Long isolated from Western Europe, Russia grew up without participating…
Read the text aloud.
Long isolated from Western Europe, Russia grew up without participating in shared developments like the Reformation. Russians took pride in their unique culture and found dubious value in foreign ideals. As a result, Russia is the most unusual member of the European family, if indeed it can be considered one at all. This question is still hotly debated, particularly amongst Russians.
Opens question #010170 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Long isolated from Western Europe,|Russia grew up without participating in shared developments|like the Reformation.‖Russians took pride in their unique culture|and found dubious value in foreign ideals.‖As a result,|Russia is the most unusual member of the European family,‖if indeed it can be considered one at all.‖This question is still hotly debated,|particularly amongst Russians.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 23–28 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| participating | par·TIC·i·pa·ting | /pɑrˈtɪsəpeɪtɪŋ/ |
| particularly | par·TIC·u·lar·ly | /pɑrˈtɪkjəlɚli/ |
| developments | de·VEL·op·ments | /dɪˈvɛləpmənts/ |
| reformation | ref·or·MA·tion | /rɛfɚˈmeɪʃən/ |
| european | eu·ro·PE·an | /jʊrəˈpiən/ |
| unusual | un·U·su·al | /əˈnjuʒuəl/ |
61 words in 23–28 seconds; no numbers. Breathe after Reformation, ideals, family and all. Short pauses after Europe, result and debated.
Where marks are usually lost
par·TIC·i·pa·ting and par·TIC·u·lar·ly both stress the second syllable; ref·or·MA·tion and eu·ro·PE·an the third; de·VEL·op·ments, un·U·su·al the second. Dropping the -ed in isolated, shared, considered, debated and the -s in developments, Russians, ideals.
General tip: particularly has five syllables; do not collapse it to "par-tic-ly".
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 俄罗斯长期与西欧隔绝，在成长过程中没有参与宗教改革等共同的历史进程。俄罗斯人以自己独特的文化为傲，对外来理念持怀疑态度。因此，俄罗斯是欧洲家庭中最特殊的成员——如果它真能算作其中一员的话。这个问题至今仍争论激烈，尤其在俄罗斯人之间。
हिन्दी: पश्चिमी यूरोप से लंबे समय तक अलग-थलग रहने के कारण रूस सुधार आंदोलन जैसे साझा घटनाक्रमों में भाग लिए बिना विकसित हुआ। रूसियों को अपनी अनोखी संस्कृति पर गर्व था और विदेशी आदर्शों का मूल्य उन्हें संदिग्ध लगता था। परिणामस्वरूप, रूस यूरोपीय परिवार का सबसे असामान्य सदस्य है, यदि उसे सदस्य माना भी जा सके। यह प्रश्न आज भी तीखी बहस का विषय है, विशेषकर रूसियों के बीच।
नेपाली: पश्चिमी युरोपबाट लामो समय अलग रहेकाले रुस रिफर्मेसनजस्ता साझा विकासमा सहभागी नभई हुर्कियो। रुसीहरू आफ्नो अद्वितीय संस्कृतिमा गर्व गर्थे र विदेशी आदर्शहरूको मूल्यमा शंका गर्थे। फलस्वरूप, रुस युरोपेली परिवारको सबैभन्दा असामान्य सदस्य हो, यदि त्यसलाई सदस्य मान्न सकिन्छ भने। यो प्रश्न अझै तातो बहसमा छ, विशेष गरी रुसीहरूबीच।
Tiếng Việt: Bị cô lập lâu dài khỏi Tây Âu, nước Nga lớn lên mà không tham gia vào những biến chuyển chung như cuộc Cải cách Tôn giáo. Người Nga tự hào về nền văn hóa độc đáo của mình và hoài nghi giá trị của các lý tưởng ngoại lai. Kết quả là Nga là thành viên khác thường nhất của gia đình châu Âu, nếu thực sự có thể coi là một thành viên. Câu hỏi này vẫn được tranh luận gay gắt, đặc biệt là giữa người Nga.
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.