The initial thud comes from when those dorsal bursae collide.…
Read the text aloud.
The initial thud comes from when those dorsal bursae collide. And the reverberation results from the vibrations that linger when the tissues pull apart. But Thode the younger says the bursae have to be somewhat sticky for the clapping together and snapping apart to produce a noise with the correct loudness and pitch. That stickiness comes courtesy of the mucus.
Opens question #010127 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
The initial thud comes from when those dorsal bursae collide.‖And the reverberation results from the vibrations|that linger when the tissues pull apart.‖But Thode the younger says|the bursae have to be somewhat sticky|for the clapping together and snapping apart|to produce a noise with the correct loudness and pitch.‖That stickiness comes courtesy of the mucus.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Words to stress correctly
| reverberation | re·ver·ber·A·tion | /rivɝbɚˈeɪʃən/ |
| vibrations | vi·BRA·tions | /vaɪˈbreɪʃənz/ |
| together | to·GETH·er | /təˈɡɛðɚ/ |
| initial | i·NI·tial | /ɪˈnɪʃəl/ |
| courtesy | COUR·te·sy | /ˈkɝtəsi/ |
| collide | col·LIDE | /kəˈlaɪd/ |
60 words, aim for 23–27 seconds. No numbers. Breathe after collide, pull apart and pitch; the third sentence is long, so use short pauses after says, sticky and snapping apart to keep it even.
Where marks are usually lost
reverberation stresses the fourth syllable (re·ver·ber·A·tion) — don't rush it. initial, vibrations, together, collide stress the second syllable; courtesy the first. Say bursae and Thode confidently without stopping. Keep -s on vibrations, tissues, results, says, comes.
General tip: bursae is usually /ˈbɜːsiː/; pick one pronunciation and say it the same way both times.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 最初的沉闷撞击声来自那些背囊相互碰撞之时。而回响则源于组织分开时残留的振动。但小索德说，这些囊必须有一定黏性，这样拍合与弹开才能产生音量和音高都正确的声音。这种黏性来自黏液。
हिन्दी: शुरुआती धम्म की आवाज़ तब आती है जब वे पृष्ठीय थैलियाँ (bursae) आपस में टकराती हैं। और गूँज उन कंपनों से बनती है जो ऊतकों के अलग होने पर बाकी रह जाती हैं। लेकिन छोटे थोड (Thode) कहते हैं कि सही ऊँचाई और तेज़ी की आवाज़ के लिए थैलियों का कुछ हद तक चिपचिपा होना ज़रूरी है, ताकि वे ठीक से टकराएँ और अलग हों। यह चिपचिपाहट बलगम से आती है।
नेपाली: सुरुको धम्म आवाज ती पृष्ठीय थैलीहरू (bursae) एकआपसमा ठोक्किँदा आउँछ। अनि प्रतिध्वनि भने तन्तुहरू छुट्टिँदा बाँकी रहने कम्पनबाट बन्छ। तर कान्छा थोड (Thode) भन्छन्, ठीक चर्कोपन र स्वरको आवाज निकाल्न थैलीहरू केही हदसम्म टाँसिने हुनुपर्छ, ताकि ठोक्किने र छुट्टिने क्रिया राम्ररी होस्। त्यो टाँसिने गुण श्लेष्माबाट आउँछ।
Tiếng Việt: Tiếng 'thụp' ban đầu phát ra khi các túi lưng (bursae) va vào nhau. Còn tiếng vang là do những rung động còn lại khi các mô tách ra. Nhưng Thode con nói rằng các túi phải hơi dính thì việc đập vào nhau và tách ra mới tạo được âm thanh có độ to và cao độ đúng. Độ dính đó đến từ chất nhầy.
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.