many times as you like while practising. In the real exam you hear it once only.

Questions

Questions 1–3

Early timekeeping devices

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

The earliest known timekeeping device is the ______.(max 1 word)

A sundial works by casting a ______ onto a marked surface.(max 1 word)

A water clock could be affected by cold ______, which slowed the flow.(max 1 word)

Questions 4–6

Mechanical clocks

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

The first mechanical clocks appeared in the ______ century.(max 1 word)

They were driven by falling ______.(max 1 word)

Many early tower clocks had no face and simply rang a ______.(max 1 word)

Questions 7–9

Greater accuracy

Complete the summary below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

In 1657 Huygens built the first ______ clock, which was far more accurate.(max 1 word)

Sailors needed an accurate clock to calculate their ______ at sea.(max 1 word)

Harrison's marine chronometer used a ______ instead of a pendulum.(max 1 word)

Questions 10–11

Modern clocks

Complete the sentences below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

A quartz clock keeps time using the steady ______ of a crystal.(max 1 word)

The most accurate clocks are ______ clocks, which count the vibrations of atoms.(max 1 word)

Question 12

Answer the question below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Which everyday technology relies on atomic clocks in orbit?(max 3 words)

0 / 12 answered

About this Listening test

“Lecture: A History of Timekeeping” is an original IELTS Listening practice test in the style of Part 4 with 12 questions (Note Completion, Summary Completion, Sentence Completion and Short Answer). Play the recording, answer as you listen, then submit to have every answer marked instantly and read the transcript.

Part 4 is a university-style lecture: one speaker, an academic subject, 10 questions — almost always note completion with a one-word limit — and, uniquely, no break in the middle. You succeed by using the printed notes as a map of the lecture and never losing your place.

How to approach it

Spend the whole preparation time on the notes: the headings tell you the lecture’s sections, and each gap’s surrounding words tell you the grammar and meaning of its answer.
Predict the word class for every gap — noun, adjective, number — and any obvious semantic field (a material, an animal, a place).
Common trap: Losing your position mid-lecture and missing a run of answers — the single biggest cause of Part 4 disasters.

Read the full Listening Part 4 strategy guide · How we write and check our tests

Build consistency with another Listening practice item.