Psychologist Saho Takagi, a graduate student at Kyoto University in…
Read the text aloud.
Psychologist Saho Takagi, a graduate student at Kyoto University in Japan, strolls into one of Japan’s many cat cafes. These establishments allow customers to pay an hourly fee for the chance to cuddle some cats. They're popular in Japan because so many apartment buildings forbid pet ownership. But Takagi isn’t a typical customer. She’s not there for feline affection, but to probe their minds.
Opens question #010077 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Psychologist Saho Takagi,|a graduate student at Kyoto University in Japan,‖strolls into one of Japan’s many cat cafes.‖These establishments allow customers to pay an hourly fee|for the chance to cuddle some cats.‖They're popular in Japan|because so many apartment buildings forbid pet ownership.‖But Takagi isn’t a typical customer.|She’s not there for feline affection,|but to probe their minds.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 25–29 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| university | u·ni·VER·si·ty | /junəˈvɝsəti/ |
| establishments | es·TAB·lish·ments | /ɛˈstæblɪʃmənts/ |
| psychologist | psy·CHOL·o·gist | /saɪˈkɑlədʒəst/ |
| apartment | a·PART·ment | /əˈpɑrtmənt/ |
| affection | af·FEC·tion | /əˈfɛkʃən/ |
| takagi | ta·KA·gi | /tɑˈkɑɡi/ |
64 words in 25–29 seconds. No numbers. Five sentences: breathe after Japan, (first), cafes, cats and ownership; the last two short sentences can be joined with light pauses at the commas.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress: psy·CHOL·o·gist (silent p), es·TAB·lish·ments, a·PART·ment, af·FEC·tion, ta·KA·gi, with u·ni·VER·si·ty on the third syllable. Hesitating at Saho Takagi and Kyoto. Dropping the -s in strolls, establishments, customers, buildings, minds.
General tip: the contractions They're, isn’t, She’s are one beat each; don't expand them or add a vowel after isn’t.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 心理学家高木佐保是日本京都大学的一名研究生，她走进日本众多猫咖啡馆中的一家。这类场所让顾客按小时付费，获得抱猫的机会。它们在日本很受欢迎，因为许多公寓楼禁止养宠物。但高木不是典型的顾客。她来这里不是为了猫的亲昵，而是为了探究它们的心智。
हिन्दी: मनोवैज्ञानिक साहो ताकागी, जो जापान के क्योटो विश्वविद्यालय में स्नातकोत्तर छात्रा हैं, जापान के अनेक कैट कैफ़े में से एक में टहलती हुई आती हैं। ये प्रतिष्ठान ग्राहकों को बिल्लियों को गोद में लेने के मौके के लिए घंटे के हिसाब से शुल्क देने देते हैं। जापान में ये लोकप्रिय हैं क्योंकि बहुत से अपार्टमेंट भवन पालतू जानवर रखने की मनाही करते हैं। लेकिन ताकागी कोई आम ग्राहक नहीं हैं। वे बिल्लियों के स्नेह के लिए नहीं, बल्कि उनके दिमाग़ को समझने आई हैं।
नेपाली: मनोवैज्ञानिक साहो ताकागी, जापानको क्योटो विश्वविद्यालयकी स्नातकोत्तर विद्यार्थी, जापानका धेरै बिरालो क्याफेमध्ये एउटामा पस्छिन्। यी प्रतिष्ठानहरूले ग्राहकलाई बिरालो काखमा लिने मौकाका लागि घण्टाको हिसाबले शुल्क तिर्न दिन्छन्। जापानमा यी लोकप्रिय छन् किनभने धेरै अपार्टमेन्ट भवनहरूले पाल्तु जनावर राख्न निषेध गर्छन्। तर ताकागी सामान्य ग्राहक होइनन्। उनी बिरालोको माया पाउन होइन, तिनीहरूको दिमाग बुझ्न आएकी हुन्।
Tiếng Việt: Nhà tâm lý học Saho Takagi, nghiên cứu sinh tại Đại học Kyoto ở Nhật Bản, thong thả bước vào một trong nhiều quán cà phê mèo của Nhật. Những cơ sở này cho phép khách trả phí theo giờ để có cơ hội ôm ấp vài chú mèo. Chúng được ưa chuộng ở Nhật vì rất nhiều tòa chung cư cấm nuôi thú cưng. Nhưng Takagi không phải khách hàng thông thường. Cô đến không phải vì sự âu yếm của mèo, mà để thăm dò tâm trí chúng.
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.