When a virus invades your cells, it kicks your immune…
Read the text aloud.
When a virus invades your cells, it kicks your immune machinery into motion. The first responders are signaling proteins, called interferon. And they trigger downstream immune responses. So you can kind of think of them as the hormones of the immune system. They’re triggered and then they stimulate a bunch of other immune responses that are more specific to that pathogen. Michelle Baker, a comparative immunologist at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory.
Opens question #010112 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
When a virus invades your cells,|it kicks your immune machinery into motion.‖The first responders are signaling proteins,|called interferon.|And they trigger downstream immune responses.‖So you can kind of think of them|as the hormones of the immune system.‖They’re triggered and then they stimulate a bunch of other immune responses|that are more specific to that pathogen.‖Michelle Baker,|a comparative immunologist at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Words to stress correctly
| immunologist | im·mu·NOL·o·gist | /ɪmjuˈnɑlədʒɪst/ |
| comparative | com·PAR·a·tive | /kəmˈpɛrətɪv/ |
| interferon | in·ter·FER·on | /ɪntɚˈfɛrɑn/ |
| machinery | ma·CHIN·er·y | /məˈʃinɚi/ |
| responders | re·SPON·ders | /rɪˈspɑndɚz/ |
| australian | aus·TRA·lian | /ɔsˈtreɪljən/ |
72 words, aim for 28–33 seconds. No numbers. Breathe after motion, responses, system and pathogen; short pause after Michelle Baker, before the title.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress im·mu·NOL·o·gist and in·ter·FER·on on the third syllable; com·PAR·a·tive, ma·CHIN·er·y, re·SPON·ders, aus·TRA·lian on the second. Keep -s endings: cells, kicks, responders, proteins, responses, hormones. Do not slow down before interferon.
General tip: immune appears four times; say it the same way each time and let it carry the rhythm.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 当病毒侵入你的细胞时,它会启动你的免疫机制。最先反应的是一种叫干扰素的信号蛋白。它们会触发下游的免疫反应。所以你可以把它们看作免疫系统的激素。它们被触发后,会刺激一系列其他更针对该病原体的免疫反应。米歇尔·贝克,澳大利亚动物健康实验室的比较免疫学家。
हिन्दी: जब कोई वायरस आपकी कोशिकाओं पर आक्रमण करता है, तो वह आपकी प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली को सक्रिय कर देता है। सबसे पहले प्रतिक्रिया देने वाले संकेत प्रोटीन होते हैं, जिन्हें इंटरफेरॉन कहते हैं। और वे आगे की प्रतिरक्षा प्रतिक्रियाएँ शुरू करते हैं। तो आप उन्हें प्रतिरक्षा तंत्र के हार्मोन की तरह समझ सकते हैं। वे सक्रिय होते हैं और फिर कई अन्य प्रतिरक्षा प्रतिक्रियाओं को उत्तेजित करते हैं जो उस रोगजनक के लिए अधिक विशिष्ट होती हैं। मिशेल बेकर, ऑस्ट्रेलियन एनिमल हेल्थ लेबोरेटरी में तुलनात्मक प्रतिरक्षाविज्ञानी।
नेपाली: जब कुनै भाइरसले तपाईंका कोषहरूमा आक्रमण गर्छ, त्यसले तपाईंको प्रतिरक्षा प्रणालीलाई सक्रिय बनाउँछ। सबैभन्दा पहिले प्रतिक्रिया दिने संकेत प्रोटिनहरू हुन्, जसलाई इन्टरफेरोन भनिन्छ। अनि तिनले अगाडिका प्रतिरक्षा प्रतिक्रियाहरू सुरु गर्छन्। त्यसैले तपाईं तिनलाई प्रतिरक्षा प्रणालीका हर्मोनजस्तै ठान्न सक्नुहुन्छ। तिनीहरू सक्रिय हुन्छन् र त्यसपछि त्यो रोगाणुप्रति बढी विशिष्ट अरू धेरै प्रतिरक्षा प्रतिक्रियाहरूलाई उत्तेजित गर्छन्। मिशेल बेकर, अस्ट्रेलियन एनिमल हेल्थ ल्याबोरेटरीका तुलनात्मक प्रतिरक्षाविज्ञ।
Tiếng Việt: Khi một virus xâm nhập tế bào của bạn, nó khởi động bộ máy miễn dịch của bạn. Những ‘người phản ứng đầu tiên’ là các protein tín hiệu, gọi là interferon. Và chúng kích hoạt các phản ứng miễn dịch tiếp theo. Nên bạn có thể coi chúng như hormone của hệ miễn dịch. Chúng được kích hoạt rồi kích thích một loạt phản ứng miễn dịch khác đặc hiệu hơn với tác nhân gây bệnh đó. Michelle Baker, nhà miễn dịch học so sánh tại Phòng thí nghiệm Sức khỏe Động vật Australia.
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.