PTE · READING SAMPLES
PTE® Reading Practice Questions
PTE Reading Sample Questions and Responses
Practice with sample questions and get detailed explanations for all PTE Reading tasks: Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice (Multiple), Reading Fill in the Blanks, and Multiple Choice (Single).
Task 1: Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks
Read more about Reading & Writing Fill in the BlanksThere are some words missing in the following text. Please select the correct word in the drop-down box.
Sample 1: Asteroids
A new study has revealed the presence of water molecules on the surface of two asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. This discovery challenges the previous that these asteroids were completely dry and could explain the origin and distribution of water in our solar system. The study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, used data from the SOFIA airborne telescope, detected water signatures on Iris and Massalia, two silicate-rich asteroids. The amount of water was to that found on the lunar surface by the same telescope in 2020. The finding of water on these asteroids suggests that they formed far enough from the sun to avoid losing their water due to heat. It also supports the theory that asteroids may have water and other elements to early Earth through impacts. The researchers plan to use the James Webb Space Telescope to look for water on more asteroids and understand their composition and history.
Correct Answers:
[0] assumption, [1] which, [2] comparable, [3] delivered
Explanations:
- 'Assumption' fits best because it refers to the previous belief or hypothesis that was challenged by the new discovery.
- 'Which' is the correct choice here as it is used to introduce a relative clause that provides more information about how the telescope detected the water signatures.
- 'Comparable' is suitable because it indicates that the amount of water found on the asteroids is similar in quantity to that found on the lunar surface.
- 'Delivered' fits appropriately as it suggests that asteroids might have brought or transported water and other elements to early Earth.
Task 2: Multiple Choice (Multiple)
Read more about Multiple Choice (Multiple)Read the text and answer the question by selecting all the correct responses. More than one response is correct.
Sample 1: Dennett
Dennett recognizes that all human minds are shaped not only by natural selection but by enormous cultural influences which effectively redesign our minds. He invites us to think of the conscious mind as consisting of those mental contents that win in competition against other mental contents in the battle for control of behavior. What we are is the "organization of all the competitive activity between a host of competences" that our bodies have developed. Consciousness is defined by what a mind can do – whether it can concentrate, be distracted, recall earlier events, keep track of a number of things at once etc.. Dennett urges us to resist the temptation to imagine animals as accompanying their clever activities with streams of reflective consciousness as we would. We may not know that they do not, but we certainly cannot assume that they do. He notes that the more we learn about clever activities in animals and how they are accomplished, the less the processes in their brains seem to resemble the thoughts we imagined were doing the work.
According to Dennett, the mind displays which of the following characteristics?
Correct Answers: A, B
Our minds are shaped by natural selection as Dennett acknowledges that human minds are influenced by both natural selection and cultural factors. The conscious mind tries to control our behaviors as Dennett explains that mental contents compete for control of behavior.
Task 3: Re-order Paragraphs
Read more about Re-Order ParagraphsThe text boxes in the left panel have been placed in a random order. Restore the original order by dragging the text boxes from the left panel to the right panel.
Sample 1: Digital Era
Source Paragraphs (Drag to reorder):
Correct Order:
Correct Order:
2, 3, 4, 1
Explanation: The text should start with the main statement about the digital era revolutionizing music, followed by specific technological advancements, then the independence of artists, and finally the challenges that have emerged.
Task 4: Reading Fill in the Blanks
Read more about Reading Fill in the BlanksIn the text below some words are missing. Drag words from the box below to the appropriate place in the text. To undo an answer choice, drag the word back to the box below the text.
Sample 1: Revision
Just as the right time for revision is crucial, so is the method of studying. Students often find that their concentration and of material vary throughout the day. Discovering the time and method, through group study, flashcards, or quiet reading, can significantly enhance learning Like revision, where timing matters, choosing the right study technique is essential for success.
Correct Answers:
[0] retention, [1] optimal, [2] whether, [3] efficiency, [4] academic
Explanations:
- 'Retention' refers to the ability to keep or hold on to learned material.
- 'Optimal' means the most favorable or best time and method for studying.
- 'Whether' introduces alternatives in the form of different study methods.
- 'Efficiency' describes how effectively learning can be enhanced.
- 'Academic' describes the kind of success related to education and learning.
Task 5: Multiple Choice (Single)
Read more about Multiple Choice (Single)Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
Sample 1: Social Scientists
Social scientists use particular methods to gather qualitative evidence, from observation to interview, but they also use autobiographical accounts, journalism, and other documentary material to flesh out and add meaning to statistics. As with reading numbers, reading textual evidence requires us to practice, to set time aside to learn how to do it, and to understand the conventions of writing which operate in the different forms of writing we encounter. One of the main problems with reading textual evidence, though, is that, unlike the relationship most of us have with numbers where we may use them at a pretty basic level, most of us are, if anything, over-familiar with words. When we want to understand their value as social science evidence we need to forget how familiar we are with first person accounts and everyday speech - for example, in newspapers, magazines, and books - and learn a different approach to them.
According to this passage, what do social scientists use written sources to do?
Correct Answer: C
Social scientists use written sources primarily to add information to other data they have collected, as indicated by the passage stating they use various documentary materials to flesh out and add meaning to statistical data.
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