Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day…
Read the text aloud.
Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day without giving it much thought. , unaware of the subtle and not so subtle ramifications of their purchases. They just grasp a hamburger and unwrap it and tossed the wrap into the bin. The whole experience is transitory and soon forgotten.
Opens question #010174 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day|without giving it much thought. ,‖unaware of the subtle and not so subtle ramifications|of their purchases.‖They just grasp a hamburger and unwrap it|and tossed the wrap into the bin.‖The whole experience is transitory|and soon forgotten.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 20–23 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| ramifications | ram·i·fi·CA·tions | /ræməfəˈkeɪʃənz/ |
| experience | ex·PE·ri·ence | /ɪkˈspɪriəns/ |
| transitory | TRAN·si·to·ry | /ˈtrænzətɔri/ |
| forgotten | for·GOT·ten | /fɚˈɡɑtən/ |
| unaware | un·a·WARE | /ʌnəˈwɛr/ |
| purchases | PUR·chas·es | /ˈpɝtʃəsəz/ |
51 words, aim 20–23 seconds. No numbers. The stray comma after 'thought.' is just the text as given—treat it as a brief silence, not a word. Breathe after thought, purchases, bin.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress ram·i·fi·CA·tions and un·a·WARE late, but TRAN·si·to·ry and PUR·chas·es early. Sound the endings: millions, ramifications, purchases, tossed, forgotten. Don't stall at the odd comma.
General tip: Read exactly what is printed, including 'tossed'; don't stop to fix the grammar aloud.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 每天有数以亿计的人购买快餐，却不加思索，没有意识到他们的购买行为所带来的微妙和不那么微妙的后果。他们只是抓起一个汉堡，拆开包装，把包装纸扔进垃圾桶。整个过程转瞬即逝，很快就被忘掉。
हिन्दी: करोड़ों लोग हर दिन बिना ज़्यादा सोचे फास्ट फूड खरीदते हैं, अपनी खरीद के सूक्ष्म और कम सूक्ष्म परिणामों से अनजान। वे बस एक हैमबर्गर उठाते हैं, उसे खोलते हैं और रैपर कूड़ेदान में फेंक देते हैं। पूरा अनुभव क्षणिक होता है और जल्दी भुला दिया जाता है।
नेपाली: करोडौं मानिसहरू हरेक दिन धेरै नसोची फास्ट फुड किन्छन्, आफ्नो खरिदका सूक्ष्म र त्यति सूक्ष्म नभएका परिणामहरूबारे बेखबर। उनीहरू केवल ह्याम्बर्गर समात्छन्, खोल्छन् र खोल डस्टबिनमा फाल्छन्। सम्पूर्ण अनुभव क्षणिक हुन्छ र चाँडै बिर्सिइन्छ।
Tiếng Việt: Hàng trăm triệu người mua đồ ăn nhanh mỗi ngày mà không suy nghĩ nhiều, không nhận ra những hệ quả tinh vi và không hề tinh vi của việc mua sắm đó. Họ chỉ cầm lấy chiếc hamburger, mở gói và ném vỏ bọc vào thùng rác. Toàn bộ trải nghiệm ấy chóng vánh và sớm bị lãng quên.
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.