Augustus was given the powers of an absolute monarch, but…
Read the text aloud.
Augustus was given the powers of an absolute monarch, but he presented himself as the preserver of republican tradition. He treated the Senate, or state council, with great respect, and was made Consul year after year. He successfully reduced the political power of the army by retiring many soldiers but giving them land or money to keep their loyalty.
Opens question #010154 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Augustus was given the powers of an absolute monarch,|but he presented himself as the preserver of republican tradition.‖He treated the Senate,|or state council,|with great respect,|and was made Consul year after year.‖He successfully reduced the political power of the army|by retiring many soldiers|but giving them land or money to keep their loyalty.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Words to stress correctly
| successfully | suc·CESS·ful·ly | /səkˈsɛsfəli/ |
| republican | re·PUB·li·can | /rɪˈpʌblɪkən/ |
| political | po·LIT·i·cal | /pəˈlɪtəkəl/ |
| presented | pre·SENT·ed | /priˈzɛntɪd/ |
| preserver | pre·SERV·er | /priˈzɝvɚ/ |
| tradition | tra·DI·tion | /trəˈdɪʃən/ |
59 words, aim for 23–27 seconds. No numbers. Breathe after tradition and after year after year; take short pauses at the commas around or state council,.
Where marks are usually lost
All six hard words stress the second syllable: suc·CESS·ful·ly, re·PUB·li·can, po·LIT·i·cal, pre·SENT·ed, pre·SERV·er, tra·DI·tion. Don't hesitate before Augustus or Consul. Keep -ed and -s endings: presented, treated, reduced, powers, soldiers.
General tip: Augustus, Senate and Consul are names—say them confidently without slowing down; Consul ends in a weak /səl/.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 奥古斯都被授予专制君主的权力，但他把自己塑造成共和传统的维护者。他对元老院（即国务会议）极为尊重，并连年被任命为执政官。他通过让许多士兵退役，同时给予他们土地或金钱以保持忠诚，成功削弱了军队的政治权力。
हिन्दी: ऑगस्टस को निरंकुश राजा की शक्तियाँ दी गईं, पर उसने खुद को गणतांत्रिक परंपरा के रक्षक के रूप में पेश किया। उसने सीनेट, यानी राज्य परिषद, के साथ बड़े सम्मान से व्यवहार किया और हर साल कॉन्सल बनाया गया। उसने कई सैनिकों को सेवानिवृत्त कर, पर वफ़ादारी बनाए रखने के लिए उन्हें ज़मीन या धन देकर, सेना की राजनीतिक शक्ति सफलतापूर्वक घटाई।
नेपाली: अगस्टसलाई निरंकुश राजाको शक्ति दिइयो, तर उनले आफूलाई गणतान्त्रिक परम्पराको संरक्षकका रूपमा प्रस्तुत गरे। उनले सिनेट, अर्थात् राज्य परिषद्लाई ठूलो सम्मान दिए र वर्षैपिच्छे कन्सल बनाइए। धेरै सिपाहीलाई अवकाश दिएर तर वफादारी कायम राख्न जमिन वा पैसा दिएर उनले सेनाको राजनीतिक शक्ति सफलतापूर्वक घटाए।
Tiếng Việt: Augustus được trao quyền lực của một quân vương chuyên chế, nhưng ông thể hiện mình là người gìn giữ truyền thống cộng hòa. Ông đối xử rất tôn trọng với Viện Nguyên lão, tức hội đồng nhà nước, và được bầu làm Chấp chính quan năm này qua năm khác. Ông giảm thành công quyền lực chính trị của quân đội bằng cách cho nhiều binh sĩ giải ngũ nhưng cấp đất hoặc tiền để giữ lòng trung thành.
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.