IELTS LISTENING tests
TED x IELTS Listening Practice : Why Is ‘X’ the Unknown?
TED x IELTS Listening Practice : Why Is ‘X’ the Unknown?
Try these IELTS listening practice questions based on a TED talk about the letter X in mathematics.
Take one minute first to read through the questions before you listen.
uestions 1-5 (Summary completion) Write no more than one word for each answer.
The Arabic language is extremely 1. _________________________. Because each part of a sentence is very precise and informative, constructing a sentence in Arabic is bit like writing an 2. _________________________. This partly explains many so-called Western sciences such as mathematics and 3. _________________________ actually have their origins in the Middle East. For example, the English word ‘algebra’ has Arabic roots. Many kinds of Middle-Eastern wisdom arrived in Europe via 4. _________________________, where they were first translated. However, certain Arabic sounds can’t be pronounced by Europeans without a great deal of practice. They also can’t easily be written using existing European 5. _________________________.
Questions 6-10 (Matching). Match the following statements with the letter or symbol they refer to.
6. It was familiar to Spanish mathematicians. _____
7. It was eventually replaced by another letter. _____
8. It was known throughout Europe. _____
9. It has been in use for nearly six centuries. _____
10. It is unpronounceable in Spanish. _____
- A. The mathematical symbol X
- B. The Arabic letter SHeen
- C. The Greek letter Kai
- D. The Latin letter X