Although it comes from a remote region in the Himalayas…
Read the text aloud.
Although it comes from a remote region in the Himalayas, this plant now looks entirely at home on the banks of English rivers. Brought to the UK in 1839 (eighteen thirty-nine), it quickly escaped, colonising riverbanks and damp woodlands. Now it is spreading across Europe, New Zealand and Canada. In the Himalayas the plant is held in check by various pests, and it grows and reproduces unhindered.
Opens question #010005 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Although it comes from a remote region in the Himalayas,|this plant now looks entirely at home on the banks of English rivers.‖Brought to the UK in 1839 (eighteen thirty-nine),|it quickly escaped,|colonising riverbanks and damp woodlands.‖Now it is spreading across Europe,|New Zealand and Canada.‖In the Himalayas the plant is held in check by various pests,|and it grows and reproduces unhindered.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 26–30 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| reproduces | re·pro·DU·ces | /riprəˈdusɪz/ |
| himalayas | hi·ma·LAY·as | /hɪməˈlaɪəs/ |
| entirely | en·TI·re·ly | /ɪnˈtaɪɚli/ |
| unhindered | un·HIN·dered | /ənˈhɪndɚd/ |
| although | al·THOUGH | /ɔlˈðoʊ/ |
| eighteen | eigh·TEEN | /eɪˈtin/ |
67 words, aim 26–30 seconds. The bracket already spells the year: say 1839 as “eighteen thirty-nine”. Breathe after rivers, woodlands and Canada; short pauses after Himalayas, thirty-nine), escaped, Europe and pests.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress al·THOUGH, eigh·TEEN, en·TI·re·ly, hi·ma·LAY·as, re·pro·DU·ces, un·HIN·dered. Don’t stall before 1839 or colonising. Keep endings in rivers, riverbanks, woodlands, pests, grows, reproduces, and the -ed in escaped, unhindered.
General tip: Himalayas appears twice – decide on hi·ma·LAY·as before you start and say it the same way both times.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 尽管它来自喜马拉雅山脉的偏远地区，这种植物如今在英国河岸上看起来完全像在自己家里一样。它于1839年被带到英国，很快就逃逸出去，在河岸和潮湿的林地蔓延生长。现在它正在欧洲、新西兰和加拿大扩散。在喜马拉雅山区，这种植物受到各种害虫的抑制，而它却不受阻碍地生长和繁殖。
हिन्दी: हालाँकि यह हिमालय के एक दूरस्थ क्षेत्र से आता है, यह पौधा अब अंग्रेज़ी नदियों के किनारों पर पूरी तरह घर जैसा लगता है। 1839 में यूके लाए जाने के बाद यह जल्दी ही बाहर निकल गया और नदी-तटों तथा नम जंगलों में फैल गया। अब यह यूरोप, न्यूज़ीलैंड और कनाडा में फैल रहा है। हिमालय में यह पौधा विभिन्न कीटों द्वारा नियंत्रण में रखा जाता है, और यह बिना रोक-टोक बढ़ता और प्रजनन करता है।
नेपाली: यो हिमालयको एक दुर्गम क्षेत्रबाट आएको भए पनि, यो बिरुवा अहिले अङ्ग्रेजी नदीका किनारमा पूरै आफ्नै घरमा जस्तो देखिन्छ। सन् 1839 मा बेलायत ल्याइएपछि यो छिट्टै उम्कियो र नदी किनार तथा ओसिला जङ्गलहरूमा फैलियो। अहिले यो युरोप, न्युजिल्यान्ड र क्यानडामा फैलिँदैछ। हिमालयमा यो बिरुवालाई विभिन्न कीराहरूले नियन्त्रणमा राख्छन्, र यो कुनै रोकावटबिना बढ्छ र प्रजनन गर्छ।
Tiếng Việt: Dù đến từ một vùng hẻo lánh ở dãy Himalaya, loài cây này giờ trông hoàn toàn như ở nhà trên bờ các con sông nước Anh. Được đưa đến Anh năm 1839, nó nhanh chóng thoát ra ngoài, chiếm lĩnh bờ sông và rừng ẩm. Hiện nó đang lan khắp châu Âu, New Zealand và Canada. Ở Himalaya, cây này bị nhiều loài sâu bệnh kìm hãm, còn nó thì sinh trưởng và sinh sản không bị cản trở.
More Read Aloud questions
Read Aloud format (Pearson)
| Prompt | Text up to 60 words |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 30–40 seconds |
| Time to answer | Depends on the length of the text |
| Skills assessed | Speaking |
| Scored on | Content; Pronunciation; Oral fluency |
How it is scored
- Content is scored by counting the correct words in your response.
- If you stay silent for more than 3 seconds, the recording stops.
- You can record your response only once.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 1: Speaking & Writing, checked 9 October 2026.