Howard believed that all clouds belonged to three distinct groups…
Read the text aloud.
Howard believed that all clouds belonged to three distinct groups; cumulus, stratus and cirrus. He added a fourth category, nimbus, to describe a cloud "in the act of condensation into rain, hail or snow". It is by observing how clouds change colour and shape that weather can be predicted, and as long as the first three types of cloud keep their normal shape there won’t be any rain.
Opens question #010060 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Howard believed that all clouds belonged to three distinct groups;|cumulus,|stratus and cirrus.‖He added a fourth category,|nimbus,|to describe a cloud "in the act of condensation|into rain, hail or snow".‖It is by observing how clouds change colour and shape|that weather can be predicted,‖and as long as the first three types of cloud keep their normal shape|there won’t be any rain.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 26–31 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| condensation | con·den·SA·tion | /kɑndənˈseɪʃən/ |
| observing | ob·SERV·ing | /əbˈzɝvɪŋ/ |
| predicted | pre·DICT·ed | /prɪˈdɪktɪd/ |
| category | CAT·e·go·ry | /ˈkætəɡɔri/ |
| believed | be·LIEVED | /bɪˈlivd/ |
| belonged | be·LONGED | /bɪˈlɔŋd/ |
68 words, aim 26–31 seconds. No digits; just say three and fourth clearly. Breathe after cirrus, after snow (end of the quote) and after predicted.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress con·den·SA·tion, CAT·e·go·ry, ob·SERV·ing, pre·DICT·ed, be·LIEVED, be·LONGED. Keep the -ed in believed, belonged, predicted and the -s in clouds, groups, types. Don't stall on cumulus, stratus and cirrus—say them as a smooth list.
General tip: Treat the Latin cloud names as ordinary words and keep moving; pause briefly at the semicolon after groups, and don't stop before the quotation marks.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 霍华德认为所有的云都属于三个不同的类别：积云、层云和卷云。他又增加了第四类——雨云，用来描述一种“正在凝结成雨、冰雹或雪”的云。正是通过观察云如何改变颜色和形状，才能预测天气；只要前三种云保持其正常形状，就不会下雨。
हिन्दी: हॉवर्ड का मानना था कि सभी बादल तीन अलग-अलग समूहों में आते हैं: क्यूम्युलस, स्ट्रेटस और सिरस। उन्होंने चौथी श्रेणी, निम्बस, जोड़ी, जो ऐसे बादल का वर्णन करती है जो "बारिश, ओले या बर्फ में संघनित हो रहा हो"। बादलों के रंग और आकार में बदलाव देखकर ही मौसम की भविष्यवाणी की जा सकती है, और जब तक पहले तीन प्रकार के बादल अपना सामान्य आकार बनाए रखते हैं, बारिश नहीं होगी।
नेपाली: हावर्डको विश्वास थियो कि सबै बादलहरू तीन फरक समूहमा पर्छन्: क्युमुलस, स्ट्राटस र सिरस। उनले चौथो वर्ग, निम्बस, थपे, जसले "पानी, असिना वा हिउँमा सङ्घनित हुँदै गरेको" बादललाई जनाउँछ। बादलको रङ र आकार कसरी बदलिन्छ भनी हेरेर नै मौसमको पूर्वानुमान गर्न सकिन्छ, र पहिलो तीन प्रकारका बादलले आफ्नो सामान्य आकार राखुन्जेल पानी पर्दैन।
Tiếng Việt: Howard tin rằng mọi đám mây đều thuộc ba nhóm riêng biệt: mây tích, mây tầng và mây ti. Ông thêm loại thứ tư, mây vũ, để mô tả đám mây "đang ngưng tụ thành mưa, mưa đá hoặc tuyết". Chính nhờ quan sát cách mây đổi màu và hình dạng mà có thể dự báo thời tiết, và chừng nào ba loại mây đầu còn giữ hình dạng bình thường thì sẽ không có mưa.
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.