To understand the past you have to be able, as…
Read the text aloud.
To understand the past you have to be able, as far as possible, to think as the people in the period you are studying thought. The example of what it must have been like to be a peasant in the middle ages is used. However, sensibilities change over time and we can't completely throw off the mentality of the present. Therefore, every age will have a slightly different perspective on the same period of the past, no matter what the facts are.
Opens question #010120 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
To understand the past|you have to be able, as far as possible,‖to think as the people in the period you are studying thought.‖The example of what it must have been like|to be a peasant in the middle ages is used.‖However, sensibilities change over time|and we can't completely throw off the mentality of the present.‖Therefore, every age will have a slightly different perspective|on the same period of the past,‖no matter what the facts are.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 32–37 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| sensibilities | sen·si·BIL·i·ties | /sɛnsɪˈbɪlɪtiz/ |
| mentality | men·TAL·i·ty | /mɛnˈtæləti/ |
| perspective | per·SPEC·tive | /pɚˈspɛktɪv/ |
| understand | un·der·STAND | /ʌndɚˈstænd/ |
| completely | com·PLETE·ly | /kəmˈplitli/ |
| example | ex·AM·ple | /ɪɡˈzæmpəl/ |
82 words in 32–37 seconds; no numbers. Breathe after possible, thought, used, present, past; finish with no matter what the facts are.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress sen·si·BIL·i·ties, men·TAL·i·ty, per·SPEC·tive, un·der·STAND, com·PLETE·ly, ex·AM·ple. The comma-heavy first sentence invites choppy reading—keep it moving. Say the -s on sensibilities, ages, facts.
General tip: studying thought is two verbs in a row; link them smoothly ("…you are studying thought.") without a pause between.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 要理解过去,你必须尽可能像你所研究时期的人那样思考。书中以中世纪农民的生活为例。然而,人的感受方式会随时间变化,我们无法完全摆脱当下的思维方式。因此,无论事实如何,每个时代对同一段历史都会有略微不同的视角。
हिन्दी: अतीत को समझने के लिए आपको यथासंभव उसी तरह सोचना होगा जैसे आप जिस काल का अध्ययन कर रहे हैं उसके लोग सोचते थे। उदाहरण दिया गया है कि मध्यकाल में किसान होना कैसा रहा होगा। लेकिन संवेदनाएँ समय के साथ बदलती हैं और हम वर्तमान की मानसिकता को पूरी तरह नहीं छोड़ सकते। इसलिए हर युग का अतीत के एक ही काल पर थोड़ा अलग दृष्टिकोण होगा, चाहे तथ्य कुछ भी हों।
नेपाली: विगत बुझ्न तपाईंले सकेसम्म त्यस कालका मानिसहरूले जसरी सोच्थे त्यसरी नै सोच्न सक्नुपर्छ। मध्यकालमा किसान हुनु कस्तो हुन्थ्यो होला भन्ने उदाहरण दिइएको छ। तर संवेदनशीलता समयसँगै बदलिन्छ र हामी वर्तमानको मानसिकता पूरै त्याग्न सक्दैनौँ। त्यसैले तथ्य जे भए पनि हरेक युगले विगतको एउटै कालखण्डलाई अलिक फरक दृष्टिकोणले हेर्नेछ।
Tiếng Việt: Để hiểu quá khứ, bạn phải, trong chừng mực có thể, suy nghĩ như người của thời kỳ bạn đang nghiên cứu. Ví dụ được dùng là cuộc sống của một nông dân thời Trung cổ. Tuy nhiên, cảm quan thay đổi theo thời gian và ta không thể hoàn toàn rũ bỏ lối nghĩ của hiện tại. Vì vậy, mỗi thời đại sẽ có góc nhìn hơi khác về cùng một giai đoạn quá khứ, bất kể sự thật ra sao.
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.